The Tyruliai bog is located on the Eastern Žemaičių plateau. The bog has formed in a depression between chaims of moraine formations that once was flooded by a shalow glacial water basin. Due to poor drainage, the bog has retained fen characteristics for a long time. Fen constitutes 49% of the bog, transitional bogs - 44%, raised bog - 7% of the area. Human activities been associated with peat excavation there and altered the major part of the bog. The territory is fragmented by the dams. Currently this is exploited bog with re-established bog vegetation communities, including sedge-grass communities. Different draining conditions determine patchy distribution of habitats.

At the moment there is no active water level control at all in the area. There are „open“ drainage channels only as well as two straightened natural rivulets (Simsa and Krioklys) on the borders of the bog, which also drain directly the bog and at the same time are used as a collectors of the water from the drainage ditches. The Simsa river, which has very little incline (1.3m/km) flows out of northen part of the bog.The river flows south along the western part of the bog in a canalised riverbed. The water of the bog is also drained by Krioklys rivulet, which flows along the estern edge of the bog. Except beavers, nobody controls the water table in the area. Water table is under direct impact of the selfcontained canalization system, which was built more than 30 years ago. Nobody made drainage system restoration actions at least during the last 20 years. Moreover, nobody is planning to do such work, because the most of the drainage ditches are not important from the economical point of view (for the peat extraction and forestry). Some ditches and also rivulets in some sites are blocked by the beaver dams. Because of their activities, natural bog regeneration process was ongoing during the last 20 years and now we have quite good situation with bog regeneration in some areas (for example, area for the Action C.3).

All the territory of the Tyruliai bog is state property. Siauliai State Forest Enterprise has a Govermental mandate to manage the territory, including forestry activities. However, the priority activity in whole area is nature conservation. Thus forestry is very restricted - clear logging is forbiden, forest in the territory used for natural regeneration, any loging forbiden during bird breeding season. However, forested area is used for mushroon and beries collection by the local population as well as hunting by the regional hunting club. Besides, flooded ponds, which are located in the northern part of the area are used for fishery/angling mainly by local people, although, some of them comming from the region. Besides, approx. 200 ha of the area is still used for peat excavation, however, this site is excluded from the area used for the implementation of the project actions.

Current peat extraction does not affects the rest oart of the Tyruliai site, and can be considered as sustainable with minimum impact on habitats and species. UAB "Didysis Tyrulis" is working locally in one area, which has no natural values including species and habitats (just pure black peat).The peat extraction area is restricted to the 200 ha only, which is small part of the whole bog (about 4000 ha). Besides, company used the only road for the transport of the excavated peat, which does not cross valuable natural areas. Moreover, after the finish of the peat extraction (estimated period until 30 years), the company should restore damaged area through the implementation different actions including rewetting, etc.

Botanical values. In total 324 plant species were recorded in the territory. Out of 309 higher plants, 3 are threatened and included into the Lithuanian Red Data Book: Dactylorhiza baltica, Orchis morio and Primula farinosa, detected in the NE part of the bog.
Zoological values. One protected mammal species - Lutra lutra, regularly been observed in the territory. One protected amphibian species - Bufo calamita, also recorded in the area. 91 bird species were registered in the territory with 57 breeding species among them. Besides, 14 rare and threatened bird species (included into national Red Data Book) were registered in the area of the Tyruliai bog. Besides, 19 species listed in the Annex I of the Bird Directive recorded in the territory too. Long species list, together with other natural values is available in seveal publications. More detail information on the physical and Ecological features, Hidrological, Physical and Biological values as well as proposed conservations measures are published in the book "Important wetlands in Lithuania" (Švažas et al., 1999).