Habitat restoration

Within the project we continued to restore abandoned or rapidly deteriorating habitats. The total area of the project activity was over 20,000 hectares, which is similar to the total area of Lithuanian cities Kaunas and Panevėžys. In a large part of this territory (about 17,000 ha), the aim was to ensure an adequate level of water regulation (when dry – water in the meadows when wet through water – pumped water). In Lithuania a great deal of attention was concentrated on the Nemunas delta, where the regulation of the water was carried out. The water regulation took into account both the protection of the Aquatic warblers and the farmers (for example, favorable conditions for mowing meadows). A sluice was installed in Sysa polder. In Belarus, an innovative way of rebuilding habitats was tested – sedimentation of sedges in exploited peatland. Other habitat restoration measures applied are quite common in nature management – mainly removing of reed and scrub grown. These works are almost completed, only newly planned territories (11 ha) left to be restored in Zuvintas Biosphere Reserve during the extension of the project.