a vision for meadow restoration in abandoned lands in croatia
TRANSCRIPT
A vision for meadow restoration in abandoned lands in Croatia
Tomislav Hudina
Association BIOM, BirdLife in Croatia
28th October 2016, Ulcinj, Montenegro
About BIOM! nature conservation NGO ! established in 2006
! surveys ! mapping ! conservation actions ! sustainable tourism
! advocacy – legal actions
! training and exchange of knowledge
! work with people, students, volunteers
IPAs in Croatia! designation of IPA sites
! Conservation of Important Plant Areas in Croatia 2006-2008
! Faculty of Science in Zagreb, PlantLife, Floron, Planta Europa and Dutch Ministry of agriculture, nature and food quality
! 98 IPA sites – overlapping with Natura 2000 network
Habitat restoration! few very small projects
! 3 locations in NW part of Croatia
! removal of vegetation from artificial gravel islands – breeding habitats of common terns
! pilot project at Nature park Učka
Učka Nature park! nature park, Natura 2000 site, IPA site
! 12 Natura 2000 habitat types
! 49 plant species that fit into A (5) or B (44) criteria
! land abandonment
! succession
! grasslands afforestation with pine species (Pinus nigra)
! insufficient number of grazing catle (sheep, goats, horses, cows)
Photo: Učka Nature park
Pilot project of meadow restoration ! Eastern sub-Mediterranean dry grasslands
(Scorzoneratalia villosae)
! blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) overgrowing meadows
Pilot project of meadow restoration
! started in 2014
! English, Belgian, Croatian volunteers
! rangers from NP, firefighters
! 19 days in 3 years
Plans for future! continue collaboration with Nature park Učka– 5 year project
application in progress ! habitat restoration on a larger scale ! participation of international groups of volunteers ! 4 habitat restoration camps/year on different locations
! development of monitoring protocols
! similar project with Nature park Vransko Lake ! also an IPA and Natura 2000 site
! management of reedbeads and grasslands
! land abandonment on dry grasslands and agriculture intensification on lowland grasslands
! development of monitoring protocols
! work with volunteers
! looking for the larger scale (regional) project(s) ! trying to include more IPA sites
! citizen science projects – monitoring of species and habitats
! conecting birds and habitats protection (mainly grasslands)
A vision for meadow restoration in abandoned lands in Croatia
Tomislav Hudina
Association BIOM, BirdLife in Croatia
October 2016, Ulcinj, Montenegro