About the Project
Project "Restoration of Raised Bog Habitats in the Especially Protected Nature Areas of Latvia"
Raised Bogs – LIFE08 NAT/LV/000449
Project duration: 01.02.2010 - 31.08.2013
Funding: European Commission LIFE+ programme
Beneficiary: University of Latvia
Partners: Latvian Fund for Nature, Association of Documentary Film and Photography ELM MEDIA
Co-funding: Latvian Environmental Protection Fund, Ltd. ”Rīgas meži”
Project manager: Dr.biol. Māra Pakalne (mara.pakalne@lu.lv)
Background
Raised bogs are an important habitat in terms of conservation of plant and animal species occurring in bogs. Active raised bogs are one of the rarest and most endangered habitats in Europe and thus are classified as priority for conservation in Annex I of EU Habitats Directive, along with the associated bog woodland habitat. However, in the recent decades raised bogs have been negatively influenced by various human activities, like drainage, peat extraction, forest planting and land reclamation.
For the conservation of raised bog and bog woodland habitats the restoration of the natural hydrological regime is highly important. Degradation of the intact raised bog habitats due to the drainage is a common feature for all the project sites. Re-establishing of the natural mire functioning will benefit to the conservation of European nature as in many countries the area of raised habitats has drastically decreased.
Aim of the project is to re-establish the active raised bog habitats and site hydrology in the areas that are influenced by drainage and to protect the raised bog habitats, plants and animals of European and Latvian importance.
Project objectives:
- Secure the most favourable conservation status and the restoration for the priority active raised bog habitat (7110*) of Habitats Directive and raised bog bird species of Birds Directive
- To promote and demonstrate good practice for the management of active raised bog habitats by holding seminars for various interest groups and hosting project web site
- Demonstrate and share the results of the raised bog conservation and restoration by involving local society and stakeholders in the conservation and management activities, as well as to explain the need for the restoration actions
- Raise public awareness regionally to influence local inhabitant’s attitude towards the safeguarding of internationally valuable active raised bog habitat as well nationally and internationally through the practical raised bog restoration works and awareness raising activities as well as improve the understanding of the current nature conservation issues, habitats of EU importance and Natura 2000 network.
Actions and means involved:
- Elaboration of four management plans in accordance with national requirements for the four project sites that include active raised bog habitat (7110*) and bird species of European Importance
- Restoration of the active raised bog habitats and natural hydrology by blocking drainage ditches in the degraded areas that is necessary for the raised bog bird species of Birds Directive
- The best practice in active raised bog habitat applied in building the peat dams on the drainage ditches
- Monitoring the effects of management actions on raised bog habitats, bird species and raised bog hydrology to ensure successful habitat restoration in the project sites
- Organisation of five seminars and meetings during the elaboration of the Management Plans for different interest groups (stakeholders, schoolchildren teachers and local public) in order to involve local people in the planning and implementation of the project actions and raise awareness about the international value of the active raised bog habitat (7110*) and organisation of one International seminar “Raised bog conservation and management” to demonstrate the project results
- Preparing and publishing of Methodology on active raised bog restoration, printing the information booklets, Layman’s Report in Latvian and English, as well as preparation of the Raised Bog exhibition to disseminate the project results regionally, nationally and internationally
- The 16 project actions will be carried out to stop the threats for the active raised bog habitat and raised bog bird species of Birds Directive. The project will reverse the destructive processes and over time will significantly increase the overall area of the active raised bog habitat.
Expected results:
- The project will carry out practical restoration work to address the threats to the active raised bog habitats (7110*) and bird species of Birds Directive of the raised bogs
- The project will bring significant and sustained improvement in the condition of the active raised bog habitat (7110*) and site hydrology in the four especially protected nature areas in the area of 290 ha, which in turn promote complimentary raised bog restoration work locally, nationally and internationally
- The four management plans and regulatory documents for all the project sites - Melnais Lake Mire, Aizkraukle Mire and Forests, Aklais Mire and Rozu Mire will be elaborated and approved by the Ministry of Environment of Latvia
- In the six project seminars and project meetings the good practice of active raised bog restoration will be demonstrated; stakeholders, schoolchildren, teachers and local public will be educated about the need of raised bog restoration, people involved in practical active raised bog conservation and restoration
- The five project information booklets, Layman’s report in Latvian and English, Raised bog exhibition, web page will raise awareness about the value of active raised bog habitat (7110*) as well as for the bird species of Birds Directive and the need of their conservation and restoration regionally, nationally and internationally
- Methodology that is based on the experience on raised bog restoration of the LIFE– Nature and LIFE+ projects in Latvia and other EU countries will be elaborated to demonstrate the best practice on active raised bog habitat conservation and restoration
- It is expected that the project will make a significant contribution to the further active raised bog conservation in Latvia and other EU countries
- In the implementation of the project activities two associated beneficiaries – Latvian Fund for Nature, “Association for Documentary Film and Photography ELM MEDIA” and two co-financers that include Ministry of Environment of Latvia and Riga Forests Ltd. will participate.
