Species Represented

On the steep rocky slopes, on the high mountain meadows, and in the lush forests of Rila National Park one can find about 1,400 different species of higher plants, 282 mosses, and 130 species of freshwater algae.

Higher Plants

The most abundant of all plant species in Rila National Park, higher plants make up 38.53% of the entire flora within the Park. The most beautiful among them—the Rila cowslip, the lady’s mantle and the Rila rhubarb—are all Bulgarian or Balkan endemics (species occupying a limited geographical area). The Rila cowslip is the most common locally endemic species within the Park. The total number of species endemic to Bulgaria or the Balkans in the Park is 57 (18 of which are endemic to Bulgaria, 36 to the Balkans).

Many species of the lakeside and rocky fauna have survived since the Ice Age. These form the rather large group of glacial relicts (pre-dating the Ice Age)—105 species in the Park’s territory.

The Park is a haven for a whole range of rare or endangered species. Of all higher plants identified within the Park, 98 are listed in the Red Data Book of Bulgaria: 8 as endangered, and 90 as rare (making up some 13% of all listed species). Forty-two plant species are protected by Bulgarian law, proof of the huge conservation significance of Rila National Park.

This conservation significance can also be measured on a continental scale. There are few places in Europe with as many as nine species appearing on the Red List of the World Conservation Union (IUCN), six species on the European List (E/ECE/1249), and seven species listed under the Bern Convention. Another five species are listed under EEC Directive 92/43 on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and Wildlife. Five are on the list of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). The imposed restrictions on trade in these latter species have had a favorable effect on plant diversity in the Park.

Mosses

Owing to the abundance of water and moisture in its territory, Rila National Park is a veritable “moss kingdom.” A total of 282 moss species of all ecological groups have been identified thus far, representing as much as 41% of the Bulgarian moss flora and a whopping 62% of the moss families known in this country! Though mosses are sometimes exceedingly difficult to tell apart, experts have figured out that 42 species are of conservation significance.

Freshwater Algae

The cold, clear waters of high mountain lakes (Babreka [‘kidney’], Salzata [‘teardrop’], and Okoto [‘eye’]) guard a wealth of tiny algae—130 species in all—that are invisible to the naked eye.

Rila National Park algae are all glacial in origin. Most can be found in the sub-alpine zone—in mountain lakes and brooks. Five species are endangered, limited in range to one or two lakes only. All these facts contribute to the territory’s exceptional value as a gene pool for different plant groups.

Plant Communities (Phytocenoses)

Rila National Park boasts the highest peak on the Balkan Peninsula: Moussala, at 2,925 meters above sea level. The structure of the mountain and its geographic location are defined in four distinct vegetation zones:

• Beech (partly represented), including tree, bush, and grassy communities
• Coniferous forest, represented mostly by coniferous phytocenoses
• Sub-alpine, where the principal rooted plant species is dwarf pine, a coniferous shrub
• Alpine, where grassy phytocenoses hold sway, with an insignificant presence of small shrubs like blueberries and grassy willows

Rare and endangered species, where present, are represented by the amethyst fescue, the Rila rhubarb, and others.

The Park vegetation belongs to the Rila-Rhodope subregion of the Illyrian province of the European deciduous community.

Diversity of Habitats

The diversity of plant species and communities is result directly from a variety of ecological factors, which together determine the living conditions in the area. Thus, by applying the “Coordination of Information on the Environment” (CORINE) methodology of describing and classifying habitats (developed within the framework of the CORINE Biotopes Project of the EU Commission), even untrained eyes can distinguish between the 60 types of mountain and high mountain habitats within Park. These make up about 15% of all habitats in Bulgaria, an immense and unique wealth of interest not only to biologists but also to the public at large. Some of the identified habitats have no precedent under the CORINE classification system, and are not included in any of the existing groups. An example is the Rila cowslip’s habitat, places vacated by melted snow, along the banks of streams and in peat bogs. This habitat is unique to the Rila Mountains.

The habitats belong to three different conservation groups, as subject to the following definitions:

• EC Resolution #4 (December 1996), endangered natural habitats in need of special conservation measures: 11 habitats
• Annex # 1 to Directive 92/43 (May 1992) of the EC Council: 18 habitats
• Both Resolution 4 and Directive 92/43: 11 habitats

Of all habitats in Rila National Park, 51.66% have high conservation status. This diversity determines Rila National Park’s prominent place within the NATURA 2000 European Ecological Network.