PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Cerknica Lake is the most important temporary lake in Slovenia, with a high biodiversity and ecological function importance. However, the introduction of suitable management practices for improving the conservation status of habitats and species is required to address inappropriate agricultural activities, mismanagement, overuse and increasing pressure by visitors since the COVID pandemic.
OBJECTIVES
The project focuses on improving the ecological functionality and conservation status of the priority habitat type “turloughs” (3180*) by introducing a proper management regime and ensuring the conservation of the most important marsh land-plots. In particular, the project will focus on improving the conservation status of two priority bird species - the Ferruginous duck (Aythya nyroca) and Red-necked grebe (Podiceps grisegena) - through the restoration of their breeding habitat and a reduction in disturbance during nesting and wintering.
The project’s specific objectives are aimed at:
- Improving the management of 3180* habitat reed beds and other marsh vegetation by introducing new, and revising existing, agri-environment schemes and other Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) measures to promote limited mowing.
- Improving the marsh vegetation (3180*) and the habitat of the Ferruginous duck and the Red-necked grebe, by introducing a system of solutions for the protection of the most important marsh land-plots.
- Improving the vitality of habitat type 3180* reed beds and the habitat of reed bed breeding bird species that are integral part of habitat 3180*, by the removal of dead biomass deposits.
- Piloting the production of products made from the biomass surplus.
- Reducing disturbance to populations of breeding and wintering water birds by visitors.
- Awareness raising and dissemination to gain support from local and wider audiences to assure the long-term impacts of the project objectives.
- Monitoring and evaluation of changes, allowing appropriate responses.
- Ensuring project replicability through a wide array of activities to support different organisations involved in nature conservation and land management, not only in Slovenia and Bulgaria, but also in other EU countries.
RESULTS
The project’s expected results are:
To improve the reed beds and other marsh vegetation of HT 3180* management:
- Adoption of three new/revised agricultural policy measures in the national CAP regulations.
- Reduction of the impact of over-intensive use of 3180* marsh vegetation and improvement of its condition over 150 hectares (ha) by achieving enrolment in new/revised agricultural policy measures.
- Improvement of the breeding habitat of Ferruginous duck and Red-necked grebe by a complete abandonment of reed mowing on six patches of open water.
To improve the marsh vegetation and the habitat of target bird species:
- Creation of a database for nature conservation land management support.
- An exchange of 50 ha and a purchase of 50 ha of the land most important for biodiversity conservation.
- Creation of 12 microhabitat patches for reed bed breeding birds.
To improve the vitality of 3180* reed beds and the habitat of reed bed breeding bird species:
- Removal of 8 ha of dead biomass deposits.
- Improvement of the central part of the nesting habitat of the Ferruginous duck and the Red-necked grebe (20 ha ).
- Improvement of the vitality of 8 ha of the most valuable reed beds and improvement of the conservation status of 20 ha of priority habitat 3180*.
To improving the populations of breeding and wintering water birds, including the targeted species:
- Identification of key areas and periods, and determination of the optimal prevention regime, by amending the Decree on navigation on Cerknica Lake.
- Reduction of disturbance to birds caused by navigation on at least 170 ha.
- Permanent removal of disturbance to birds by hunting on 200 ha.
- Limitations to visitor access to the most sensitive parts of the lake.
- Capacity building of the park wardens service for supervision of the park visitors access and activities.
