IUCN European Programme Development of National Ecological Networks in the Baltic Countries in the framework of the Pan-European Ecological Network Edited by: Kalev Sepp Environmental Protection Institute Are Kaasik Estonian Agricultural University The publication is the synthesis report based on the national reports on “Development of national ecological networks in Baltic countries in the framework of Pan-European Ecological Network – a concept and implementation in pilot areas”. Authors of national reports: Estonia: Kalev Sepp, Jüri Jagomägi and Are Kaasik; Latvia: Olgerts Nikodemus, Maris Kreilis, Baiba Strazdina and Vija Busa; Lithuania: Ruta Vaiciunaite, Pranas Mierauskas, Zenonas Gulbinas, Algimantas Ramonas, Petras Kurlavicius, Zigmantas Gudþinskas, Valerijus Raðomavicius, Povilas Ivinskis, Vytas Kesminas and Edvardas Mickevicius. Project coordination: Zenon Tederko IUCN Office for Central Europe Warsaw, August 2002 The views of the authors expressed in this volume do not necessarily reflect those of IUCN. Neither do the presentation of material and geographical designations employed imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of IUCN concerning the legal status of any country, territory or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Published by: IUCN Office for Central Europe IUCN The World Conservation Union Copyright: (2002) IUCN – The World Conservation Union and IUCN Office for Central Europe (Foundation IUCN Poland) Reproduction of this publication for educational or other non-commercial purposes is authorized without permission from the copyright holder. Reproduction for resale or other commercial purposes is prohibited without the prior written permission of the copyright holder ISBN: 2-8317-0679-3 Consultants: Anna Liro, IUCN Irene Bouwma, ECNC English-language Edward Idle proofreading: Photos: Arne Ader; http://www.loodusemees.ee Cartographic Piret Palm and Eva-Lena Sepp preparation: Page layout by: W-TEAM, Marek J.WoŸniak & Jan Woreczko Printed by: Pracownia Poligraficzna ARWIL s.c., Warszawa, ul. Czereœniowa 16 Available from: IUCN Office for Central Europe ul. Narbutta 40/21, 02-541 Warszawa, Poland; E-mail: [email protected] This project was implemented by: Environmental Protection Institute of Estonia Latvian Fund for Nature Lithuanian Fund for Nature This project has been carried out with support from the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Management and Fisheries and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MATRA Fund/Programme International Nature Management) IUCN The World Conservation Union This project has been coordinated from the IUCN side by the IUCN Office for Central Europe The IUCN Office for Central Europe would like to express its gratitudes to the Ministry of Environment of Estonia, Ministry of Environment Protection and Regional Development of Latvia and Ministry of Environment of Lithuania for assistance, which the Ministries and their Departments have demonstrated and ensured in support of the project implementation. Table of Contents From the Publisher XIII Executive summary XVII 1. Introduction 1 2. Theoretical concepts and practical applications of ecological networks 5 2.1. Aims and objectives of developing the ecological networks in the Baltic countries 7 2.2. National approaches and experience in ecological networks 11 2.2.1. Development of the approach to ecological networks in Estonia 11 2.2.2. The history of ecological network planning in Latvia 15 2.2.3. The history of ecological network planning in Lithuania 16 3. Natural environment of the Baltic States 19 3.1. Habitats and species 20 3.2. Habitat trends and threats 29 3.3. Conclusion 32 4. Nature protection system 35 4.1. National legal and policy instruments 36 4.1.1. Estonia 38 4.1.2. Latvia 42 4.1.3. Lithuania 44 4.2. International agreements, initiatives and programmes 47 5. Methodology of designation of National Ecological Networks in the Baltic Countries 53 5.1. Terminology of ecological networks 53 5.2. Functional-spatial structure of Ecological network 54 5.2.1. Core areas 56 5.2.2. Ecological corridors 57 5.2.3. Buffer zones 59 VIII 5.2.4. Nature restoration areas 59 Table of Contents 5.3. Levels of Ecological network 60 5.4. Development principles and criteria of Ecological Network 62 5.5. Development principles and criteria of Ecological Network in the Baltics 63 5.5.1. Main principles of designating core areas 65 5.5.2. Main principles of designation of ecological corridors 70 5.5.3. Main principles of designation of buffer zones 74 5.5.4. Main principles of designation of restoration (re-naturalisation) areas 75 5.6. Data sources and technical issues 77 6. Ecological Networks in the baltic coutries 81 6.1. National Ecological networks 81 6.1.1. Estonian green (ecological) network 81 6.1.2. The Latvia Ecological network 82 6.1.3. The Lithuanian Ecological network 85 6.2. Designation of national ecological networks at regional level 86 6.2.1. Methodological aspects of ecological networks on regional level 86 6.2.2. Ecological network in Järva county – Estonia 88 6.2.3. Ecological network of Kuldiga District – Latvia 91 6.2.4. The local ecological network of Klaipëda district and Neringa city – Lithuania 94 7. Conclusions 97 Literature and WWW references 103 Additional literature 109 Table of Appendixes Appendix 1. General biodiversity information in the Baltic States 115 Appendix 2. Categories of protected areas in Estonia (Act on Protected Natural Objects 1994) 121 Appendix 3. Categories of protected areas in Latvia (LMEPRD and UNEP, 1998) 123 Appendix 4. Categories of protected areas in Lithuania (Law on Protected Areas 1993, currently being amended) 125 Appendix 5. Selecting core areas on the ground of size in Estonia 127 Appendix 6. Zoological points in identifying the structural IX elements and forming a green network in Estonia 131 Table of Contents Appendix 7. Additional criteria for designating ecological corridors in Lithuania 135 Appendix 8. Maps and digital databases used in planning of ecological networks in the Baltic countries 137 Appendix 9. Legend of the intermediate map for designing ecological network in Estonia 141 Appendix 10. The Estonian Green Network 143 Appendix 11. Example of description of biocentres in Latvia 145 Appendix 12. The Latvian Ecological Network 149 Appendix 13. The Lithuanian Ecological Network 153 Appendix 14. Examples of land use conditions and restrictions, which were used in green network planning in Estonia 157 Appendix 15. An example of the map of Ecological network in Järva county – Estonia 159 Appendix 16. Ecological network of Kuldiga district – Latvia 161 Appendix 17. Ecological network of Klaipëda district and Neringa city 163 Table of Figures Figure 1. Estonian network of ecologically compensating areas (Jagomägi, 1983)13 Figure 2. Network of compensating areas in practical planning: functional zoning scheme at a district level – Hiiumaa Island, designed in 1987 14 Figure 3. Protected areas and non-protected areas suitable for ecological network according to their present natural state (adopted from Remm et al., 2002)15 Figure 4. Lithuanian nature frame (Kavaliauskas, 1995)17 Figure 5. Protected areas according to national law, percentage of the national territory (BEF, 2000) 21 Figure 6. Land cover types in Baltic countries according to CORINE land cover 22 X Figure 7. Forest stands older than 100 years in the Table of Contents Baltic States (BEF, 1998) 23 Figure 8. Area drained per year in agricultural land (BEF, 2000) 24 Figure 9. Comparison of Estonian and Latvian mires (Data source: EME and UNEP, 1999; LMEPRD and UNEP, 1998) 24 Figure 10. Supply or sale of mineral fertilisers (BEF, 1998) 26 Figure 11. Sown area in 1960–1999 31 Figure 12. Theoretical structural elements of ecologically compensating infrastructure (Jagomägi and Sepp, 1999) 55 Figure 13. Core areas in Estonia based on massiveness 68 Figure 14. Defining ecological corridors in Estonia 72 Figure 15. The result of intermediate stage in green network designation forming the basis for composing the final map 78 Figure 16. Core areas defined by size (brown – international core areas; red – national core areas; green – county large core areas; yellow – county small core areas) 127 Table of Tables Table 1. Selected facts about the Baltic States (after BEF, 2000) 19 Table 2. The dominant tree species in Baltic forests, percentage of total volume of wood in forests (after Hallanaro and Pylvänäinen, 2002) 23 Table 3. Number of vertebrate species in the Baltic States 28 Table 4. Primary environmental problems according to the environmental policy documents of the Baltic States (Kratovitð, 2001) 36 Table 5. Ratification of/accession to some of the nature conservation conventions (after Kratovitð, 2001) 48 Table 6. The Pan-European Biological and Landscape Strategy (after Council of Europe et al., 1996) 49 Table 7. Overview of terms of “ecological networks” used XI in the Baltic counties 54 Table of Contents Table 8. Different categories distinguished in the national networks developed 55 Table 9. Comparative hierarchical levels of spatial planning and ecological network design (adopted from Külvik et al., 2002) 61 Table 10. Hierarchical levels and planning the ecological network in Estonia 62 Table 11. Recommended sizes of core areas for the main types of ecosystems in Lithuania 66 Table 12. The recommended size of core areas by Estonian report (Jagomägi and Sepp, 1999) 67 Table 13. Structure of GIS database of Lithuanian Ecological Network and coding of geo-objects 79 Table 14. Structure of GIS database of Latvia Ecological 79 Table 15. The total area of the Ecological network of Latvia 85 Table 16. Relations between hierarchical levels and stages of core areas and corridors 90 Table 17. The total area of ecological network in pilot area 93 Table 18. Number of natural species and distribution of categories under protection in Estonia (Külvik, 1996; Sepp and Mikk, 1998) 115 Table 19. Number of Wild Species and Their Status in Latvia (LMEPRD and UNEP, 1998) 116 Table 20.