Öland - Coastal Meadows and Wetlands in the Agricultural Landscape of Öland LIFE00 NAT/S/007117

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Öland - Coastal Meadows and Wetlands in the Agricultural Landscape of Öland LIFE00 NAT/S/007117 Project description Environmental issues Beneficiaries Administrative data Read more Contact details:

se 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

1 Öland - Coastal Meadows and Wetlands in the Agricultural Landscape of Öland LIFE00 NAT/S/ Project description Environmental issues Beneficiaries Administrative data Read more Contact details: Project Manager: Annigun WEDIN Tel: Fax: annigun.wedin@h.lst.se 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

2 project, which ran from 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.

3 Environmental issues addressed: Themes Habitats - Coastal Biodiversity issues - High Nature Value farmland Keywords landscape conservation policy monitoring wetlands ecosystem site rehabilitation integrated management public-private partnership sustainable development social participation rural development land purchase restoration measure management contract drainage system aquatic ecosystem environmental impact of agriculture eutrophication freshwater ecosystem grassland ecosystem grazing Target EU Legislation Nature protection and Biodiversity Directive 79/409 - Conservation of wild birds ( ) Directive 92/43 - Conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora- Habitats Directiv... Decision 93/626 - Conclusion of the Convention on Biological Diversity ( ) COM(95) "Communication on the judicious use and conservation of wetlands" ( ) COM(98)42 -"Communication on a European Community Biodiversity Strategy" ( ) COM(2001)162 -"Biodiversity Action Plan for the conservation of natural resources (vol. I & II)"... Land & Soil Regulation 1257/ Support for rural development from the European Agricultural Guidance and... Target Habitat types Hydrophilous tall herb fringe communities of plains and of the montane to alpine levels "Lowland hay meadows (Alopecurus pratensis, Sanguisorba officinalis)" Fennoscandian wooded meadows Calcareous fens with Cladium mariscus and species of the Caricion davallianae

4 Petrifying springs with tufa formation (Cratoneurion) Alkaline fens Mudflats and sandflats not covered by seawater at low tide Coastal lagoons Sandbanks which are slightly covered by sea water all the time Large shallow inlets and bays Annual vegetation of drift lines Perennial vegetation of stony banks Salicornia and other annuals colonizing mud and sand Boreal Baltic coastal meadows Boreal Baltic sandy beaches with perennial vegetation Hard oligo-mesotrophic waters with benthic vegetation of Chara spp Juniperus communis formations on heaths or calcareous grasslands Rupicolous calcareous or basophilic grasslands of the Alysso-Sedion albi Semi-natural dry grasslands and scrubland facies on calcareous substrates (Festuco-Brometalia) (* important orchid sites) Fennoscandian lowland species-rich dry to mesic grasslands Nordic alvar and precambrian calcareous flatrocks "Molinia meadows on calcareous, peaty or clayey-silt-laden soils (Molinion caeruleae)" Natura 2000 sites SCI SE Beijershamn och Svansholmarna SCI SE Djurstadträsk SCI SE Knisa mosse SCI SE Ottenby NR SCI SE Eckelsudde SCI SE Störlinge sjömarker SCI SE Tjusby sjömarker SCI SE Husvalla sjömarker SCI SE Nabbelund SCI SE Högenäs orde SCI SE Vanserum-Bäck-Övetorp SCI SE Sydöstra Ölands sjömarker SCI SE Stora Alvaret Beneficiaries: Coordinator Type of organisation Kalmar County Administration Regional authority

5 Description Partners The beneficiary, Kalmar Administrative Board (CAB-Kalmar), is a regional public body, reporting to the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, with a remit including: identification of sites that qualify for the Natura 2000 network; and preparation of management plans for new nature reserves. Lund University, Sweden Kalmar University-Dept of Biology and Environmental Science, Sweden Gotland University College, Sweden Administrative data: Project reference LIFE00 NAT/S/ Duration 01-NOV-2000 to 30-JUN Total budget 3,362, EU contribution 1,660, Project location Småland med Öarna(Sverige) Read more: Project web site Publication: Case study Publication: Thesis Project's website (SE) Title: Coastal meadows and wetlands of Öland experiences of a nature conservancy project. Year: 2008 Editor: Kalmar County Administrative Board Title: "Igenväxningen effekter på förekomsten av kransalger (Characeae) i öländska våtmarker" (747 KB) Author: Lise-Lotte Karlsson Year: 2005 Editor: Högskolan i Kalmar, Institutionen för Biologi och No of pages: 41 Project description Environmental issues Beneficiaries Administrative data Read more

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