PROGRESS REPORT
For the period November - December 2010
The following report covers the different activities made by the Executive Environment
Agency (ExEA), as associate beneficiary of project FutMon – LIFE 07 ENV/DE/000218, for
the period from the beginning of November to the end of December.
I.
Implementation of the activities, included in Action L1 “Creation of large scale
representative monitoring grid” and Action L2 – „Large scale representative
monitoring”
Reporting period: 01/11/2010 – 31/12/2010
1. Analysis and evaluation of the performed revisions of the existing monitoring network
and the newly created network on:

Participation of the FutMon Sample Plots in the existing network of ICP Forests.

Determination of the most typical biotopes for Bulgarian forests.

Participation in protected areas from the Bulgarian ecological network.

Determination of the priority habitats which are subject to conservation.

Percentage distribution of the sample plots in tree species and origin, according to
their distribution in the country’s forests.
2. Processing of the data on climatic characteristics and air pollution by regions.
3. Interpretation of the information from the assessment of crown conditions and track out
the evaluation trends in the defoliation and discoloration for a longer period.
4. Preparation of Forms A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, B3 and C and a summary report on the
forests condition.
5. A presentation on the forests condition, according to data from the project FutMon was
prepared and was presented on a forum organized by the Union of Foresters in
Bulgaria and the Department of Forestry Sciences of the Union of Scientists in
Bulgaria.
II. Implementation of the activities included in work package ІM1 of the project –
Selection of core plots of intensive monitoring
The activities have been carried out under preliminarily schedules and programs. The
samples of atmospheric deposition were collected every two weeks. Samples were analyzed
in the laboratories of the ExEA.
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The results of the analysis were processed and data was uploaded for treatment in a
specially designed program. It has begun gathering and analyzing of the soil waters samples.
Samples of litterfall are gathering according to the schedules.
The data on air quality and meteoparameters are processed and included in the
database of the ExEA.
Reporting period: 01/11/2010 – 31/12/2010
1. Chemical analysis of the contents of leaf samples from fixed sample areas.
2. Processing of data from chemical analysis of atmospheric deposition and lysimetric
waters, for the specified period.
3. Analysis and evaluation of data from chemical analysis of the contents of the litterfall,
for the specified period.
4. Analysis of data on atmospheric pollution, for the specified period.
5. Analysis of data on characteristics of the meteorological conditions, for a specified
period.
6. Preparation and upload of the data from year 2009, including:

Data related to the forest health - forms PLT, TRC, TRD, INV and PLI;

Data from phytocoenotic descriptions on floristic composition, structure and
dynamics of the plant communities - forms PLV and VEM.

Data from soil studies - forms PLS, PRF, PFH, SOM.

Data on soil solutions - forms SSO, SSM, PSS.

Data on litterfall - forms LFP, LFM, LFO.

Data from chemical analysis of atmospheric deposition, stemflow for a specified
period - forms PLD, DEM DEO.

Data on air pollution, over a determinate period.

Assessment of data on meteorological conditions and characteristics, over a
determinate period.

Preparation and submission of the final report as specified in the contract.
Based on the results obtained in 2010, an assessment of the data is made to determine
the score plot, in which, in the future will be made in-depth studies following the manual.
III. Implementation of the activities included in the demonstration project D2 within the
project FutMon – “Calculation and Evaluation of the Full Nutrient Cycle and Critical Loads of
Pollutants in the Intensive Monitoring Plots – Forests for 2009 and 2010”
Reporting period: 01/11/2010 – 31/12/2010
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Over the reporting period was made the following:
Preparation of the final report, including:
1. Analysis and evaluation of the mass from litterfall and analysis of the concentration of
macro and microelements.
2. Analysis and evaluation of the chemical composition of soil solution samples taken in
2010. Evaluation of the ion balance in soil waters at entry and export of cations and
anions.
3. Determination of the loss of basic cations from the soil with soil waters.
4. Determination of the entry of nitrogen deposition and nitrogen losses in the soil waters.
5. Assessment of the nutrients input and export (balance), according to their
concentrations in plants, soils and soil waters.
6. Analysis of the nutrients balance of the plants, determination of their biomass.
7. Assessment of the species composition in the isolated functional groups of plants,
during their vegetation period, and assessment of species with large phytocoenotic
significance.
8. Evaluation of the critical loads and exceedance for acidity, sulfur and nitrogen, in the
sample areas for the years 2008 and 2009.
9. A prognosis about the change of these critical loads, in case of a succession in
vegetation is occurred in the sample plots.
10. Measurement of the mass and leaf area, for the LAI determination.
11. Analysis and evaluation of the nutrients content in plants, based on data from the
intensive sampling, during the vegetation period of 2010.
12. Determination of the most appropriate time for the collection of leaf/needle samples in
subsequent periods.
13. Final completion of the required report forms about the results of the litterfall analysis,
soil waters, atmospheric deposition and phytocoenotic studies.
14. Preparing of a presentation about the general results of the FutMon project.
IV. Implementation of the activities included in the project package M8 – “National
dissemination of information"
Reporting period: 01/11/2010 – 31/12/2010
With regard of the presentation of the project’s results and to meet the requirements set in
activity M8, during the reference period a contract with “Prima Print Ltd.” was prepared for the
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design and supply of notice boards, determinate to be located in the three sample plots of
intensive forest monitoring.
Budgetary allocations of the project allowed the elaboration of notice boards of a smaller
size for FutMon SP – 36 in number – which must be placed near the visitor centers and places
with easy access.
The notice boards were made and delivered on time, allowing to be installed in the
sample plots in early December.
With regard of the general results of the FutMon project in Bulgaria, a presentation on the
status of forests was prepared, based on the data obtained from the FutMon project. The
presentation was made at a special Forum, organized by the Union of Foresters in Bulgaria
and the Department of Forestry Sciences of the Union of Scientists in Bulgaria.
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