QUANTITATIVE OCCURRENCE OF EUROPEAN MISTLETOE (VISCUM ALBUM L. SUBSP. ALBUM) IN POPLAR STANDS IN THE AREA OF NESSEBAR (SOUTHERN BLACK SEA COAST)

European mistletoe (Viscum album L. subsp. album) is increasingly abundant in coastal and urban habitats of Europe, but quantitative data from dune-associated plantations remain limited. In this study, artificial poplar stands within approximately 12 km² around Nessebar (Bulgaria) were surveyed. For each tree, diameter at breast height (DBH) and number of mistletoe clusters were recorded. A total of 3,047 mistletoe individuals were counted, ranging from 1 to 39 clusters per tree. The mean abundance was 2.6 clusters per tree overall and 5.2 per infested tree. Populus × canadensis dominated the stands (95.8% of poplars) and was the only infested species, with 50.2% of individuals carrying mistletoe. Infestation frequency and intensity increased with host size, showing moderate positive correlations with DBH (Pearson r = 0.47; Spearman ρ = 0.52). A regression model explained 22% of the variation, suggesting that other factors such as dispersal and microclimate also play a role. The population displayed an aggregated pattern, with most trees uninfested or lightly colonized, while a minority carried heavy parasite loads. These results provide a quantitative baseline for assessing mistletoe dynamics in vulnerable dune-linked plantations.