Mission: Peatlands are vital economic and ecological resources which contribute to biological, landscape and cultural diversity. They comprise and Peatland Conservation in Central Europe Strategy and Action Plan for Mire Strategy and Action Plan To sustain and characteristic assemblages of species which can exhibit intense restore wetlands, patterning of plant and animal communities. Peatlands are also the best for Mire and Peatland their resources and ecosystem for sequestering carbon (with current stores far exceeding Conservation in Central Europe biodiversity for those held in rainforests). future generations Guidelines for Global Action on Peatlands were agreed at the last through research, Central European Peatland Project (CEPP) Conference of Parties to the Ramsar Convention. These guidelines note information that “There is a wide range of threats to peatlands that require urgent exchange and national and/or international action”. To help counter these threats, the Compiled and edited by: Olivia Bragg, Richard Lindsay (main editors) conservation Ramsar Convention is working with its sister conventions, on biodiversity Mette Risager, Marcel Silvius and Henk Zingstra (co-editors) activities, worldwide. and climate change. The Ramsar Secretariat is pleased to see this report, which provides a significant step forward by presenting a summary of current knowledge and a Strategy and an Action Plan for Central Europe; a region that still harbours large peatland areas and types which are virtually extinct elsewhere. But changes in land management, ownership and the nature of economic exploitation are now placing peatland in this region under increasing threat. This present publication will help inform all concerned to achieve better governance, and thereby management and conservation, for Peatlands in Central Europe. Peter Bridgewater Secretary General, Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar, Iran, 1971) O. Bragg, R. Lindsay, M. Risager, M. Silvius and H. Zingstra M. Risager, O. Bragg, R. Lindsay, For further information please visit our website or contact our office. Website: www.wetlands.org Wetlands International PO Box 471 6700 AL Wageningen The Netherlands Tel: +31 317 478854 Fax: +31 317 478850 E-mail: [email protected] Wetlands International Publication Wetlands 18 Publication 18 Strategy and Action Plan for Mire and Peatland Conservation in Central Europe Central European Peatland Project (CEPP) Compiled and edited by: Olivia Bragg, Richard Lindsay (main editors) Mette Risager, Marcel Silvius and Henk Zingstra (co-editors) Wetlands International Publication 18 2003 © Wetlands International 2003 Pages from this publication may be reproduced freely for educational, journalistic, and other non-commercial purposes (subject to any disclaimers). Prior permission must be given for all other forms of reproduction. Full credit must always be given to the copyright holder. ISBN 90 5882 018 1 This publication should be cited as follows: Bragg, O. and Lindsay, R. (Eds.) (2003). Strategy and Action Plan for Mire and Peatland Conservation in Central Europe. Wetlands International, Wageningen, The Netherlands. vi + 94 pp. Published by Wetlands International www.wetlands.org Available from Natural History Book Service 2–3 Wills Road, Totnes, Devon, TQ9 5XN, United Kingdom www.nhbs.co.uk Cover photographs: Arne Ader, Marta Kaczyñska, Mara Pakalne, Selemonas Paltanavicius, Grigoriy Parchuk, Dr V. Rakovich, Viera Stanová and Lenka Soukupová Design by NatureBureau, 36 Kingfisher Court, Hambridge Road, Newbury, RG14 5SJ, UK Printed by Information Press Ltd, Oxford, UK Printed on 100gsm Fineblade Smooth The presentation of material in this report and the geographical designations employed do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of Wetlands International concerning the legal status of any country, area or territory, or concerning the delimitation of its boundaries or frontiers. Strategy and Action Plan for Mire and Peatland Conservation in Central Europe Central European Peatland Project (CEPP) Compiled and edited by: Olivia Bragg, Richard Lindsay (main editors) Mette Risager, Marcel Silvius and Henk Zingstra (co-editors) Project leaders: Henk Zingstra and Marcel Silvius (Wetlands International, The Netherlands) Bent Aaby (Danish National Museum) Scientific co-ordinator: Mette Risager (Danish National Museum) Authors: This document has been compiled from material (where not specifically attributed) contributed by: Chris Baker, Nikolai Bambalov, Olivia Bragg, John Couwenberg, Herbert Diemont, Hans Joosten, Wiktor Kotowsky, Agu Leivits, Petr Musil, Richard Lindsay, Mara Pakalne, Grigoriy Parchuk, Hubert Piórkowski, Mette Risager, Marcel Silvius, Anne Smit, Lenka Soukupová, Viera Stanová, Thomas Tennardt and Henk Zingstra Donors: The Central European Peatland Project was made possible through the generous support of: PIN-Matra, Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV), The Netherlands Danish Co-operation for Environment in Eastern Europe (DANCEE), Ministry of Environment and Energy, Denmark Support in kind: International Mire Conservation Group University of East London iv Contents Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................................................................... vi 1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................................1 1.1 Background ............................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Strategic concept ...................................................................................................................................................... 2 1.3 Main components of the Central European Peatland Project .................................................................................... 2 2. Peatland conservation: concepts and issues ........................................................................................................3 2.1 Mires and peatlands – the invisible habitat ................................................................................................................ 3 2.2 Definition of the peatland habitat ...............................................................................................................................3 2.3 Why peatlands are important .....................................................................................................................................5 2.4 Peatlands and global warming .................................................................................................................................. 6 2.5 The description and evaluation of peatland diversity .................................................................................................6 2.6 The diversity of Central European peatlands .............................................................................................................9 2.7 Distribution and current condition of peatlands in Europe .......................................................................................10 2.8 Land-use change and peatland conservation ..........................................................................................................12 2.9 Restoration ..............................................................................................................................................................14 2.10International action: opportunities from a growing peatland awareness ..................................................................15 3. The peatlands of Central Europe: regional overview .........................................................................................21 3.1 The Baltic-Black Sea Corridor: regional context of the CEPP .................................................................................21 3.2 The extent and condition of the peatland resource..................................................................................................22 3.3 Peatland carbon store in the CEPP focal countries .................................................................................................28 4. The peatlands of the focal countries .....................................................................................................................31 4.1 Belarus ....................................................................................................................................................................31 4.2 Czech Republic (Czechia) ........................................................................................................................................34 4.3 Estonia ....................................................................................................................................................................39 4.4 Latvia .......................................................................................................................................................................43 4.5 Lithuania ..................................................................................................................................................................46 4.6 Poland .....................................................................................................................................................................49