RESTORATION OF WETLANDS At - wise-rtd.info

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Intensive forest management in Záhorie region – planting of pine monocultures instead of natural mixed forests DRAINAGE, LAND RECLAMATION AND STREAM REGULATION Most of the natural wetlands in Záhorie region, including eight project sites, were drained in the last century. Almost all free-flowing streams were regulated. Natural streams have been at least partly saved mostly within the Záhorie Military District, due to its specific land use and natural conditions. Many important wetlands were completely destroyed during this period, while many others have been seriously damaged. Following drainage the wetland habitats have been drying up and gradually deteriorating. Typical wetland species that were once common disappeared from the large areas, some of them even became extinct in the whole region. The retention capacity (ability to keep and store water) of the drained landscape has decreased, therefore floods occur more often now and with more devastating effects. Similarly, draining of forest wetlands, along with the planting of pine plantations, has led to a dramatic increase in forest fires. FOREST MANAGEMENT Forest management was one of the most serious factors threatening the natural forests, wetlands and their biodiversity in Záhorie region. Forest management practices were focused on maximum timber production, using large scale clear-fells, removal of the top soil layer by heavy bulldozers and planting pine monocultures (plantations) instead of natural mixed forest stands. Removal of old and hollow trees, largely unprofitable and senseless, have lead to the loss of nesting habitats for birds, but also of entire bat colonies and endangered invertebrates. Forest management also threatened rare black storks, which are very sensitive to disturbance, especially during the breeding period. These forest management practices have been commonly used almost in the whole Záhorie region, continuously damaging even the last remaining natural forest and wetlands habitats and negatively affecting a wide range of plant and animal species, many of them listed in the Annexes of the Habitat and Bird Directives. Most of the valuable forest habitats, including those located within the Sites of Community Importance, would be seriously damaged or completely destroyed if this way of forest management was not changed. OVERGROWN MEADOWS DUE TO ABANDONMENT Species-rich meadows and pastures within the Rudava project site require special care as their continued existence depends on traditional farming activities – mowing and grazing. Absence of regular mowing during last two decades has caused the meadows to be gradually overgrown with weeds and shrubs resulting in the loss of their formerly rich diversity of species. Clear-fell in fen alder wood in proposed SCI Malina (2004)
SCI Mešterova lúka after restoration of the water regime Information panel In general, the project has reached its main objective – to preserve and restore valuable forest, wetland and meadow habitats with their typical species in the territory of Záhorie Lowland, thus contributing to the strengthening of the NATURA 2000 network in that region. Backfilling of drainage ditch • Eight valuable wetlands (Sites of Community Importance), degraded in the past by drainage, have been successfully restored. After re-filling of drainage ditches the water conditions and whole ecosystems are returning back to their natural state. For several decades, these wetlands were suffering from a lack of water. Now there is enough water even during dry seasons. The conservation status of the habitats and species targeted by the project has been remarkably improved and shall be further maintained as a part of project follow-up. We have even succeeded in increasing the total area of wetlands within the project area, along with the abundance of some of their most threatened plant and animal species. • The formerly abandoned, overgrown meadows along the Rudava River have been restored as well. Recently they have started being regularly mowed again, thus their species richness is maintained. • In the Sites of Community Importance, forest management has to a large extent been adapted to the needs of nature conservation. The most valuable natural forests and wetlands should not be deteriorated by logging operations anymore, most of them being left with “no management”. Moreover, more “nature friendly“ forest management methods have also been introduced outside these SCIs. MANAGEMENT PLANS Management Plans have been elaborated for all eight Sites of Community Importance targeted by the project. These plans represent the strategic documents for the long-term conservation management of these sites. Each plan is based on the outcomes of excessive site inventories carried during the project. It includes the status description for the site, identifies its future desirable status, and analyses the main conservation problems and their potential solutions. Botanical inventory in SCI Bahno
Page 2 and 3: SCI Mešterova lúka
Page 4 and 5: SCI Kotlina Wetlands represent very
Page 6 and 7: Project title: LIFE05NAT/SK/000112
Page 8 and 9: ký Šaštín í sky Borský Mikul
Page 10 and 11: The project area is part of the geo
Page 12 and 13: European Stag Beetle (Lucanus cervu
Page 14 and 15: R eferring to vertebrates, the Ruda
Page 18 and 19: EDUCATION AND TRAINING OF PROJECT P
Page 20 and 21: 600 1700 2004 2008 Fen Orchid (Lipa
Page 22 and 23: SCI Rudava RAISING PUBLIC AWARENESS
Page 24: The LIFE project “Restoration of

RESTORATION OF WETLANDS At - wise-rtd.info

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