DURANKULAK BEACH, A RESERVOIR OF RARE PLANT SPECIES FOR THE COASTAL AREA OF DOBRUDJA.

Durankulak beach is the largest and longest beach of Southern Dobrudja, situated 6 km south from the Romanian-Bulgarian border. Interposed between Lake Durankulak and the Black Sea, Durankulak beach has a high diversity of habitats (sand dunes, grasslands, wetlands and sea cliff in the north and south) and consequently a diverse vegetation. The complex of natural habitats on Durankulak beach and the specific vegetation are presently well preserved in the frame of the Nature 2000 sites BG0000154 Ezero Durankulak (as SCI) and BG0002050 Durankulashko Ezero (as SPA). Plant species such as Euphorbia paralias, Silene thymifolia, Alyssum borzaeanum, Convolvulus persicus, Verbascum purpureum, Ammophila arenaria subsp. arundinacea and others, are very rare or even extinct on the Romanian seacoast. However, on Durankulak beach they have important local populations. As a consequence of the high concentration of rare plants, Durankulak beach can be considered a reservoir of rare species for the entire coastal area of Dobrudja (both Bulgarian and Romanian). On Vama Veche beach, the northernmost beach of Romania and very close to Durankulak, excessive development of touristic facilities in the sand dunes area has led to the dissappearance of several rare plant species for Romania, which occur on Durankulak beach more or less abundantly. The species migration towards neighboring coastal areas of Romania will be possible only after the restoration of the habitats strongly affected by human activities and after the implementation of appropriate measures for the conservation of these habitats. Instead, the spreading of the rare plants towards other protected coastal areas of Bulgaria (Shabla, Shablenska-Tuzla) is still possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]