PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Alkaline fens have become very rare in Belgium, as they have everywhere else in Europe. Traditionally these wet areas were often used as hay meadows in Lorraine. However, in recent decades the Lorraine fens, abandoned by farmers, have been spontaneously recolonised by bush and scrub, or have been drained and turned into poplar plantations or nurseries. Pioneer habitats and those characteristic of fenland have virtually disappeared. In periods of flooding, polluted water courses flood the fens. Restoration measures in limited areas (carried out mainly by volunteers) have shown that there is still considerable potential for recovery because of the seed bank present in the soil. A first Life-Nature project (95/515) restored and acquired habitats and introduced recurring management to about thirty hectares (sites of La Plate-sous-les-Monts, Vance and Sampont).
OBJECTIVES
Under this project the beneficiary was to carry out conservation measures on the sites of the first Life programme, plus two new sites, Les Abbatis and La Cussignière. The project also aimed to prevent the local extinction of species which are at present very low in number and/or very scattered, such as the butterfly Lycaena dispar. Given the constant degradation of several biotopes, the seriously threatened sites needed extensive restoration work: creation of enclosures for the introduction of grazing management, rejuvenation of bogs (mattocking), filling-in of drainage ditches and felling of softwoods. This restoration work would be followed up after Life-Nature by the introduction of management plans and suitable measures which would guarantee sustainable recurring management and by a general monitoring strategy for all fenland areas in Lorraine. Most of the management work would be carried out by local businesses and would thus contribute to the economic activity of the surrounding villages. The restoration of the fens would make the district more attractive to tourists, which would be much appreciated by the local people. The project would make the area more attractive by the creation of paths for hikers and the publication of information for tourists.
RESULTS
The project covered the subsites of Heinsch, Fouches, Sampont, Vance and Chantemelle in the Semois valley, the Marais de Landbruch and the subsites of Les Abattis, La Plate-dessous-les-Monts and La Cussignière. It achieved the following results: Elaboration of an overall management strategy for the project subsites. Purchase of 41.1 ha land, whicb allowed many gaps to be closed between sections of land already owned, creating larger coherent blocks for management 38.2 ha cleared of trees and bushes 5 ha fir plantation cleared and stumps removed Initial mowing of 34.1 ha of neglected/overgrown mire 4.4 km of fence erected to enclose 13.5 ha of land for grazing management 0.5 ha mire habitat rejuvenated by sod cutting and excavation of pools Hydrological works at La Cussignière subsite to stop desiccation Rubbish removed from part of one subsite Purchase of mowing machinery for project work and long-term management after LIFE Long-term monitoring system set up (flora, dragonflies, butterflies, birds) Construction of three nature trails with two observation platforms and four information panels One brochure and one door-to-door folder published and distributed locally One mobile exhibition created 65 excursions open to the public, 51 ‘journées de gestion’ in which people are invited to come and help with practical site management and four open door days were organised (two coincided with Green Week/Green Days) Participation in local fairs and exhibitions and networking with LIFE projects in France and Benelux By the early 1970s little was left of the valuable calcareous fen biotopes in the Belgian Lorraine, with the exception of some minor plots in the Semois Valley or in the Landbruch Valley in the military camp of Lagland. Circa 20 years ago, the beneficiary started small-scale restoration works. However, progress was hampered by scarce financial means. A previous LIFE-Nature project from 1995 (with focus on several fens in Belgium, including Lorraine) and this LIFE-Nature project, exclusively for the fens in the Lorraine, have, by providing the necessary funds, together boosted the conservation of these fens. Whereas during the first 1995 LIFE-project, only a few fens in the Semois Valley were restored, this LIFE-project tackled all remaining mires in the Valley, the important mire of Landbruch and a number of new potential fen ecosystems such as the Plate-dessous-les-Monts, the Cussignière site and the site “Les Abbatis”. This means that the necessary restoration measures have now been started in all the important minerotrophic fens in Wallonia. The removal of trees and shrubs was the most important restoration measure. In the sub-site Landbruch this measure was not only important for the restoration of the fen vegetation and the hydrology of the site, it also allowed two isolated populations of the large copper butterfly (Lycaena dispar, Annex II) to be connected. Fencing land for grazing management was reduced, based on conservation arguments which developed during the elaboration of the overall management strategy. It turned out that mowing was a better strategy in several situations. Although grazing is less expensive than mowing, and mowing raises the problem of finding a solution to dispose of the mowed material, mowing can be technically better to manage fens as there will be less negative effects of trampling and excrements on the site (see also possible disappearance of the butterfly Coenonympha tullia (common ringlet) from the Plate-dessous-les-Monts subsite as a result of too intensive grazing management). Monitoring indicates that several indicator species of the minerotrophic fens are returning or are increasing in abundance. This indicates that restoration and management techniques show positive results and that the characteristic fenland species return. For the birds, these are among others Rallus aquaticus, Acrocephalus palustris and Locustella naevia. For butterflies and dragonflies, the results are less clear but some species did benefit like Lycaena dyspar and Coenagrion mercuriale (first sighting in Wallonia in 25 years). The beneficiary looked in particular at the botanical effects. Thus at Fouches he recorded 14 new plant species in 2003, many of them rare, in comparison to 1997. Thus rarities such as the sedges, Carex echinata and C. pallescens are returning, and it is expected that also other species from important indicator taxonomic groups (mosses, algae, and fungi) will return. The fens of the Semois Valley are one of the few locations where the rare moss Hamatocaulis vernicosus can be found in Belgium. The project, in common with other Belgian LIFE projects, was characterised by strong promotion of, and reliance on, volunteer work to do habitat restoration and recurring management. The underlying reasoning is that if the local population participates in the hands-on management of a nature reserve and/or Natura 2000 site, it will be more committed to its preservation and improvement. The project organised 51 public events at which people could come and help with habitat restoration and recurring management, using equipment provided by the beneficiary (including mowing machinery financed by LIFE). Special events were organised for schools, scout groups and a village (Action Feu de Bois). The local electricity company Elia gave assistance. These work camps yielded a number of people who became so committed to the sites and their management, that a permanent volunteer group was set up during the project which constituted itself in Feb. 2001 as a local chapter of RNOB (the beneficiary). The project organised 65 excursions for the public and four open door days. The open door day in June 2002 was promoted via a door-to-door folder, paid by LIFE, distributed throughout the district. It focused on the 10th anniversary of the Habitats Directive; 250 people attended. The final report says that large-scale tree cutting, introduction of mechanical equipment in the nature reserves and attempts to find outlets for the hay produced, have all attracted the attention of local people. The EU cofinance was seen as proof that the work is serious – this helped the project’s standing amongst local people. Much better contacts and dialogue with local stakeholders have thus been achieved, according to the final report. An example: during the project a local person presented himself and said he was interested in putting his livestock to pasture in the land cleared by the project. He was willing to adhere to the management prescriptions and so an agreement was reached. Consequently, the planned purchase of cattle using LIFE funds, to do conservation management, was no longer needed. The LIFE project created two full-time temporary jobs: a project co-ordinator, and an assistant, both hired for the duration of the project. The project co-ordinator will continue in a half-time capacity after the LIFE project. The small-scale visitor infrastructure produced by the project (three nature trails with two observation platforms and four information panels) will add an attraction to the district, which relies heavily on tourism.