Peipsi and IJsselmeer for mutual reference In the mirror of a lake Peipsi and IJsselmeer for mutual reference Colophon Editing: M. van Eerden, H. Bos, L. van Hulst (BCP) Design and lay out: VormVijf, The Hague Printing: drukkerij Ando, The Hague Photographs: Arne Ader, T. Bakker, Biofaan, V. Borisov, H. Bos, H. Coops, R. Doef , M. van Eerden, L. Jans, K. Kangur, A. Kuresoo, R. Laugaste, L. Luigujõe, G. Manshanden, M. Melnik, U. Menke, I. Muusikus, J. Oosterbaan , A. Remmelzwaal, M. Roos, J. van Schie, R. Verlinde, T. Vulink, IJ. Zwart Hollandse Hoogte GIS-work: Olga Zhuravkova, Mervyn Roo In the mirror of a lake was produced by Rijkswaterstaat Centre of Water Management on behalf of Regional Directorate IJsselmeergebied Lelystad, December 2007 ISBN 9789036914710 2 In the mirror of a lake Peipsi and IJsselmeer for mutual reference Contents Foreword 9 Introduction and background 13 Part 1 Framework and methods 19 1.1 EU directives and international conventions 21 1.2 Mutual reference as a common goal: the international scope of coping with differences 29 1.3 Communi cation 33 1.4 Study tours and missions to Peipsi and IJsselmeer 37 1.5 Joint fieldwork and stakeholder missions 43 Part 2 General features 51 2.1 General description and topography 53 2.2 Cultural history 65 2.3 Economy and population 71 Part 3 Lakes compared 81 3.1 Comparison of phosphorus concentrations, chlorophyll-a and transparency between Lakes IJsselmeer, Peipsi and Pihkva 83 3.2 Spatial diversity in IJsselmeer: 95 limnological biodiversity in relation to compartmentalisation 95 3.3 Reproduction of main commercial fish species in Lake Peipsi-Pihkva 105 3.4 Fish stock and fishery 115 3.5 Migratory waterbirds in IJsselmeer and Peipsi 125 3.6 Inventory of landscape units and vegetation classes using remote sensing and aerial photography 147 3.7 Bird banding and observations on daily migration at the territory of Pskov region (1959 - 2006) 163 3.8 Floodplain and shoreline habitat for amphibians, reptiles and mammals: the role of landscape completeness and connections 173 3.9 Water level fluctuation and developments in aquatic vegetation 185 Part 4 Integration and scenarios 197 4.1 Spatial distribution of nutrients in Peipsi and Pihkva and the relation with higher trophic levels in the food web 199 4.2 Spatial patterns on land 211 4.3 Future trends in water 223 4.4 Future trends on land and effects of climate change 229 4.5 Developments in the use of natural resources and human pressure 235 4.6 Ecological restoration in IJsselmeer 241 4.7 In the mirror of a lake 251 Summary 261 References 275 Acknowledgements 281 5 Foreword Managing large territories is not an easy task, all the more so if the greater part of the territory consists of water, as is the case with large lakes. In the recent past, water management was directed merely at water quantity, water quality and the various users such as fishery, sand and drinking water extraction, transport and recreation. However, recent European legislation, such as the Water Framework Directive and Birds and Habitat Directive, aims to achieve an integrated management strategy, with a balanced position of the user functions while at the same time safeguarding the existing natural values. Applying a conceptual strategy with clear and relevant goals for the natural environment requires knowledge of different fields. For smaller water bodies such as streams and small lakes and fens, a lot of information is available on a national scale and the classification of these water bodies is not too difficult. Large lakes, however, do not have many reference points in Europe and thus one has to compare the present situation with a few relevant examples at a much larger distance. For the IJsselmeer area we now can compare the situation with that of Lake Peipsi. We are glad we can look back at a series of five fruitful years of international collaboration with our Estonian and Russian colleagues. In our opinion the project was a success, in many aspects. Apart from the exchange of information, which has served the process of mutual learning very much, the teamwork resulted in many alliances and new projects have started from the partnership in this troika of nationalities. Already during the course of the project the spin-off was clear; several projects in the IJsselmeer area benefited from the insights of the project. Moreover the stakeholder tours to Peipsi have increased the awareness of how important habitat scale and completeness is in relation to the natural functioning of the lake. We are convinced that the local authorities in Estonia and Russia will make good use of the findings presented here. It goes without saying that the learning benefits were mutual. We want to congratulate the project team with the jointly achieved results and look forward to extended initiatives following the present collaboration. Fred Delpeut Luitzen Bijlsma General Director General Director Rijkswaterstaat Rijkswaterstaat Directorate IJsselmeergebied Centre for Water Management 6 7 In the mirror of a lake Peipsi and IJsselmeer for mutual reference :HIDC>6:HIDC>6 GJHH>6GJHH>6 HaVcihnHaVcihn CVgkVG^kZgCVgkVG^kZg Hbdac^ihVHbdac^ihV <dhi^ihn<dhi^ihn GVccVejc\Zg_VGVccVejc\Zg_V EanjhhVG^kZgEanjhhVG^kZg Ad]jhjjAd]jhjj @doadk7ZgZ\@doadk7ZgZ\ LVYYZcoZZLVYYZcoZZ @dgclZgYZgoVcY@dgclZgYZgoVcY BjhikZZ BV``jbBV``jb BjhikZZ 6[haj^iY^_`6[haj^iY^_` Ldg`jb 7gZZoVcYY^_`7gZZoVcYY^_` Ldg`jb Eda^X]cdEda^X]cd DbZYjDbZYj =^cYZaddeZc=^cYZaddeZc <Ydk<Ydk 9ZcDZkZg9ZcDZkZg Bda`lZgjbBda`lZgjb GVccVGVccV <Ydk`VG^kZg<Ydk`VG^kZg EanjhhVG^kZgEanjhhVG^kZg @dYVkZgZ@dYVkZgZ HiVkdgZcHiVkdgZc AZbbZgAZbbZg HiZ^aZ7Vc`HiZ^aZ7Vc` @VaaVhiZ@VaaVhiZ BZYZbWa^`BZYZbWa^` E:>EH>E:>EH> >?HH:AB::G>?HH:AB::G AV]ZeZgVAV]ZeZgV AV]ZeZgVaV`ZAV]ZeZgVaV`Z :c`]j^oZc:c`]j^oZc @aZccd@aZccd EanjhhVG^kZgEanjhhVG^kZg :bbZaddgY:bbZaddgY He^ihncd KVgc_VKVgc_V He^ihncd Jg`Jg` OVaV`]idkÉOVaV`]idkÉ =ddgc=ddgc OlVgiZbZZgOlVgiZbZZg GVh`deZaÉGVh`deZaÉ @ddhVaV`Z@ddhVaV`Z EgVV\V @ZiZabZZg@ZiZabZZg EgVV\V BVg`ZgbZZgBVg`ZgbZZg NVbbNVbb @VbeZc@VbeZc :bV_\^G^kZg :bV_:bV_\^\^G^kZgG^kZg :bV_\^G^kZg KdhhZbZZgKdhhZbZZg >?hhZa>?hhZa BZZgVeVajBZZgVeVaj @Vaa^aV`Z@Vaa^aV`Z E^^g^hhVVg>haVcYE^^g^hhVVg>haVcY AZanhiVYAZanhiVY O]ZaX]VG^kZgO]ZaX]VG^kZg IVgijIVgij AZZ\jaV`ZAZZ\jaV`Z 9gdciZgbZZg9gdciZgbZZg EdYWdgdkÉZEdYWdgdkÉZ KdaZcYVbKdaZcYVb GZbYVGZbYV BVg`ZcBVg`Zc DdhikVVgYZgheaVhhZcDdhikVVgYZgheaVhhZc HVbdakVHVbdakV BZ]^`ddgbVBZ]^`ddgbV KZajlZbZZgKZajlZbZZg 8]ZgcVnVG^kZg8]ZgcVnVG^kZg EcZkdEcZkd >?bZZg>?bZZg CjcheZZi EjiÉ`dkdEjiÉ`dkd LdaYZgl^_YLdaYZgl^_Y CjcheZZi 6bhiZgYVb6bhiZgYVb >?hhZa>?hhZa =VgYZgl^_`=VgYZgl^_` A~bb^_~gkA~bb^_~gk <dd^bZZg<dd^bZZg 7V\a^ihn7V\a^ihn :ZbbZZg:ZbbZZg BiZo]BiZo] G~e^cVG~e^cV C^_`Zg`C^_`Zg` E>=@K6E>=@K6 AWc^ihV AWc^ihV IdaWVG^kZgIdaWVG^kZg 9g^ha^k^` EakV 9g^ha^k^` EakV IVaVWh`^_Z>haVcYhIVaVWh`^_Z>haVcYh A^hÉZA^hÉZ JigZX]iJigZX]i @VbZc`V>haVcY@VbZc`V>haVcY Bdado]kVBdado]kV E^jhVG^kZgE^jhVG^kZg KZa^`VnVG^kZgKZa^`VnVG^kZg Eh`dk EZX]dgnEZX]dgn Eh`dk :HIDC>6:HIDC>6 GJHH>6GJHH>6 8 9 Introduction and background of the project In the mirror of a lake Peipsi and IJsselmeer for mutual reference Introduction and background Mennobart van Eerden 10 11 In the mirror of a lake Peipsi and IJsselmeer for mutual reference Lake Peipsi (Peipsi-Pihkva Järv in Estonian and Pskovskoe-Chudskoye finding that Smelt Osmerus eperlanus and Zebra Mussels Dreissena polymorpha play a crucial role in both systems was of such significance that a joint project Ozero in Russian language) is located on the Estonian-Russian border. was set up. Of course there are differences as well, but this makes the project only more interesting. Although comparison is the basis for the reference With its 3,500 km2 it is one of the largest shallow lakes in Europe. approach (with emphasis on aspects like habitat scale, naturalness and ecology), the differences also set the scene for in-depth understanding of the processes. This lake, from now on called Lake Peipsi, bears many resemblances to By comparing the situation in both regions, one may arrive more easily at the required insights for each separate system. As monitoring datasets of both a Dutch lake complex consisting of Lake IJsselmeer, Lake Markermeer systems reach back more than 75 years, there was a need for synthesis rather than for completely new studies. More to the west of Lake Peipsi is Lake and Borderlakes (2,000 km2) and can therefore serve as a reference Võrtsjärv, which is smaller but lies in the same catchment area. The physical conditions of Lake Võrtsjärv, with much suspended matter in the water column, for the natural stage of a large lowland lake. The lake is known for resemble those in Lake Markermeer, reason to compare these two lakes. Furthermore, the connecting river Emajõgi has extended floodplains where the the existence of large wetlands in the surroundings (Carp 1980, hydrological conditions are still intact, which is why this area was chosen as a reference area for natural bog, fen and hayfield habitat. Commission of the European Communities 1995). Project structure The project was initiated and financed by Rijkswaterstaat. Contracts were made In October 1998, the basis for future co-operation was established during a with partners in Estonia and Russia in order to receive the required data in reconnaissance mission to Lake Peipsi. Work for the Pan-European Wetland time. A master plan served as general outline for the project. Project clusters Inventory corroborated the parallels between Peipsi and IJsselmeer at a were defined and trilateral teams were formed to carry out the work. A general European scale (Nivet and Frazier2004). Further enhanced by the requirements division was made between water- and land related subjects.