News

A new publication applies DNA metabarcoding to reveal the diet composition of the Grey plover (Pluvialis squatarola) on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast

 

A team of young scientists and postdoctoral fellows from IBER-BAS has published the first Bulgarian study of a migratory wader's food spectrum at a migration stopover site on the Black Sea coast using DNA metabarcoding. Migratory waders use stopover sites to refuel for the next stages of their migration, relying on seasonally abundant prey. Migration success depends on food quality and availability at these key sites. The study analyzes the diet composition and preferences of the Grey Plover (Pluvialis squatarola) at its migration stopover at Pomorie Lake on the South-Western Black Sea coast, Bulgaria through DNA metabarcoding of faeces, and compares them to available prey in the surf zone and the supralittoral sandy shore habitats in the study area.

 

The Grey Plover had a broad diet spectrum, with 332 prey taxa in total identified by metabarcoding. These included both terrestrial and marine taxa, suggesting that the birds use multiple coastal habitats for foraging. Terrestrial arthropods (particularly insects) predominated in the diet, and mytilid bivalves were the most represented marine taxon. The birds had a generalist feeding strategy, with diverse prey items eaten in small quantities. Most Grey Plovers fed on insects (Diptera, Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera), but some individuals showed specialisation for other taxa (mussels, spiders, polychaetes).

The study found no significant seasonal variation in Grey Plover diet composition, but the proportions of some prey taxa in the diet changed slightly, probably reflecting seasonal differences in their abundance and activity in coastal habitats.
The results contribute to the knowledge of Grey Plover diet, prey choice and habitat use in a little-studied region on the Black Sea-Mediterranean Flyway, and could help design effective conservation measures to preserve habitat quality at stopover sites for this wader and others with similar ecology.

The study was supported by the research project funded by the National Science Fund of Bulgaria (Projects of junior basic researchers and postdocs 2021, Contract No. KP06-M51/3 /12.11.2021).

Link to the article

 

/IBER-BAS, 04.11.2024/

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The largest nursing colony of the Lesser Horseshoe and the Geoffroy’s bat in the world is in the Eastern Rhodopes

 

A new publication in the European Journal of Wildlife Research reports the discovery of the largest breeding colony of the lesser horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros) and the Geoffroy’s bat (Myotis emarginatus) worldwide. It is located in the Eastern Rhodopes, near the town of Madzharovo. The study is a collaborative work of a team of Bulgarian and Czech researchers, with lead author Dr Heliana Dundarova (Fig. 1) of the Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.

 

Bulgaria has a rich bat fauna and large colonies recorded in caves, mines and other underground shelters. Only a small proportion of nursing colonies of bats has been found in buildings. However, during recent field surveys in the area of the town of Madzharovo (Haskovo Region), the world's largest nursing colony of the lesser horseshoe bats (Fig. 2) the Geoffroy’s bats (Fig. 3) has been discovered. Between 15,000 and 18,500 individuals of 8 species use a complex of anthropogenic structures (an abandoned water reservoir and two buildings) as a summer roost.

 

The find from the Madzarovo region confirms the need to organize programmes for regular monitoring as well as action plans for bat species, which will ensure the protection of breeding colonies and stop the decline in the abundance of the populations.

 

Link to the article

Fig. 1. Dr Heliana Dundarova during field studies.
Fig. 2. Lesser horseshoe bats from the colony near Madzarovo.
Fig. 3. Geoffroy’s bats from the colony near Madzarovo.

 

/IBER-BAS, 04.11.2024/

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New paper demonstrates high microplastic pollution in marine sediments associated with urbanised areas along the SW Bulgarian Black Sea coast

 

 

A new article published in the Marine Pollution Bulletin (IF 5.3) by our colleagues from LME Sozopol, PhD student Nikola Bobchev, Dr. Dimitar Berov, Dr. Stefania Klein and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vencislav Karamfilov, presents data from the first study on microplastic pollution in the sediments of beaches and the seabed along the southwestern coast of the Black Sea, specifically in the area of Sozopol Bay, the mouth of the Ropotamo River, and Maslen Cape.

 

 

The results show that the highest concentrations of microplastics were found near urbanized areas (Sozopol Bay - 464.44 ± 272.50 particles per kg of beach sand and 825.93 ± 396.30 particles per kg of seabed sand). Fibers were the most common type, comprising 72.3% of the microplastics on the shore and 91.7% on the seabed. Additionally, 44% of the particles on the shore and 54% of those on the seabed were red or blue.

 

 

The concentration of microplastics in the sediments of the beaches "Zlatna Ribka," "Gradina," and "Chernomoretz," located between the towns of Sozopol and Chernomorets, was 2 to 4 times higher than in other parts of the Black Sea. In contrast, concentrations in non-urbanized or sparsely urbanized areas were similar to those found in other studies from the Black Sea and other European seas. The concentration of microplastics in seabed sediments in this area was higher than in other studies from the Black Sea but similar to levels of microplastic pollution in seabed sediments of the Caspian Sea, Baltic Sea, the English Channel, and the Belgian continental shelf.

 

Potential major sources of pollution include microplastics carried from land via wastewater and stormwater runoff, as well as degradation of plastic objects that have entered the sea from household waste, tourism, fishing, and aquaculture. It has been confirmed that marine sediments act as a "reservoir" for microplastics, which remain archived in the sediments for long periods of time, and are indicative of the long-term levels of pollution in coastal ecosystems, especially from urbanized coastal areas and the human activities occurring there.

Link to the article

 

/IBER-BAS, 24.10.2024/

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New paper on impacts of inland navigation and land on European freshwater biodiversity

 

Europe’s large rivers host a wealth of Europe’s freshwater biodiversity and are vital socio-economic systems. On the other hand, inland navigation in Europe  is a low-carbon form of transport and is likely to increase in the coming years. However, we currently lack knowledge on how this would impact biodiversity at large scales and interact with existing stressors. An international team of scientists, with the participation of Assoc. Prof. Vesela Evtimova from IBER - BAS, published in Nature Ecology & Evolution the results of a pan-European study on the impact of inland navigation on river benthic invertebrates and fish. The research included almost 20,000 observations from over 4,000 sampling sites spanning the past 32 years.

 

Among the findings of the scientists were that ship traffic was associated with loss of taxonomic and trait diversity, losses in rare taxa and establishment of invasive species, with effects being cumulative. For instance, ship traffic was especially harmful for benthic taxa and those preferring slow flows. These effects often depended on local land use and riparian degradation. In fish, negative impacts of shipping were highest in urban and agricultural landscapes.

 

This study goes beyond existing work in showing that inland navigation affects the whole 35,000 km European inland waterway network and threatens biodiversity, building on previous work that focused on only sections of a particular river at a particular time. Integrative waterway management accounting for riparian habitats and landscape characteristics could help to mitigate these impacts.

For full text, see the following link.

Figure captions:
Fig.1. Data on macroinvertebrate (a, purple dots, n = 1,668) and fish (b, purple dots, n = 2,381) communities across Europe. Large rivers and navigated canals are shown with blue lines (Sexton et al., 2024).

Fig. 2. Macroinvertebrate trait responses to various navigation pressures (text), while accounting for environmental variables (Sexton et al., 2024).

Fig. 3. Fish trait responses to various navigation pressures (text), while accounting for environmental variables (Sexton et al., 2024).

 

/IBER-BAS, 29.05.2024./

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On May 21, we celebrate 32 years since the creation of Natura 2000!

 

In 1992 the NATURA 2000 network was founded in the European Union. Scientists from the Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IBER-BAS) actively participate in the creation and development of the ecological network in the country.

 

The EU annouces 21 may as NATURA 2000 day. Today we celebrate 32 years since the establishment of the NATURA 2000 network. For the event, Assoc. Prof. Yordan Koshev from IBER-BAS, participant of the project titled “Securing the recovery of the endangered Saker Falcon in Bulgaria and Southern Romania” (LIFE20 NAT/BG/001162) presented in front of Bulgarian media the importanve of protected areas and about conserving Bulgarian nature. The highlight of the conversation were the following species of conservation concern: European ground squirrel (souslik), Saker falcon, Imperial eagle and others.

For more information, please visit Bulgarian News Agency (link).

/IBER-BAS, 21.05.2024./

 

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Trends in ecological quality of European rivers: improving but still some way ahead before reaching the goal

 

During the Anthropocene, humans and society are severely impacting on river ecosystems: directly, e.g. river regulation or/and pollution, or indirectly through facilitating the spread of invasive plants or animals, global or regional climate change, etc.

 

Within the framework of a pan-European study led by Dr. J. Sinclair and Prof. Dr. P. Haase from the Senckenberg Research Institute & Natural History Museum in Germany, rivers in 23 European countries have been studied, of which three are in Bulgaria. Members of the team are Chief Ass. Dr. V. Tyufekchieva and Assoc. Prof. Dr. V. Evtimova from IBER-BAS. Results regarding the ecological quality of rivers of 1,365 sites based on analyses of benthic macroinvertebrates are published in the last issue of Nature Ecology & Evolution titled "Multi-decadal improvements in the ecological quality of European rivers are not consistently reflected in biodiversity metrics". The researchers established the quality has increased for the period 1992-2010, however they warn that the quality is still not good enough for almost 60% of the rivers or streams. This positive trend stalled around 2010 (for full text see here).

 

A larger study led by prof. Dr. P. Haase (SRI & NHM), published in 2023 in Nature titled "Multi-decadal improvements in the ecological quality of European rivers" are not consistently reflected in biodiversity metrics, found that the biodiversity of riverine macroinvertebrate communities showed a sustained recovery trend for the period 1968-2010. Again, the restoration processes reached a plateau in 2010. Co-authors in the publication are Assoc. Prof. Dr. V. Evtimova, G. Georgieva, Chief Ass. Dr. V. Tyufekchieva, Prof. Dr. Y. Uzunov, Assoc. Prof. Dr. E. Varadinova, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Y. Vidinova from IBER-BAS.

 

/IBER-BAS, 21.03.2024./

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ESENIAS and DIAS Conference 2023 and 12th ESENIAS Workshop

 

The Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, BAS (IBER-BAS) was the host of the Joint ESENIAS and DIAS Scientific Conference 2023 and 12th ESENIAS Workshop ‘Globalisation and invasive alien species in the Black Sea and Mediterranean regions – management challenges and regional cooperation’, which was held on 11–14 October 2023, in Varna, Bulgaria.

 

The conference was organised jointly by IBER-BAS, the Faculty of Agronomy, University of Forestry, Institute of Oceanology, BAS (IO-BAS), East and South European Network for Invasive Alien Species (ESENIAS), Danube Region Invasive Alien Species Network (DIAS), International Association for Danube Research (IAD), and SuEkos, Türkiye. The conference was supported by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the National Science Fund of Bulgaria (Project КП-06-МНФ/34/25.08.2023) and NeoBiota.

 

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vladimir Vladimirov, Director of IBER-BAS, welcomed the participants. Welcome addresses were presented also by Dr. Teodora Trichkova on behalf of ESENIAS and DIAS, by Dr. Kremena Stefanova, Vice Director of IO-BAS, by Academician Julian Revalski, President of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, and by Mr. Julian Popov, Minister of Environment and Water of Bulgaria, presented by Ms Kalina Stoyanova from the National Nature Protection Service Directorate.

More than 100 participants from 15 countries attended the conference. A total of 105 communications, including 13 keynote presentations, 33 oral presentations and 59 posters were presented within 11 oral and 3 poster sessions. The abstracts were published in a Book of Abstracts. Selected full papers will be published after peer-review in "Phytologia Balcanica" and "Transylvanian Review of Systematical and Ecological Research".

Based on their presentations four young scientists were awarded by the Scientific Committee. Assistant Polina Nikova from IBER-BAS received NeoBiota Best Talk Award for her presentation titled ‘First documented records in the wild of American mink (Neogale vision von Schreber, 1776) in Bulgaria’. Three young scientists were awarded for best zoological presentations by Acta Zoologica Bulgarica – Dr. Halyna Morhun from Ukraine, and PhD students Alexandr Vasiliev from Moldova and Ovidiu Drăgan from Romania.

Further information about the conference and conference outcomes can be found at following links:
- ESENIAS (link 1)

- ESENIAS Conference (link 2)
- Book of abstracts
- Website of Neobiota

 

/IBER-BAS, 21.11..2023/

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Research group blood parasites of birds is a part of International Wildlife Malaria Network (WIMANET): A Global Initiative to Study Vector-Borne Parasites

 

Vector-transmitted pathogens significantly contribute to the global disease burden and are causing increasing concern due to global warming and land use changes worldwide. Among these pathogens, haemosporidian parasites are of particular interest as they are widespread, extremely diverse, and can be associated with health issues for humans, livestock, and wildlife.

 

To address these growing challenges, researchers and scientists worldwide have come together under the banner of the "Wildlife Malaria Network (WIMANET)," a new initiative funded by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology). This collaboration seeks to pool resources, expertise, and data from various research groups to tackle the challenges surrounding wildlife haemosporidian parasites on a global scale.

By coordinating and sharing research efforts, WIMANET aims at facilitating large-scale collaborative research initiatives that transcend local and regional boundaries. The COST action WIMANET has the following key objectives:

1. Common Research Agenda: to encourage researchers to collaborate and exchange knowledge. By working together, the network hopes to address critical questions related to vector-borne parasites at a global level.
2. Interdisciplinary Collaboration: to foster an interdisciplinary approach by bringing experts from various fields together. These diverse collaborations are expected to yield a more comprehensive understanding of the host-vector-haemosporidian system.
3. Support for New Researchers: to attract and support researchers from diverse backgrounds, providing them with opportunities for training and collaboration. This inclusive approach aims to expand the network's expertise and strengthen its collective impact.
4. Engaging Stakeholders: to actively engage with stakeholders, policymakers, and the general public to facilitate knowledge transfer. By raising awareness about vector-borne parasites and their impact, the initiative seeks to garner support for its research endeavors.

By uniting researchers and institutions from around the world, WIMANET holds the promise of advancing our understanding of wildlife haemosporidian parasites and finding effective strategies to tackle the challenges we face with wildlife malaria parasites in a changing world.

For more information about WIMANET, please visit the COST Action CA22108 webpage.

 

Participants:
Prof. Dr. Pavel Zehtindjiev, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mihaela Ilieva, Ch. Asst. Dr. Martin Marinov, Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences

Coordinators:
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov (dimitar.dimitrov@iber.bas.bg) and Ch. Asst. Dr. Aneliya Bobeva (aneliabobeva@gmail.com), Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences

 

/IBER-BAS, 20.11..2023/

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A new species of Spinturnix from the Turkestani longeared bat Otonycteris leucophaea in Kazakhstan

 

A new ectoparasite species of the Turkestani long-eared bat Otonycteris leucophaea (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae), Spinturnix otonycterisi Dundarova & Orlova, 2022 (Acari: Spinturnicidae), has been described by our coleague Heliana Dundarova, together with scientists from Russia and Kazakhstan (link to Zootaxa).

 

Only a few records of the Turkestani long-eared bat are available from Central Asia, where at two localities in Kazakhstan. The lack of information for the Otonycteris leucophaea is also evident in the IUCN Red List, where its status is Data Deficient with unknown population trends.

 

 

 

In addition, the phylogenetic position of the genus Otonycteris is still unresolved, which is confirmed by the pronounced morphological isolation of its specific ectoparasite Spinturnix otonycterisi. It is characterised by a bizarre form of the female dorsal shield and male sternogenital shield, and the absence of dorsal opisthosomal setae amongst others. We expect that this parasite is distributed within the range of its host in Central Asia. A key for the identification of the species of Spinturnix von Heyden, 1826 found in Kazakhstan is provided.

/IBER-BAS, 22.12..2022/

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Stay Tuned For The New Edition Of The European Researchers Night 2022 - SEARCH

 

After a one-year break, the next edition of The European Researchers Night 2022 Project will take place on September 30, 2022 with presentations, demonstrations, lectures and meetings with hundreds of scientists from all over the country. Experts will introduce you to news from their research fields. They will comment on current news from the world of science and technology and explain to you the role of science in everyday life and its part in the development of humanity and share with you why they chose the field of science.

 

The code name of the innovative project, in which more than 300 cities in Europe and the world participate in, is SEARCH - Science+Environment+Art=Resilience.

 

The initiative to promote science and its achievements is funded by Horizon Europe 2021 - 2027 of the European Union. This year, 15 main and 16 associate partners from all over the country are participating in the Night and have prepared a special program of events that will last several months. The program covers exciting activities in schools, competitions, meetings with scientists in research institutes and universities, as well as events in public city places, in museums, laboratories and other educational institutions.

More about European Researchers Night 2022 can be found here or at the following links:

 

https://fresher-researchersnight.bg/

https://www.facebook.com/ResearchersBG

https://www.instagram.com/researchersnightsofia/

https://www.tiktok.com/@searchbg?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

 

/IBER-BAS, 28.08.2022/

International Conference on DNA Barcoding and Biodiversity

In the period 25-27 May 2022, an International Conference on DNA Barcoding and Biodiversity was held at Park Hotel Moskva in Sofia city, Bulgaria. The conference was organized by the Institute of Plant Physiology and Genetics with the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences within the BULCode project, funded by the Ministry of Education and Science under the National European Scientific Network Program. Partners in the project are the Department of Plant and Fungal Diversity and Resources of the Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and the Department of Agricultural Sciences of the University of Helsinki, Finland. Some of the leading scientists in the field of DNA-barcoding and metabarcoding were invited, such as Prof. Hugo de Boer from the University of Oslo, Canada, Dr. Čiampor JR from the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Prof. Torbjørn Ekrem from the Department of Natural History of the University Museum in Norway, Prof. Paul Hebert by University of Guelf, Canada, Dr. Marko Mutanen from Oulu University, Finland, Assoc. Prof. Laura Parducci from the University of Sapienza in Rome, Italy. More than 120 scientists from more than 40 countries took part in the conference, delivering 21 oral presentations, 9 of which were plenary, and 58 poster presentations (link of event).

International Seminar of Ecology – 2022: Actual problems of Ecology

Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and Section "Biology" of the Union of Scientists in Bulgaria kindly invite you to attend the "International Seminar of Ecology – 2022", entitled "Actual problems of Ecology".

 

• Invitation

• Registration form

BioBlitz survey on invasive alien species

BioBlitz survey on invasive alien species (IAS) will be conducted on 21 May 2022, in the region of Pancharevo Lake, Sofia Municipality. The survey has been organised at European level under the COST Action CA17122 Increasing understanding of alien species through citizen science (Alien CSI). Fish Migration Day will be celebrated as an accompanying event. Fish sampling methods will be demonstrated to the participants and they will be informed about the direct and indirect threats to native ichthyofauna arising from changed hydromorphological conditions and other human impact, including invasive alien species.

• link 1
• link 2
• link 3
• link 4

Award for IBER-BAS researchers at the Conference and Exhibition WindEurope – Electric City 2021, Copenhagen, 23-25 November 2021

Our colleagues Martin Georgiev and Professor Pavel Zehtindjiev participated in the event Electric City 2021 organised by the WindEurope Association. Their research results presented at the event were highly evaluated and awarded. A brief report prepared by our colleagues is presented below:

IBER participated in the conference with two posters. One of them was based on an experiment conducted at the Biological Experimental Station "Kalimok" in the spring of 2020 (Poster 156: "The effect of sound on bird behaviour, application in wind farms").

/IBER-BAS, 07.12.2021/

The Eurasian Beaver is returning to Bulgaria

A new paper published in Acta Zoologica Bulgarica presented the first record of the Eurasian beaver in Bulgaria considered extinct in our country for more than 150 years. The Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber Linnaeus, 1758) (Rodentia: Castoridae) was recorded in the northeastern part of the Danubian Plain in Bulgaria (UTM code: MJ12), at about 25 km straight-line distance from the Danube River, 20 km from the Yantra River and about 85 km along the river bed of the Rusenski Lom River from its estuary.

The territory falls within Natura 2000 Special Area of Conservation BG0000608 "Lomovete" under the Habitats Directive. The first information about traces of the life activity of the species is from mid-September 2020, and the photo registration of an individual was reached in April 2021. During this period, there were similar registrations of beavers in other neighboring territories too, which increases the chances of the species returning to Bulgaria in a semi-natural way.

The newly established locality represents the southernmost point in the distribution of the species on the Balkan Peninsula, and is also one of the southernmost for Europe..

/IBER-BAS, 25.11.2021/

IBER-BAS is a partner in publishing the database of the primary forests in Europe

Primary forests, defined as forests in which traces of human impact are negligible, are rare in Europe and continue to disappear. This publication presents a comprehensive geodatabase and map of known primary forests in Europe.

New book authored by IBER-BAS staff members

The book is a results of the team work of scientists from the Institute of Ethnology and Folklore with Ethnographic Museum-BAS and the Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research-BAS in the frame of the "The Garden: Site of Biocultural Diversity and Interdisciplinary Junction" project, funded by National Science Fund in 2016 (DN10/1/13.12.2016). The project explores the "biocultural" - the idea of linking the biological and sociocultural dimensions of the "people - plants" relationship. The object of the research were family/personal home gardens, but also the gardens on the outskirts of the settlements, because they, with the exception of those specialized in certain crops, are characterized by great plant diversity and proximity to home as well as by frequent meetings of farmers with plants. The garden is a biocultural refugium, where valuable genetic resources are preserved and passed down from generation to generation - plants that gardeners define as "ours", as well as knowledge and skills for growing and using them.
 
Free full text can be downloaded here.

1st International Conference on Botany and Mycology, Sofia

The Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences is pleased to invite you to attend the 1st International Conference on Botany and Mycology, Sofia. The event will take place on 25-26 October 2021. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year the Conference will be held virtually.

Conference topics:

1. Floristics, Plant Taxonomy and Phylogeny
2. Vegetation and Habitats
3. Applied Botany
4. Fungal Taxonomy and Phylogeny
5. Plant and Fungal Conservation
6. Sustainable Use of Plants and Fungi
7. Current Research Projects in Botany and Mycology

For more information, please visit the official website of the Conference.

First steps in the digitalisation of scientific collections of the National Museum of Natural History of Bulgarian Academy of Sciences

With a new joint project, the National Museum of Natural History and the Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, will digitalise one of the largest collections of biological and geological diversity in Bulgaria, stored in the scientific repositories of the two institutes. The first official online meeting conducted on January 12th 2021 has marked the start of stage one of the Distribution of the scientific collections — Bulgaria (DiSSCo-BG).

The aim of the project is till 2027 to be digitalised and make available online a significant part of the scientific collections of invertebrates and vertebrates, paleontological materials of the NMNH-BAS, herbarium, mycological, zoological, paleontological and palynological collections and the collection of live plants of the IBER-BAS. The expectations of scientists are to be covered around 2 million collection items and about 500 000 digital images of samples associated with the database.
 

Securing the infrastructural and technical needs of the collections, development of policies of unification and standardisation of regulations related to the collections access and their databases, selection of database management systems and digitalisation standards in accordance with the best practices of leading institutions, will be the emphasis during the first year of the project. The financial assistance provided by the Ministry of education and science for the first year of the project is 800 000 BGN.

The two institutes are united in the consortium Upgrading a distributed scientific infrastructure: Distributed system of scientific collections-Bulgaria (DiSSCo-BG). The consortium is the Bulgarian link in the European distributed research infrastructure DiSSCo, included in the Roadmap of the European Strategic Forum for Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) in 2018. The project is implemented as part of the National Roadmap for Scientific Infrastructures for the period 2020—2027.

/IBER-BAS, 02.02.2021/

Eurasian Eagle Owl diet reveals new records of threatened giant bush-crickets

Bird diets provide a real treasure for research into the distribution and conservation of their prey, such as overlooked and rare bush-cricket species, point out scientists after studying the diet of the Eurasian Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo) in southeastern Bulgaria.

• Pensoft (link, blog)
• Twitter (link1, link2)
• Facebook (link1, link2)

/IBER-BAS, 15.01.2021/

Participation of IBER in the COST Action ‘Increasing understanding of alien species through citizen science’ (Alien CSI)

IBER-BAS participates in the COST Action ‘Increasing understanding of alien species through citizen science’ (Alien CSI). The Action addresses multidisciplinary research questions in relation to developing and implementing citizen science (CS), advancing scientific understanding of alien species (AS) dynamics, while informing decision-making specifically implementation of technical requirements of relevant legislation, such as the EU Regulation 1143/2014 on IAS, support of the EU biodiversity goals and embedding science within society.

In the frame of the Alien CSI COST Action, IBER has implementеd the project ‘Increasing understanding of alien species through citizen science (Alien CSI): Approaches to citizen science, data management and standards in Bulgaria (No КП-06-COST-13) co-fundеd by the National Science Fund of Bulgaria for the period 2019–2021.

The project objectives are as follows:

1. Horizon scan available and novel technologies for CS in Bulgaria;
2. Explore novel ways to increase the level of participation in AS related CS and to reach non-traditional audiences of citizen scientists, through translating into Bulgarian the smartphone application ‘Invasive Alien Species Europe’, including invasive alien species (IAS) of plants, animals and fungi of national/ regional concern, and promoting the app among different stakeholder groups;
3. Coordinate activities related to the collection and validation of data with the ‘Invasive Alien Species Europe’ app in Bulgaria together with the JRC and EASIN;
4. Review structure of data across existing AS CS initiatives in Bulgaria;
5. Facilitate IAS data mobilisation, communication and awareness raising in Bulgaria;
6. Disseminate results and cooperate with other AS CS projects, databases, and networks at regional and European level.

• COST Action website
• Information on ESENIAS website

Can DNA document past interactions?

The main results from the PhD thesis of the Chief Assistant Heliana Dundarova, Department of Ecosystem Research, Environmental Risk Assessment and Conservation Biology, IBER-BAS was published in the Royal Society Open Science. The study was provided under the scientific partnership with colleagues form the Natural History Museum of Berlin, Germany.

The paper called "Patterns of mtDNA introgression suggest population replacement in Palaearctic whiskered bat species" (pdf) is focused on the phylogeographical relationships between Myotis mystacinus and M. davidii, part of the Whiskered bat cryptic complex. The results displayed mitochondrial introgression consequence from the M. mystacinus populations hybridization with the expanding M. davidii populations using mitochondrial and nuclear molecular markers.

The study traced the shift of M. mystacinus populations from those of M. davidii on the Balkan Peninsula, under the influence of the changing environment after the last glacial maximum. Further, clarified the taxonomic status of the Balkan populations and confirms that M. m. bulgaricus is a synonym of M. davidii.

/IBER-BAS, 03.06.2020/

"International Seminar of Ecology- 2020" - dedicated to the 10th anniversary of IBER-BAS

During last 13 years, the Seminar of Ecology has become well recognizable and expected scientific forum in the field of ecology. Annually, well known scientists from Bulgaria and abroad are invited to present plenary lectures and to make the auditorium familiar with the achievement and challenges of this branch of the science. Professors, scientists, PhD and Master Degree students take part to present and discuss their results. Very complicated epidemiological situation did not stop the Seminar of Ecology. Online "International Seminar of Ecology - 2020", organized by Section "Biology" – USB and the Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research (IBER-BAS) was held on April 23rd and 24th in Sofia. The scientific forum was dedicated to the 10th anniversary of IBER - BAS.

• Biodiversity and conservation biology;
• Biotic and abiotic impact on the living nature and mechanisms of adaptation;
• Ecosystem research, service and ecological agriculture;
• Landscape ecology;
• Ecology and education;
• Other related topics.

A paper of authors from IBER-BAS awarded as top downloaded for 2018-2019

Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences is a member of ENRAM (European Network for the Radar surveillance of Animal Movement). This is a research network whose activities were funded by the COST Programme (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) from October 2013 until October 2017.

A new monograph of authors from IBER-BAS

The diversity of the smut fungi of Greenland is presented in a new monograph (The smut fungi of Greenland, MycoKeys 64: 1–164, link ), written by mycologists from Division of Mycology of the Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Assoc. Prof. Teodor T. Denchev and Prof. Cvetomir M. Denchev, in collaboration with Dr H. Knudsen (Natural History Museum of Denmark). This is a first taxonomic treatment of the smut fungi in Greenland. A total of 43 species in 11 genera are treated and illustrated by photographs of sori, microphotographs of spores in LM and SEM, and distribution maps. Two species are recorded as new from North America. Thirteen species are reported for the first time from Greenland. The most numerous distribution groups are the following: circumpolar–alpine and Arctic–alpine species – 14; circumboreal–polar species – 10; and circumpolar and Arctic species – 6. Only plants belonging to six families, Cyperaceae, Poaceae, Juncaceae, Ranunculaceae, Caryophyllaceae, and Polygonaceae, out of a total of 55 in the flora of Greenland, host smut fungi. The total number of the host plants (45 species) is 8.5 % out of a total of 532 vascular plants in the flora of Greenland.

This monograph is very useful and will help mycologists studying this interesting group of parasitic fungi, and researchers studying basidiomycetes of the Arctic and Subarctic regions.

/IBER-BAS, 07.03.2020/

International Seminar of Ecology – 2020

Section "Biology" of the Union of Scientists in Bulgaria and the Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences kindly invite you to attend the "International Seminar of Ecology – 2020".

The event will be held on 23-24 April 2020 at IBER-BAS, 2 Gagarin Street, Sofia.

• Invitation
• Registration form
• Information regarding publication of full text

Eurasian African Bird Migration Atlas Project

EURING, the European Union for Bird Ringing, has long been keen to develop a continental-scale Migration Atlas that provides an up-to-date synthesis of the migration and movements of birds from the Palearctic-African Bird Migration System. This is about to happen in the near future as a new project is on the way initiated by EURING and the Convention on Migratory Species (often referred to as the Bonn Convention) as a result of funding granted by the Government of Italy under the Migratory Species Champion Programme. The Eurasian African Bird Migration Atlas is the first component of the Convention on Migratory Species Global Animal Migration Atlas. It is a result of the efforts of all Bird Ringing Schemes members of EURING, including the Bulgarian Ornithological Centre (as part of the Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences) which is the national representative.

Plant diversity towards society 2019 International Scientific Conference

School of ornithology and nature conservation, season 2019

Bulgarian Ornithological Centre (IBER-BAS) is organising a School of Ornithology and Nature Conservation "Prof. Dimitar Nankinov", following a 32-year tradition. This educational program is free of charge. The lectures will be held every Tuesday at 18:30 at the meeting hall of the National Museum of Natural History - BAS (shared building with Base 2 of the Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research - BAS, 1 Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd., 1000 Sofia).

Lecturer: Dr Boris Nikolov.

The first lecture will be on 22 October 2019.

/Bulgarian Ornithological Centre, IBER-BAS, 14.10.2014/

A new book has been printed out with autors from IBER-BAS

A monograph "Atlas of Sphagnum-dwelling testate amoebae in Bulgaria" (Pensoft Publishers) with authors Dr Milcho Todorov and his PhD student Nikola Bankov (Department of Animal Diversity and Resources) is printed out. A total of 120 species of testate amoebae are described in the atlas, including the majority of recorded Sphagnum-dwelling testate amoebae in Bulgaria. The information for each species included description, ecology, geographical distribution, distribution in Sphagnum mosses in Bulgaria and relevant literature sources, morphometric characterisation, taxonomic notes, synonymous names, etc. Each species is illustrated by nine micrographs, primarily on scanning electron microscope (SEM), to receive information about the shell ultrastructure. Micrographs taken on light microscope (LM) are additionally given for most of them to illustrate the cytoplasm and pseudopodia of live individuals. Since most of the described species appear to be widely distributed in Europe, as well as in many other regions of the world, the atlas may be of interest to all researchers on testate amoebae and can also be used by specialists in ecology, hydrobiology, palaeoecology, environmental monitoring, as well as by lecturers and students in biology.

Pilot Stocking of Russian Sturgeon and Sterlet in Romania and Hungary

 Danube River fauna will be enriched in April 2019 as two important sturgeon stocking events will take place; one on April 18th in Isaccea (Romania) and another on the 12th in Baja (Hungary). These events are part of the MEASURES Project (Managing and Restoring Aquatic Ecological Corridors for Migratory Fish Species in the Danube River Basin).

IBER is a partner in the implementing of the planned activities of the project "Structure of  Glacial refugia on the Balkan Peninsula and in Bulgaria – analysis of the model of genera Tilia and Ulmus", supported financially by the Science Fund of Bulgaria (contract № KP-06-N26/4, 07.12.2018), with base organization University of Forestry.

• Detailed inventory of the distribution of target species down to the level of forestry operational unit (stand). Designing of interactive maps in GIS environment.

• Establishment of a database of palynological studies on the target species and analysis of the information.

• Studies on the genetic diversity in representative populations of the target species by means of highly informative genetic markers.

• Studies on the geographic distribution of the genetic diversity and identification of the micro-refugia.

• Analysis of the differentiation among the micro-refugia in the different species.