site.btaSokolata Reserve: from Grazing Ground to Thriving Old-Growth Oak Forest

Forty years ago, Sokolata in Southwestern Bulgaria was declared a reserve by an order of the Council of Ministers' Committee for the Conservation of the Natural Environment. The decision has led to sweeping changes that showcase the potential environmental impact of restricting human activity: thriving eco-systems and returning plant and animal species.à

Probably named for the Bulgarian word for "falcon", Sokolata is located on the southern slopes of Malashevska Mountain, close to the border with North Macedonia. The climate is mild for a mountain area, and due to the modest elevation (between 600 and 900 m above sea level), snow cover does not last long.

In 2007,  a buffer zone adjoining the reserve was upgraded to a protected area, augmenting the territory of Sokolata to the present 219.59 ha.

Despite its small area, the reserve boasts a diverse flora and fauna. Habitats of conservation importance occupy a total of over 97% of the territory. The flora has largely retained its original shape, featuring 316 higher plant species (including 9 species of conservation importance) and 106 of medicinal plant species. The inventoried forest areas in Sokolata total 219.6 ha.

The forested part occupies 208.4 ha, or 94.9% of the total area of the reserve. Hungarian oak and winter oak take up 201.6 ha (96.7% of the forested part).

The reserve is home to 756 invertebrate species, 17 amphibian and reptile species, 118 bird species, and 51 mammal species.

Unlike the Tissata Reserve on the eastern slopes of Malashevska Mountain, which has become increasingly popular thanks to the Struma River rapids that attract throngs of white-water rafters, Sokolata is known to few.

The most important characteristic of the reserve is the centuries-old forests of Blagun, or Hungarian oak - the reserve was originally established to conserve this particular forest. It is believed that in the past it covered the entire Malashevska Mountain, but most of it has been wiped out by human activities.The present-day landscape in Sokolata is rarely to be seen elsewhere: while stand-alone beech and winter oak trees can be found there, most of the forests in the reserve are Blagun. Seen from above, the huge tree crowns give the impression of an undulating canopy with the same shade of green, following the mountain relief. These crowns are probably the result of a low stand density in the past.

Both wild and domestic animals find Hungarian oak acorns delicious, and they used to be gathered for animal feed. Grazing livestock have prevented the growth of the underlying layer of forest vegetation typical of old-growth oak forests, blocking seed regeneration.

The Sokolata Reserve Management Plan, approved by the Ministry of Environment and Water in 2016, describes in detail how the Blagun forests and acorns were used in traditional animal husbandry in the past for livestock grazing and fattening. "The grass vegetation was used for grazing in the summer, and the branches of the oak trees for fodder in the winter. (...) After the seeds fell, the animals (pigs) were released into the forest and remained there until they gathered all the acorns. As a result of this form of use, today's high-stemmed and old-growth forest has been preserved."

The protected status of the forest area changed it all. Economic activities were banned. Grazing was prohibited, and today, forty years after Sokolata became a reserve, acorns lie scattered among the leaves on the ground. Seed regeneration of the oak followed, and trees of various ages can be seen everywhere.

The new undergrowth helps conserve numerous South European plant and animal species. The chain of changes that followed human intervention is leading to new natural habitats and balances, and such places could be regarded as base for environmental protection research, long-term monitoring, supporting the protection and maintenance of biodiversity and sustainable development.

Due to its conservation value on a national, European and global scale, the Sokolata Reserve is ideal for educational purposes and scientific research.

It is becoming an increasingly popular destination for nature-loving hikers and mountain bikers.