Stora Alvaret - Protection and restoration of parts of Stora Alvaret LIFE96 NAT/S/003185

Transcription

1 Stora Alvaret - Protection and restoration of parts of Stora Alvaret LIFE96 NAT/S/ Project description Environmental issues Beneficiaries Administrative data Read more Contact details: Project Manager: Susanne RUNDLÖF-FORSLUND Tel: 46/ Fax: 46/ surf@h.lst.se Project description: Background Located on the Baltic island of Öland, the area known as Stora Alvaret is a vast (25,000 ha) open alvar grassland on a limestone plateau. This habitat type is found only in two Baltic islands off Sweden and in a few small areas on the mainland. It is characterised by its high density of different habitat types, many of which are marked 'priority' under the Habitats Directive. It also hosts a remarkable number of species for which the area constitutes the limit of their geographical range and others that are quite isolated from their normal distributions (eg the alpine species Poa alpina) as well as species that occur nowhere else. Stora Alvaret has in fact one of the most species-rich grasslands in the world. In areas with shallow soils, the open landscape is largely the result of edaphic and climatic factors regulating plant cover. Where the soil is deeper, however, humans and their grazing animals have been the most important influencing factors over the last thousand years. Until recently, the spread of scrub and woodland was kept in check by the constant grazing activities of cattle, sheep and horses, as well as by firewood cutting. However, in the last years, faced with increasing competition from intensive farming, many of Öland's small-scale farmers have had to abandon these and other practices. When the agri-environment regulation entered into force in Sweden, there was an opportunity for Öland's farmers to regain part of their livelihoods whilst preserving this unique habitat. However, the invading scrub first had to be removed. In an attempt to bring about benefits both for the local farming community and nature conservation, the County of Kalmar sought, through the

2 LIFE-Nature project, to restore 15 sites of high conservation potential to a level where they would again be attractive for grazing and eligible for agri-environment support. This would involve, amongst others, clearing 1500ha of scrub (using local labour as part of a job creation scheme), establishing grazing management regimes that would ensure the conservation of the habitats and species, erecting fences and raising awareness amongst locals and visitors alike. Objectives The main objective of the project was to restore 15 psci sites covering 6,840 ha within Stora Alvaret to open pasture with its representative species and habitats. This was later raised to 16 sites, comprising a total area of 7,705 ha. The specific actions included: Development of 4 management plans for the remaining pscis (the others all had one already at project start) Restoration through clearing Juniperus communis etc. from semi-natural dry grasslands on calcareous substrates; 570 ha Restoration through clearing Potentilla fruticosa etc. from Molinia meadows on chalk and clay; 270 ha Restoration of 15 ha of alkaline fens Restoration through clearing of open Nordic alvar and other thin calcareous soils; 600 ha Fencing, including restoration of stone walls as well as new enclosures, 85 km in total Temporary grazing contracts with farmers on 3000 ha to be restored in order to qualify for agri-environmental support. After the termination of the project, recurring biotope management (mainly grazing) was to be linked to agreements within the agri-environmental scheme. Results This was the first LIFE-Nature project in Sweden to adopt the (now quite common) approach to finance the initial restoration phase of overgrown meadow and grasslands habitats with support from the LIFE instrument, and to assure the long-term management and maintenance of the project results through agri-environmental agreements. This close link between the project and agri-environment subsidies for long-term management (grazing) was crucial for the final success. Through the project it became possible to demonstrate that these subsidies can be potentially beneficial not only for nature conservation but also for the farmers themselves, a classic 'win win' situation. Also, methods for clearing and restoring alvar vegetation, before re-opening them to grazing and linking them to the agri-environmental scheme, were successfully demonstrated. By the end of the project, 98 % of the total area of approximately 7,700 ha was opened to grazing, compared to the overall project objective of achieving 90 % well-established grazing area. 5,495 ha (71 %) had been linked to the agri-environmental scheme, i.e. way above the target of achieving temporary grazing contracts for 3,000 ha listed in the project application. The total cleared area was 1,620 ha, adding actions targeted against Juniperus communis, Potentilla fruticosa, sedge vegetation and bushes on thin alvar together. This was 113 % above the initial target of 1,455 ha. Restoration of stone walls and erection of new fences came to a total of 87.2 km, or 103 % above the target of 85 km Taking Stora Alvaret as a whole (25,000 ha), through the agri-environmental scheme it had by 1999 become possible to stop the declining trend in grazing

3 pressure which had lasted since the 1940s. During the 1990s, the proportion of grazed area increased drastically up to 82 % of the total alvar land in 1999, although problems with too low grazing pressure remained to be solved in parts of this area. The possibility to link the land use to the agri-environmental scheme was an important catalyst. But also partnership, meaning both the formal as well as informal relations developed between the beneficiary and landowners within the framework of the LIFE project, contributed to this positive trend. Another effect was the establishment of six protected areas, outside the framework of the project, at Stora Alvaret in 1999 and In terms of habitats and species benefiting from the LIFE project, nine FFH habitats are present in the sites covered, and roughly 75 % of the total area is priority habitat. Nordic alvar (6280) constitutes the bulk of it, almost two thirds, while substantial parts of the land classified as xeric and calcareous grasslands (6210) qualify as priority habitat with reference to the occurrence of orchids. A small proportion is lake or fen habitats (7210, 7230), which nevertheless are very important from a quality perspective. In addition, some FFH species such as Artemisia oelandica (endemic to the island of Öland), Senecio jacobea ssp. gotlandicus and Sisymbrium alpinum are found at some of the project sites. During the project, various restoration methods were tested and their pros and cons were evaluated in some detail. Basically, it was found that for the majority of alvar and grasslands, manual clearing was both the most work- and nature conservation-effective alternative (a detailed analysis was done in the final report). Concerning socio-economic effects / job creation; six contractors (approximately 15 persons) were hired for restoration actions during the project. They invested in machines and other relevant equipment for future work, and they also represent a valuable source of experience and knowledge. In total, around 20 persons were involved on short- or long-term basis. To ensure future nature conservation planning and monitoring at the regional level, four persons who were initially engaged on a short-term basis by the beneficiary obtained permanent jobs. The project included traditional investments in brochures, information panels etc, but it also produced a 32 page booklet, entitled Welcome to Stora Alvaret (available in Swedish, English and German); useful both as a source of general information about land use history, geology and nature conservation values, and as a guide-book for visits to the project sites. Environmental issues addressed: Themes Habitats - Grasslands Keywords island management plan management contract agricultural method environmental impact of agriculture protected area grassland ecosystem grazing biodiversity

4 Target EU Legislation Nature protection and Biodiversity Directive 92/43 - Conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora- Habitats Directiv... Decision 93/626 - Conclusion of the Convention on Biological Diversity ( ) COM(98)42 -"Communication on a European Community Biodiversity Strategy" ( ) COM(2001)162 -"Biodiversity Action Plan for the conservation of natural resources (vol. I & II)"... Land & Soil Regulation 2078/92 - Agricultural production methods compatible with the requirements of the prot... Target Habitat types Juniperus communis formations on heaths or calcareous grasslands Rupicolous calcareous or basophilic grasslands of the Alysso-Sedion albi Semi-natural dry grasslands and scrubland facies on calcareous substrates (Festuco-Brometalia) (* important orchid sites) Nordic alvar and precambrian calcareous flatrocks "Molinia meadows on calcareous, peaty or clayey-silt-laden soils (Molinion caeruleae)" Calcareous fens with Cladium mariscus and species of the Caricion davallianae Alkaline fens Limestone pavements Natura 2000 sites SCI SE Stora Alvaret Beneficiaries: Coordinator Type of organisation The County Administrative Board in the county of Kalmar Regional authority

5 Description Partners The beneficiary, Kalmar County Administrative Board (CAB-Kalmar), is one of 21 regional "branch offices" of the national government, with the implementation of the national environmental policies on the regional level as one of their main functions. The boards provide the national authority, i.e. the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA), with information for the planning of nature reserves, while SEPA decides on the areas to be financed for protection and conservation purposes. Within this division of labour, the CABs have the primary responsibility to identify sites that qualify for the Natura 2000 network. The CABs are also responsible for the legal process when establishing new nature reserves, and for the preparation of management plans. Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA, Naturvårdsverket) Administrative data: Project reference LIFE96 NAT/S/ Duration 01-MAY-1996 to 31-DEC Total budget 1,763, EU contribution 881, Project location Småland med Öarna(Sverige) Read more: Leaflet Leaflet Title: Råd och riktlinjner vid restaurering av alvarmark (in Swedish: Advice and guidelines for restoration of alvar habitats) Year: 1999 Editor: Länsstyrelsen i Kalmar län (CAB-Kalmar) No of pages: 4 Title: Råd och riktlinjer för maskinell röjning av betesmark (in Swedish: Advice and guidelines for technical clearing of grazed habitats) Year: 1999 Editor: Länsstyrelsen i Kalmar län (CAB-Kalmar) No of pages: 4

6 Leaflet Leaflet Poster Project web site Publication: Book Title: Skötsel och restaurering av öländska stenmurar (in Swedish: Management and restoration of stone walls on Öland Island) Author: Magnusson, A-C. Year: 1999 No of pages: 8 Title: Protection and restoration of parts of Stora Alvaret Author: Forslund, S.R. Year: 1999 Editor: Länsstyrelsen i Kalmar län (CAB-Kalmar) No of pages: 4 Title: Plants and animals on the alvars of Öland (available in Swedish, English and German) Author: Schillander, P. & Hultengren, S. Year: 1997 Editor: Länsstyrelsen i Kalmar län (CAB-Kalmar) Website Title: Welcome to Stora Alvaret (available in Swedish, English and German) Author: Jansson, T Year: 1999 Editor: Länsstyrelsen i Kalmar län (CAB-Kalmar) No of pages: 32 Project description Environmental issues Beneficiaries Administrative data Read more