PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
The southern part of Sweden’s Baltic Sea Öland island was declared a World Heritage Site in the year 2000 due to its characteristic landscape, which has been shaped by a long history of animal husbandry. Hay-making and grazing activities on the island support important habitats listed under the Habitats Directive. These include the boreal Baltic coastal meadows, calcareous grasslands, Chara lakes and alkaline fens. In addition, Öland also hosts important numbers of species listed in the Birds Directive annexes, such as 70 % of Sweden’s Montagu's harrier (Circus pygargus) population, 50 % of the national corncrake ( Crex crex ) population and significant proportions of avocet ( Recurvirostra avosetta ), ruff (Philomachus pugnax ) and little tern (Sterna albifrons ) populations. These natural heritage assets led to 36,600 ha of Öland being proposed for the Natura 2000 network. The conservation state of these habitats and species was, however, not always favourable. Changing land use and extensive drainage projects threatened the habitats’ ecological integrity to the extent that their ranges shrunk drastically, or even disappeared under a thick blanket of invading scrub.
OBJECTIVES
The aim of this project was to build on the success of a previous LIFE Nature project, which ran from 1996-99 and restored over 7,000 hectares of grassland and alvar habitats at 16 sites. EU agri-environment schemes were then deployed to manage and maintain the conservation status. Similar approaches were to be replicated in CAB-Kalmar’s new LIFE project which aimed to launch a habitat restoration programme on a further 18 sites, covering a total of 16,250 ha, this time focussing on wet meadow, fen and lake habitats. The main threats being targeted were overgrowth by shrubs, low or no grazing or mowing impact, eutrophication of freshwater habitats and habitat decline due to drainage of wetlands. Proposed actions included restoration of five alvar lakes and clearing 2,000 ha of 'key' overgrown areas which were characteristic of the sites’ nature conservation value. Another important objective involved increasing the existing 6,000 ha of land eligible for agri-environmental scheme support by 25% to 7,500 ha. Detailed targets included: • an increase in the area of grazed and mown calcareous moist meadows ( Molinia meadows ), alkaline fens and boreal Baltic coastal meadows by 1,500 ha; • clearance of shrubs and felling of small isolated woods on approximately 1,300 ha of coastal land, 500 ha of moist and wet meadows and 200 ha of alkaline fens and calcareous moist grasslands; • recreation of open water surfaces (a total of 8 ha at 5 sites) by removal of sediment layers and/or peat, removal of islands with shrubs, cutting of tall reeds and filling of ditches. An additional 550 ha of wetlands would also benefit from filling of ditches; and • improved conservation status for Pluvialis apricaria, Philomachus pugnax, Recurvirostra avosetta, Sterna sandvicensis, Podiceps auritus and Triturus cristatus .
RESULTS
Overall, the LIFE project achieved its anticipated results and created the associated nature conservation benefits. A total of 998 ha were cleared using LIFE funds and an additional 3,489 ha were cleared by agri-environmental agreements during the project’s four and half year operational period. This clearance work, covering 18 of the project’s 21 sites, exceeded initial targets. Results generated included an increase of meadow and grasslands areas restored back to a favourable conservation status, incorporating priority habitats such as Boreal Baltic coastal meadows (*1630, 78 ha), calcareous grasslands (*6201, 1,488 ha) and Nordic alvar (*6280). Positive impacts were also provided for various wetland species experiencing decline, such as Ruff (Philomachus pugnax ), Golden Plover ( Pluvialis apricaria ), Dunlin (Calidris alpina schinzii) and Black tern (Chlidonias niger). Detailed birdlife monitoring between 2003 and 2004 recorded encouraging results regarding new breeding territories in restored areas. Analysis however indicated that this tended to reflect relocation behaviour by existing pairs into "better" territories, rather than an increase of the total number of breeders on the island. Various methods to reduce predation losses from Raven and Red Fox were tested during the project which provided useful management information, with good transferability value. Dissemination activities formed an important aspect of the project and succeeded in raising the project profile at various international events, as well as gaining local community support for the LIFE investments. Awareness-raising among farmers was prioritised and this contributed to 38 farmers joining agri-environmental schemes, which attracted around 182,000 €/year for conservation farming practices in the LIFE project area.Overall, the LIFE project achieved its anticipated results and created the associated nature conservation benefits. A total of 998 ha were cleared using LIFE funds and an additional 3,489 ha were cleared by agri-environmental agreements during the project’s four and half year operational period. This clearance work, covering 18 of the project’s 21 sites, exceeded initial targets. Results generated included an increase of meadow and grasslands areas restored back to a favourable conservation status, incorporating priority habitats such as Boreal Baltic coastal meadows (*1630, 78 ha), calcareous grasslands (*6201, 1,488 ha) and Nordic alvar (*6280). Positive impacts were also provided for various wetland species experiencing decline, such as Ruff (Philomachus pugnax ), Golden Plover ( Pluvialis apricaria ), Dunlin (Calidris alpina schinzii) and Black tern (Chlidonias niger). Detailed birdlife monitoring between 2003 and 2004 recorded encouraging results regarding new breeding territories in restored areas. Analysis however indicated that this tended to reflect relocation behaviour by existing pairs into "better" territories, rather than an increase of the total number of breeders on the island. Various methods to reduce predation losses from Raven and Red Fox were tested during the project which provided useful management information, with good transferability value. Dissemination activities formed an important aspect of the project and succeeded in raising the project profile at various international events, as well as gaining local community support for the LIFE investments. Awareness-raising among farmers was prioritised and this contributed to 38 farmers joining agri-environmental schemes, which attracted around 182,000 €/year for conservation farming practices in the LIFE project area.
