Wetland conservation and
management in Latvia
LIFE13 NAT/LV/000578
CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT OF PRIORITY WETLAND HABITATS IN LATVIA
Dr. Mara Pakalne
University of Latvia
E-mail: [email protected]
CONTENT OF PRESENTATION
Mires in Latvia
Mire restoration experience
MIRES IN LATVIA
Mires cover 4,9% from the total land area, they are characterised
by permanent water logging, active peat formation and the
continuous upward growth of the surface and specific plant cover
adapted to these conditions
Peatlands, where peat accumulation has stopped, are no longer
mires
Peat deposits include mires but also peat extractions fields, wet
forests and comprise about 10% of land area in Latvia
PEATLANDS IN LATVIA
HUMAN IMPACT
About half of Latvian mires have been influenced by various
human activities, like drainage, peat extraction and fire
Natura 2000 SITES IN LATVIA
327 sites
LIFE13 NAT/LV/000578 CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT OF PRIORITY WETLAND HABITATS IN LATVIA
EC LIFE+ project
Duration : June 2014 – November 2017
Project sites : Slitere National Park, Gauja National Park,
Raunas Staburags Nature Reserve and Ziemelu Mires Nature Reserve
Coordinating beneficiary: University of Latvia
Associated beneficiaries and co-financers:
LIFE13 NAT/LV/000578 CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT OF PRIORITY WETLAND HABITATS IN LATVIA
PROJECT SITES
LIFE13 NAT/LV/000578 CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT OF PRIORITY WETLAND HABITATS IN LATVIA
MIRE TYPES IN LATVIA
Fe
LIFE13 NAT/LV/000578 CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT OF PRIORITY WETLAND HABITATS IN LATVIA
MIRE HABITATS OF EU IMPORTANCE
Intact raised bogs 7110*
Degraded raised bogs still capable of natural regeneration
7120
Transition mires and quacking bogs 7140
Mineral rich springs and spring mires 7160
Springs with tufa formations 7220*
ZIEMELU MIRES
7110* Intact raised bog –
priority protection status in EU
7120 Degraded raised bogs still
capable of natural regeneration
ZIEMELU MIRES
Total area: 7718 ha
Ramsar site
ZIEMELU MIRES
Drainage ditches – 30,6 km
Management area 330 ha
Elaboration of Management Plan
ZIEMELU MIRES NATURE RESERVE
Betula nana Trichophorum cespitosum
ZIEMELU MIRES
Cypripedium calceolus
P
SUDAS-ZVIEDRU MIRE
Total area 2575 ha
Drainage ditches - 48.7 km
garumā
SUDAS-ZVIEDRU MIRE IN GAUJA NATIONAL PARK
SUDAS-ZVIEDRU MIRE
Dissappearance of raised bog
pools
Increase of forested area
HABITAT MONITORING
P
SUDAS-ZVIEDRU MIRE
7110*
P
SUDAS-ZVIEDRU MIRE
P
DAVIDA SPRINGS IN THE GAUJA NATIONAL PARK
RAUNAS STABURAGS NATURE RESERVE
Fennoscandian mineral-rich
springs and spring fens (7160)
Petrifying springs with tufa
formation (Cratoneurion) (7220*)
MONITORING OF SPRINGS AND SPRING MIRES
BAZU MIRE IN SLITERE NATIONAL PARK
Total area 2646 ha
Drainage ditches – 7,9 km
INTER-DUNE MIRES
IN THE SLITERE NATIONAL PARK
BAZU MIRE IN SLITERE NATIONAL PARK
Total area 2,646 ha
BAZU MIRE IN SLITERE NATIONAL PARK
Fire in 1992, ~3000 ha were burned
INTER-DUNE MIRE COMPLEX IN SLITERE NATIONAL
PARK
Drosera intermedia
CUTTING OF TREES AND SHRUBS
MIRE MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING
MANAGEMENT PLANS
TECHNICAL DESIGNS
HABITAT AND HYDROLOGICAL MONITORING
MIRE RESTORATION
ACTION
BUILDING OF DAMS IN VASENIEKI MIRE
2014 2007
MELNAIS LAKE MIRE
BULDING OF DAMS ON DRAINAGE DITCHES IN 2012
MONITORING AND MANAGEMENT ACTIONS
Raising of water level by building dams on the drainage ditches to stop the degradation of raised bog habitats
Habitat and site hydrology monitoring before and after management actions
RESULTS
HABITAT AND HYDROLOGY MONITORING
RESULTS : MELNAIS LAKE MIRE
Change of the proportions in Sphagnum coverage
The coverage of species of more wet areas has increased
Sphagnum magellanicum
Sphagnum cuspidatum
Sphagnum fallax
Sharper seasonal GWT fluctuations Range of GWT fluctuations up to 0.5-1.2 m in the wells near the ditch (5-10 m) After the dams construction:
Sharp rise of GWT for ~0.3 m near the ditch, slighter rise in the 25-100 m distance Stabilisation of GWT (range 0.1-0.25 m)
HABITAT AND HYDROLOGY MONITORING
Sharper seasonal GWT fluctuations Range of GWT fluctuations up to 0.5-1.2 m in the wells near the ditch (5-10 m) After the dams construction:
Sharp rise of GWT for ~0.3 m near the ditch, slighter rise in the 25-100 m distance Stabilisation of GWT (range 0.1-0.25 m)
ROZU MIRE
Rozu Mire
ROZU MIRE NATURE RESERVE
2013 After dam building 2010 Before dam building
CONCLUSIONS
Rising groundwater level in mires by building dams on the
drainage ditches is an effective way of mire restoration
Re-establishment of Sphagnum species is an indicator of mire
regeneration in the degraded mire areas
After rising of groundwater table, regeneration of mire species
takes place in the same vegetation season
LIFE13 NAT/LV/000578 CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT OF PRIORITY WETLAND HABITATS IN LATVIA
Raised bog restoration in Latvia is carried out mainly within EC LIFE
projects and has been sucessful in the project sites
Hydrological and habitat monitoring shows that after raising of
water level by building of peat dams on the drainage ditches,
immediate changes take place in site hydrology and afterwards
also in raised bog vegetation.
www.mitraji.lv
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Kandavas Street 2, Riga, LV-1083, LATVIA
LIFE13 NAT/LV/000578
CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT OF PRIORITY WETLAND HABITATS IN LATVIA
