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MAPPING OF ECOSYSTEMS IN BULGARIA

BASED ON MAES TYPOLOGY

Conference Paper · April 2016

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 MAPPING OF ECOSYSTEMS IN BULGARIA BASED ON MAES
TYPOLOGY

Stoyan Nedkov1*, Svetla Doncheva2, Boris Markov3

1 - National Institute of Geophysics, Geodesy and Geography – BAS

2 - Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research – BAS
3 - Sofia University, Faculty of Geology and Geography

Abstract: According to Action5 of the EU Biodiversity strategy the member states have to map and assess the state of
ecosystems and their services in their national territory. A Working Group on Mapping and Assessment on Ecosystems
and their Services (MAES) provided methodological framework for mapping of ecosystems at European scale. The
main objective of this paper is to analyze the spatial distribution of the ecosystems in Bulgaria based on MAES
typology and their dynamics for 20 year long period. We utilize CLC data to delineate and map ecosystems in Bulgaria.
The information of ecosystems was organized in GIS database which includes data about four time series between 1990
and 2012 and the ecosystems’ dynamics for this period were analyzed. The results show that Cropland and Woodland
and forest ecosystems are the most spread in the country followed by Grasslands and Urban ecosystems. There are
mixed trends in ecosystems change during the period 1990 – 2012. The area of urban ecosystems show steady increase
until 2006 while the area of Woodland and forest ecosystems gradually decrease during the whole studied period.
Cropland ecosystems show small changes in the first two periods and rapid increase during the third period. There are
different reasons for such changes which are both subjective an objective. CORINE Land Cover is appropriate data
source to delineate ecosystem types on the base of MAES framework at national scale but at larger scales finer sources
are required.

Key words: Biodiversity strategy, MAES, ecosystem types, CLC, ecosystem dynamics, GIS

Introduction

According to Action5 of the EU Biodiversity strategy to 2020 the member states have to map and
assess the state of ecosystems and their services in their national territory. The results of this mapping and
assessment should support the maintenance and restoration of ecosystems and their services. A Working
Group on Mapping and Assessment on Ecosystems and their Services (MAES) was set up to underpin the
effective delivery of the strategy with objective to support the implementation of Action 5 by the EU and its
Member States. The results of its activities have been summarized in three reports that issued since 2013.
The reports provide methodological framework for mapping and assessment of ecosystems and their services
at European and national scales. Section 4 of the first report proposes a coherent typology to be used for the
different types of broad ecosystems to be considered in the assessment to ensure consistency across Member
States [1]. These main classes are designed for consistent assessments of state and services from local to
national, regional and European scale. Information from a more detailed classification at higher spatial
resolution could be combined with the European-wide classification and could be aggregated in a consistent
manner [1]. The typology is organized in two main levels and its structure enables applying CORINE Land
Cover (CLC) data for spatial delineation. It is also adjusted with the European Nature Information System
(EUNIS) habitat types where necessary in order to ensure that further subdivision in the countries would be
performed in a uniform and compatible manner. The adoption of this typology led also to adaptation of other
EU biodiversity activities including the EEA biodiversity baseline, which revised its reports in order to
provide the relevant facts and figures on the state and trends of the different biodiversity and ecosystem
components [2].
Mapping of ecosystems and their services has been mentioned as one of the main challenges for the
ecosystem service concept's implementation into decision making [3]. The modern GIS technologies provide
different tools and techniques for spatial analyses and database development, which can be used to
investigate the relationships and influence of the different spatial units, delineation of ecosystems and
assessment of ecosystem services. They should be directed to landscape pattern analyses, incorporation of
land cover data and possibilities for spatial statistics and landscape change detection [4].
The main objectives of this paper are:
• to delineate the ecosystem types in Bulgaria following MAES typology;
• to develop a GIS database of the ecosystem types;
• to reveal changes in ecosystem areas during the period 1990 – 2012.

Materials and methods

The research approach in this study was based on the use of free available CORINE Land Cover data
and utilization of GIS techniques for aggregation of the MAES typology scheme, development of a GIS
database, generation of ecosystems data series and elaboration of ecosystem maps (fig. 1). The workflow of
presented manipulations and analyses ensures appropriate frame for spatial data manipulation, spatial
analyses and visualization of the results for ecosystem types at national level.

Fig. 1. Conceptual scheme of the research approach

The main source of information for this study was CORINE Land Cover (CLC) dataset. It is a
geographic land cover/land use database encompassing most of the countries of Europe. In 1985 the
CORINE program was initiated in the European Union. CORINE means coordination of information on the
environment and it was a prototype project working on many different environmental issues. The CORINE
databases and several of its elements have been taken over by the EEA. One of these is an inventory of land
cover in 44 classes organized hierarchically in three levels, and presented as a cartographic product, at a
scale of 1:100 000. The first level (5 classes) corresponds to the main categories of the land cover/land use
(artificial areas, agricultural land, forests and semi-natural areas, wetlands, water surfaces). The second level
(15 classes) covers physical and physiognomic entities at a higher level of detail (urban zones, forests, lakes,
etc). The third level is composed of 44 classes dividing the previous entities into more detailed subdivisions.
For instance the forests are divided into three classes - deciduous, coniferous and mixed. CLC was
elaborated based on the visual interpretation of satellite images (SPOT, LANDSAT TM and MSS). Ancillary
data (aerial photographs, topographic or vegetation maps, statistics, local knowledge) were used to refine
interpretation and the assignment of the territory into the categories of the CORINE Land Cover
nomenclature. The smallest surfaces mapping units correspond to 25 hectares. Linear features less than 100
m in width are not considered. The scale of the output product was fixed at 1:100000, therefore the location
precision of the CLC database is 100 m [5].
The general MAES typology of ecosystems is organized into two levels. The first level is defined as
“major ecosystem category” and includes three main classes: 1) Terrestrial; 2) Fresh water; 3) Marine. At the
second level the major categories are subdivided into more detailed subclasses according to the character of
their biophysical features. The terrestrial ecosystems are subdivided into seven subclasses: 1) Urban; 2)
Cropland; 3) Grassland; 4) Woodland and forest; 5) Heathland and shrub; 6) Sparsely vegetated land; 7)
Wetlands. The fresh water ecosystem class contains only one subclass – Rivers and lakes. The marine
ecosystems are subdivided into four subclasses: 1) Marine inlets and transitional waters; 2) Coastal; 3) Shelf;
4) Open ocean. Annex 2 of the MAES report [1] provides a table that links ecosystem types at level 2 with
the CORINE Land Cover classification. Some ecosystem types fully correspond to the CORINE classes from
entire category. For instance, urban ecosystems fully correspond to category 1. Artificial surfaces and
include all classes from level one to three and sparsely vegetated lands correspond to category 3.3 Open
spaces with little or no vegetation. Other ecosystems correspond to classes from different levels of CORINE
classification. For instance, the ecosystem type grassland correspond to categories 2.3.1 Pastures and 3.2.1
Natural grasslands which are at different groups at level two of CORINE classification.
CORINE dadabase in Bulgaria contains 36 out of 44 classes in the CORINE classification [6]. The
correspondence of each class to the MAES typology was analyzed and distributed accordingly. The
aggregation of the polygons was performed in two steps. Firstly, a look-up-table including CORINE classes
and MAES ecosystems was prepared. At the second step, indices corresponding to the ecosystem types were
assigned to all CORINE polygons. Thus, new dataset containing both CORINE and MAES typology
information was created. The procedure was applied to all four CORINE datasets time series – 1990, 2000,
2006 and 2012. They were incorporated as feature classes in an ArcGIS geodatabase, which contains both
spatial and tabular data of the two types of information. It was used as a source to generate maps of
ecosystems in Bulgaria. The mapping was performed using the MAES typology at second level for terrestrial
ecosystems and freshwater ecosystems and first level for marine ecosystems. The distribution of the
ecosystem types was performed using ArcGIS summary statistic tool, which enables to extract parameters
for every particular cluster of objects. In our case, the area was used as a statistic field and the record with
ecosystem types was used as a case field. The tool enables to generate spatial distribution of the ecosystem
types measured in area units (km2) for respective time series. The ecosystem dynamics for the period 1990 –
2012 was analyzed through integration of ecosystem maps and area distribution tabular data.

Results

There are nine main ecosystem types according to MAES typology that can be delineated in Bulgaria
on the base of CORINE dataset (fig. 2; table 1). Cropland ecosystems occupy almost half of the counties’
territory with about 535000 km2. The database contains 18419 polygons of this ecosystems and their average
size is 2,9 km2 (the figures here and further on are based on CORINE 2006 data). The largest polygon is
4546 km2, which exceeds the total area of some other ecosystem types. They are the dominant type in the
north part of the country (especially in the Danube plain) and in lowlands of central and eastern part of South
Bulgaria (Upper Thracian lowland, Tundzha and Burgas plains). Continuous croplands are typical for the
areas of low elevation and predominantly plain topography, while in the mountains they are less and have
patchy distribution. Woodland and forest is the second largest ecosystem type with about 430000 km2, which
comprises almost 38% of the countries’ territory. There are 19190 forest polygons, which is the highest
number of all ecosystems. Their average size is 2,2 km2, while the largest one is 2218 km2. They are
predominant ecosystems in the mountain areas especially in the south and south-western part of the country
as well as in the central parts. These two ecosystem types (cropland and forest) occupy about 86% of the
country and thus dominate the landscape in almost all of its territory.
Grassland and Urban ecosystems are also well represented in the country occupying about 8100 and
5500 km2 respectively. Both ecosystems are distributed almost evenly in the whole country with slight
differences determined by local conditions. Grasslands have 7754 polygons in the whole country and their
average size is 1,01 km2. Urban ecosystems are presented by 5939 polygons with average area of 0,5 km2.
The other five ecosystem types have limited extend covering about 2% of the countries’ territory (table 1).
River and lakes ecosystems have about 1100 km2 (about 1% of the country), located in the whole country.
There are 447 individual polygons with average area of 2,5 km2. Sparsely vegetated lands cover about 590
km2 (0,5%) located predominantly in the high mountains and along the Black sea coast. There are 560
individual polygons with average area of 1,01 km2. The largest area is located in Chepan Mountain near
Dragoman, which covers 23 km2. Heathland and shrubs occupy 300 km2, which is less that 0,3% of the
country. They are presented mainly in the high parts of Rila, Pirin and Stara Planina mountains. The total
number of polygons is 90 and their average size is 3,5 km2. Marine ecosystems occupy about 0,3% of the
country located in Black sea and its coastline, but the figures on their area are very rough approximation
because the water bodies class in CORINE data is delineated as 1 km strip along the coastline. Wetlands are
the ecosystem type with lowest area in the country with 105 km2, which is less that 0,3%. There are only 7
polygons with average size of 0,6 km2. The reason for these low figures is that the wetlands are usually small
and most of them are drop from CORINE dataset as they are below the 25 ha threshold.

Table 1. Area of the ecosystem types for the period 1990 - 2012
1990 2000 2006 2012
2 2 2
Ecosystem type area km % area km % area km % area km2 %
Urban 5426,8 4,8 5544,0 4,9 5584,0 5,0 5333,7 4,7
Cropland 53457,1 48,0 53523,7 47,5 53506,8 47,4 53805,0 47,9
Grassland 8310,6 7,4 8188,3 7,3 8168,1 7,2 8083,4 7,2
Woodland and forest 43092,8 38,2 42995,0 38,1 43004,0 38,1 42718,2 38,0
Heathland and shrub 324,6 0,3 321,7 0,3 317,5 0,3 266,2 0,2
Sparsely vegetated land 599,1 0,5 579,0 0,5 569,9 0,5 564,1 0,5
Wetlands 104,9 0,1 104,1 0,1 105,8 0,1 104,2 0,1
River and lakes 1098,9 1,0 1158,4 1,0 1158,2 1,0 1157,7 1,0
Marine 378,6 0,3 379,2 0,3 379,0 0,3 375,1 0,3

Fig. 2. Map of ecosystem types in Bulgaria based on MAES typology

 The analyses of ecosystem dynamics during the period 1990 – 2012 shows different trajectories for
the different ecosystem types as well as during the periods between CORINE mapping years (table 2). Stable
decreasing trend during the whole period is observed for Grassland, Heathland and shrub and Sparsely
vegetated lands. The areas of these three types show negative values for all three periods of observation that
are cumulated to reach the figures given in the last column of table 1. The most significant change is the
increase of Cropland ecosystems, which is 347 km2 for the whole period. This is mainly due to the increase
after 2006, while for the previous periods there are slights increase (1990-2000) and decrease (2000-2006).
Urban ecosystems show increase during the first two periods until 2006, but in the last period (2006-2012)
there is significant decrease which leads to a negative result for the whole period. The changes in the Forest
ecosystems for the whole period are also with negative values, which is mainly due to the significant
decrease during the last period (285,9 km2). During the first period there is slow decrease, while in the
second period the area of forest slightly increases. The changes in Wetland and marine ecosystems are
relatively small and insignificant for the studied period. Both areas have positive and negative figures during
the different periods and slightly negative figure for the whole period. River and lakes ecosystems have
similar pattern except for the first period (1990-200) when their area decreases with 59.5 km2.

Table 2. Changes in the area of the ecosystem types for the period 1990 - 2012
Change (km2)
Ecosystem type
1990-2000 2000-2006 2006-2012 1990-2012
Urban 117,2 40,0 -250,3 -93,1
Cropland 66,6 -16,9 298,2 347,9
Grassland -122,3 -20,1 -84,8 -227,2
Woodland and Forest -97,8 9,1 -285,9 -374,6
Heathland and shrub -2,9 -4,1 -51,3 -58,4
Sparsely vegetated land -20,1 -9,1 -5,8 -35,1
Wetlands -0,8 1,7 -1,5 -0,7
River and lakes 59,5 -0,2 -0,6 58,8
Marine 0,6 -0,3 -3,8 -3,5

Discussion and conclusion

The territory of Bulgaria is dominated by two types of ecosystems - forest and cropland. The first are
determined by the geographical location within the temperate climate zone, which characteristics favors
development of forest vegetation. They are better preserved in the mountain areas where the human impact is
not so intensive. The croplands are the most spread ecosystem type due to the favorable for agriculture
nature conditions and the resulting human activities. Urban and grassland ecosystems are also well presented
in the country and their spread is determined by the human activity. Heathland and shrubs and sparsely
vegetated areas have limited extend mainly in the mountains. All these ecosystems are well delineated from
CORINE database and the results could be determined as representative for the countries' territory. River and
lakes and wetland ecosystems have also limited extend in the country, but the results should be treated as
rough estimation because CORINE database do not include most of the real objects because of their small
size. Mapping of rivers and wetlands at finer scale is necessary for more representative results.
There are mixed trends in ecosystems change during the period 1990 – 2012. Cropland ecosystems
show small changes in the first two periods and rapid increase during the third period, which could be
explained with the result of EU agriculture policy that was introduced in Bulgaria after 2007 when the
country joined EU. This process could be explained partly as a reason for the decrease of grasslands and
heathlands, which were replaced in some areas by croplands. Urban ecosystems show gradual increase
during the period 1990 – 2006 which is in relation with the political and economical changes after 1989. The
decrease during the last period (2006-2012) is more difficult for explanation. There are some small villages
that were depopulated and excluded from the settlements register during this period but this could not
 explain such a decrease of urban areas therefore further analyses is necessary. There is a negative change in
forest areas with a peak during the last period (2006-2012), which is caused most likely by more intensive
forestry. The changes in river and lakes ecosystems during the first period (1990-2000) is dramatic and
hardly to explain with existing processes. The reason is rather “subjective” and is related to CORINE data
acquisition methods which were significantly changed between 1990 and 2000. For more precise analyses
the results should be correlated with other data sources in order to validate them and define possible sources
of uncertainties.
CORINE Land Cover is appropriate data source to delineate ecosystem types on the base of MAES
framework at scale 1:100 000. It provides easily available and comparable data at EU scale that could be
used for both ecosystem delineation and further ecosystem services assessment [7]. Its applicability at finer
scale is not so effective so for more precise studies other sources of spatial data are required. The ecosystem
types database is an appropriate source of spatial information towards fulfillment of the requirements of EU
biodiversity strategy in Bulgaria.

Acknowledgments
The work for this study has been supported by the EU HORISON 2020 funded project "Enhancing
ecoSysteM sERvices mApping for poLicy and Decision mAking" (ESMERALDA) and the EEA funded
Predefine project BG03.PDP 2 “Methodological Support for Ecosystem Services Mapping and Biophysical
Valuation (MetEcoSMap)”.

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*Corresponding author:
Stoyan Nedkov
National Institute of Geophysics, Geodesy and Geography – BAS
Akad. G. Bonchev str. Bl.3
1113, Sofia, Bulgaria
phone: +359 2 9793360
e-mail: snedkov@abv.bg

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