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Conserving Mires in the European Union

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Conserving Mires in the European Union &216(59,1*0,5(6 ,17+( (8523($181,21 $FWLRQVFRILQDQFHGE\ /,)(1DWXUH Author: Geert Raeymaekers Editors: Kerstin Sundseth & Anton Gazenbeek (FRV\VWHPV/7' service contract n° B4-3200/98/000411/MAR/D2 $&.12:/('*(0(176 Just as small mosses, sedges and other flowering plants combined to form mires, so too did different elements of the LIFE-Nature projects come together to build up the picture presented in this report. Firstly, I would like to thank the project managers and their colleagues of the 66 LIFE-Nature mire projects, who took the time to answer my questions and to supply us with some evocative photos of their work. Then, I must express my gratitude to my colleagues in the external teams, MECOMAT and ECOSYSTEMS, who monitor these LIFE-Nature mire projects, and who provided me with invaluable assistance in distilling the substantial amount of information accumulated from the projects into a more coherent whole. The actual report writing was only possible thanks to the comments from, and the discussions I had with Bruno Julien, Micheal O’Briain, Maria Gaivao, Oliver Schall and other staff in the European Commission (DG XI/D2) and with colleagues at ECOSYSTEMS and MECOMAT. Richard Lindsay (University of East London, UK) kindly provided interesting comments on the decline of mires in the European Union. Finally, I would like to thank Kerstin Sundseth and Anton Gazenbeek, for their substantial contributions in preparing the final document. 7$%/(2)&217(176 ; (;(&87,9(6800$5<SDJHL , 0,5(6,17+((8523($181,21 SDJH - Centuries in the making ...........................................................................page 1 - Recent trends ...........................................................................................page 2 - Their biogeographical distribution...........................................................page 3 ,, (8&216(59$7,21/(*,6/$7,21 SDJH - EU Nature conservation policy ..............................................................page 9 - Protection under the Habitats Directive .................................................page 11 ,,, 7+5($76(1&2817(5(' SDJH - A long history of land use........................................................................page 23 - Identifying the source of the threats ........................................................page 24 - Types of damaging action........................................................................page 25 ,9 352-(&76)81'('81'(5/,)(1$785( SDJH - LIFE – The EU’s financial instrument for nature ...................................page 31 - Projects funded for mire conservation ....................................................page 33 - Country-by-country overview..................................................................page 36 9 5(6725,1*7+('$0$*( SDJH - Essential prerequisites ............................................................................page 45 - Re-instating the hydrological balance of the mire ...................................page 47 - Restoring the mire vegetation..................................................................page 55 - Restoration actions did not always succeed, why? ..................................page 59 9, 0$1$*,1*6,7(6)25&216(59$7,21SDJH - Mimicking traditional farming practices .................................................page 61 - Developing innovative techniques and approaches ................................page 62 - LIFE after LIFE: Who foot the bill?........................................................page 67 9,, 6$)(*8$5',1*35,67,1(0,5(6SDJH - Buy it then leave it! .................................................................................page 71 9,,, :,11,1*/2&$/6833257 SDJH - Mires’ image problem..............................................................................page 75 - Negotiating with the stakeholders............................................................page 75 - Informing the public at large ...................................................................page 81 - Disseminating the results of LIFE ...........................................................page 82 $11(;SDJH - List and contacts addresses of LIFE funded mire projects .......................page 85 ÃÃÃ/,)(1DWXUHÃSURMHFWVÃIRUÃPLUHV EXECUTIVE SUMMARY From Stockholm’s elegant waterfront to the traditional practices were abandoned in the Rome’s bustling streets, Berlin’s modern early part of this century through agricultural museums to Lisbon’s famous streetcars - one of intensification or changing land uses, the most striking features of Europe today is its consequently much of the management know- cultural diversity. The second may be its how was lost too. Thus, many LIFE projects weather! driving rain in Dublin, scorching hot either experimented with new ways to recreate evenings in Athens…. This combination of these traditional farming practices, or developed different climates and human activities is also innovative schemes to stimulate long-term responsible for another of Europe’s more management. Moreover, for mires that still obscure jewels: its mire habitats. These are have an economic farming interest, the key to particularly well represented considering the their long-term conservation is through the size of the continent, but their decline is now a participation of the farmers themselves. Several matter of grave concern – 70% of their former projects focused therefore on pump-priming mire range has already been lost. long-term agreements through the agri- environment regulation 2078/92/EEC. To protect what remains of Europe’s natural heritage, the EU is in the process of establishing Just as active and continued management is a European network of protected areas – called vital for some mire types, others survive best NATURA 2000. This will be made up of sites with no intervention. This is especially true for designated under the Birds Directive and the climax vegetation such as bog woodland, Habitats Directive, which together form the blanket bogs, aapa mires and raised bogs. To central pillar of the EU’s nature conservation achieve this, a small but important sub-set of policy. In 1992, a European financial LIFE projects focused on acquiring strategic instrument – called LIFE-Nature - was also and representative examples of these habitat introduced to help set up NATURA 2000. Over types. It is estimated that around 35,000 ha has the last seven years some 350 projects were co- been bought so far under LIFE-Nature. financed to the tune of 283 million euro. Finally, because mires are intimately linked to a This report gives an overview of the projects complex matrix of other land uses, it is co-financed for mire conservation under LIFE. inconceivable to consider restoring or managing It starts by describing the 13 mire habitat types a mire without taking the local interest groups covered under the Habitats Directive, looks at and users into account. Not only is their support the principal threats identified through the essential for the success of the project, but they projects and provides a country-by-country often play a central role in safeguarding the summary of what has been funded so far. It conservation value of the sites in the long run. then goes on to present the main actions used to Virtually all LIFE projects had therefore a combat these threats, using a wide selection of component dedicated to dialogue, real-LIFE examples from the projects communication and raising awareness. This themselves to illustrate this. ranged from negotiating with the stakeholders to actively involving them in the project and Altogether, 66 LIFE-Nature projects were raising interest amongst the public at large over funded for mire conservation over the last 7 the value of the habitats. years – with an EU contribution of approximately 25-35 million euro. The large One last but essential element of LIFE-Nature majority (2/3) focused on restoration – which is projects is that the experiences gained by one – perhaps not surprising given the drastic decline whether positive or negative – should be in ecological quality of so many mires in available to others to learn from. A list of all the Europe. Actions principally involved restoring mire projects covered by this report, together the hydrology of the mire and/or re-establishing with their contact addresses, is given in annex the ecological value of the vegetation. for anyone who wishes to receive more information about the different activities Depending on the habitat types involved, a described. Also, in Chapter 8 a selection is significant number of mire sites also required given of some of the methodology manuals and recurring management. This was, however, not handbooks produced under LIFE. as easy at it sounds, mainly because many of /,)(1DWXUHÃSURMHFWVÃIRUÃPLUHV 6200$,5( De l’élégant front de mer de Stockholm aux rues agricoles intensives ou de modifications de l’utilisation animées de Rome, en passant par les musées modernes des terres conduisant à la perte du savoir faire au de Berlin aux fameux funiculaires de Lisbonne - l’une niveau de la gestion. Par conséquent, dans de des caractéristiques les plus frappantes de l’Europe nombreux projets LIFE du temps et de l’énergie ont d’aujourd’hui est bien sa diversité culturelle. L’autre été consacrés à expérimenter de nouvelles méthodes est sans nul doute son climat ! pluie incessante à permettant de recréer ces pratiques agricoles Dublin, soirées torrides à Athènes ..... C’est dans la traditionnelles ou d’élaborer des schémas innovants en combinaison de ces différents climats
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