PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
In recent years, the corncrake (Crex crex) has suffered from dramatic losses of adequate hatcheries, particularly near the western boundary of its range, i.e. northwestern Germany and Benelux. In many cases breeding sites are occupied by single males that are not paired. Only a few breeding sites remain but these have a high amount of annual breeding. Many of the remaining habitats are overlapping with those of the black-tailed godwit (Limosa limosa). Given the significantly high proportion of breeding animals on its territory, Lower Saxony has an great responsibility for both these species within Germany and the rest of Europe. More than 90% of the Western populations of the black-tailed godwit are found here and in the neighboring Netherlands and its breeding stock occurs exclusively in Member States. Today, there are only a few sites where the breeding rate of the black-tailed godwit is sufficient to ensure the preservation of the species. As a result, significant population loss and isolation is occurring across Western Europe. The overall population of the species in Europe has decreased by 50% since 1990.
OBJECTIVES
The project has identified the most important breeding areas of the corncrake and the black-tailed godwit. A total of 12 project locations in Lower Saxony, covering 80 000 ha, with some 45 000 ha of grassland. Approximately half of the corncrake population of Lower Saxony and more than two-thirds of the blacktailed godwit population can be found on this comparatively small area, and thus the project will make a significant contribution to the conservation of these species.
The key goals of the project are to:
- Preserve and increase the breeding population of corncrakes in Lower Saxony;
- Convert decreasing populations to source populations for the black-tailed godwit;
- Evaluate strategies for meadow bird protection in the European context;
- Maximise efficient use of financing by closely interlinking the LIFE actions with the existing ELER-programme; and
- Manage re-wetting and use of wet grassland in cooperation with local farmers, thus benefiting typical species found in these habitats.
The project has the following specific objectives:
- Purchase of 623 ha of private land in order to realign boundaries of already existing nature conservation areas and to create re-wetted core areas in all of the project sites;
- Re-wetting and optimisation of water levels on 2 000 ha in the parts of the project sites with the highest breeding densities;
- Extensification of grassland use and optimisation of grassland management according to nature conservation requirements in an area of more than 10 000 ha; and
- Increase breeding productivity by improving the conditions of the habitats and by active predator control on the East Frisian Islands.
Expected results:
- Purchase of 623 ha of private land;
- Grassland extensification and targeted use of wet grassland over 623 ha;
- Renewed rewetting on 2 000 ha of land for a total area of 7 500 ha of wet grasslands;
- Optimisation of habitats for corncrake and black-tailed godwit;
- Increased reproduction rate (fledged juveniles per breeding pair);
- Conversion of declining populations to source populations;
- Europe-wide exchange of experience among experts and site managers of protected areas;
- Europe-wide valid and applicable criteria for management of wet grassland by farmers that are beneficial for the preservation of meadow birds (complementary to the ELER programme); and
- Development of criteria for quality of wet grassland conservation and a strategy for the management of protected areas for meadow birds in the sub-Atlantic biogeographic region in Europe.
