Restoration of endemic pannonic salt marshes and sand dunes in Southern Slovakia

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

BACKGROUND

Salt marshes and sand dunes along the Danube in southern Slovakia lie on the northernmost border of the complex of Central European saline soils and calcareous sand dunes. In Slovakia, saline soils comprise the largest area on the Danube Lowland, namely at Žitný ostrov and around the towns of Komárno, Nové Zámky and štúrovo, with northernmost sites situated near the town of Nitra. Relatively large areas of saline vegetation have developed in Slovakia in the past, but these have significantly decreased as a result of the massive land reclamation that occurred in the last three decades of 20th Century. Saline plant community coverage in the Danube Lowland fell from 8,300 ha in 1961 to just 500 ha in 2004, while habitats of initial salt marsh communities have been almost destroyed. Pannonian sand steppes on the Slovak Danube Plain and the Eastern Slovakia Lowland have become fragmented and are very rare. The salt marshes and sand dunes host five priority habitats of the Habitats Directive. Owing to their limited geographical distribution, they are the most threatened such habitats in Europe. The latest Red List of Higher Plants of Slovakia considers 23 of obligate halophytes to be critically endangered species and three species to probably be extinct.

OBJECTIVES

The PANNONICSK project aimed to protect the priority salty periodic marsh habitats and sandy soils, thus strengthening the Natura 2000 network in the project areas. It planned conservation actions in 15 sites located within the Danube Lowland of Slovakia, with a view to restoring target habitats, and improving and maintaining their conservation status. The general public would be informed of the importance of these unique habitats.

RESULTS

The PANNONICSK project measures help raise the conservation status and prospects of all salt marshes habitats and sand dune habitats in Slovakia from 100% unfavourable status to 20-23% and 46-48% favourable status. Several halophytic, rare and other indicator plant species have reappeared at the sites. Restoration activities included mulching, elimination of expansive trees and shrubs, harrowing, waste removal, surface levelling, top-soil removal and the filling in of drainage channels. The benefits of these actions were assured by the reintroduction of regular management through mowing and grazing on most of the project sites. Specific results include:

78.25 ha of land purchased in project SCIs;

Around 380 ha of salt marshes and more 27 ha of sand dunes restored;

3 ha the soil surface and hydrological regime adjusted;

Invasive tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima

) chemically eliminated on 123 ha and individuals removed in surrounding areas; and

Grazing restored on 350 ha.

The project developed a very good cooperation with local farmers and inhabitants, whose awareness was raised due to the many valuable dissemination materials produced and events organised. The 15 officially approved SCI management plans define conservation management practice for the next 30 years. Moreover, the project influenced several national or regional policy documents and practices (elimination of invasive trees, functional plots for conservation purposes and grazing on forest grounds, filling of drainage channels and top-soil removal to improve salt marshes status, etc.). Finally, the project contributed to regional development in an area with relatively high unemployment, including the development of tourism and local farming.