Creation and management of field protective forest belts in northeastern Bulgaria – history, problems and gained experience

In the middle of the 20th century, a system of field protective forest belts was created in northeastern Bulgaria to protect agricultural lands from wind erosion, improve moisture storage and increase yields from agricultural crops. The study traces the chronology of the creation of those belts and their management to the present. The main mistakes and omissions made due to the lack of experience and expertise are outlined. Problems and challenges related to environmental conditions, protection of the belts and regulatory weaknesses have been identified. The most serious problem at the moment is the mass drying of the Fraxinus spp. belts, and in the medium term - the need to reconstruct large areas of different kinds of degrading belts. Despite the many problems and mistakes made, valuable experience has been gained over the years, important aspects of which are also presented. It is evident that there is a need to develop a comprehensive concept for management of the field protective forest belts, including: a scientifically based methodology for assessing their condition, a differentiated approach for their management, and provision of a stable financial mechanism for restoration of degraded belts and their subsequent cultivation.