Current activities and results:

On 30 July 2009 a kick-off meeting with project participants was organized. Four other brief meetings were organized to specify final list of species and areas of studies, and timetable for field trips. Field forms for collecting data were elaborated and a priority list of equipment was prepared in order to start procedure for equipment purchase. During the period Aug-Oct 2009 experts from different working groups took part in the field work.

Leaf samples were collected in silica gel (from 10 individuals of each population in Balkan Mts., Rila Mt., Pirin Mt., Belasitsa Mt, and Slavyanka Mt.) from 12 glacial relict species for the purposes of DNA analyses (DNA-fingerprinting) - Antennaria dioica, Bartsia alpina, Dryas octopetala, Empetrum nigrum, Juncus trifidus, Omalotheca supina, Papaver degenii, Phleum alpinum, Primula deorum, Salix herbacea, Salix reticulata, Silene acaulis. Enzymes were extracted from over 400 individuals of collected species. All collected individuals were tested for aberrations in chromosome number. Genome size for 11 species was identified. Populations of 29 plant species were studied and the degree of inflection by parasitic fungi was estimated. Nineteen species of macromycetes were found to participate in communities of Dryas octopetala, and Salix spp. in Rila Mt., as well as in mire habitats in West Rhodopes Mt.

Samples of parasitic fungi were collected for identification in laboratory and were deposited in Mycological collection of the herbarium of Institute of Botany (SOMF). Light microscopes, stereomicroscopes and SEM will be used as tools for studies of morphological specificities.

Maps and ortho-photos for study areas were assured. Filed trips were carried out in Stara Planina Mts. and Rila Mt. Phytocoenological releves (65 standard forms) in the localities of glacial relicts were listed. Fourteen species of glacial relicts were found in 50 localities in Stara Planina Mts. and 26 species in 65 localities in Rila Mt. All localities were registered using GPS. Data were collected about ecological peculiarities of species localities, presence and competition of dominant species, changes in habitats conditions, and direct impact caused by human activities, animals, avalanches. Draft of electronic map of distribution of glacial relicts in Rila Mt. was elaborated.