Project objectives

The main project objective is to ensure the favourable conservation status of the priority bird species - Bittern (Botaurus stellaris), which breed exceptionally in the dense reed stands flooding with water, as well as another breeding bird species – Spotted Crake (Porzana porzana), which prefer open fens with domination of sedge grasses, although could inhabit reed stands as well. The third trigger bird species of the project site is migratory Common Crane (Grus grus), which use open wet areas of the site for staging. Conservation of those species will be achieved through:

   1) improvement of the habitats condition and increasing their capacity;

   2) restoration of the hydrological regime of the some areas at the Natura 2000;

   3) support natural succession of the sedge-grass communities;

   4) reduction of the bird disturbance;

   5) maintaining the fire prevention scheme and 6) raise public awareness about the destroyed bog restoration possibilities.

Regarding the long term objectives for managing wet sedge habitat, woody vegetation in case of such habitat are growing very slowly. Current situation in the bog areas with low sedge vegetation is a result of the natural succession for the at least 30 years. It means, that single bushes and/or trees started growing before the formation of the sedge layer or later, but scares and single ligneous plants only. It means, if we will exterminate currently growing woody vegetation, we will get open sedge boggy habitats at least for several decades. Regarding the reeds, their stands are quite scares at the moment in the sedge bog areas, because of sedge predomination. However, because of accumulation of the old
dead reed, their stands getting more de se every year. Thus, we must to remove both growing and old reed stands (Action C.4). If we will repeat the action twice and in right time (late summer), it is very likely that reeds will atrophy. At the same time, sedge will be in better conditions (no competition and overshadow with reed) and will overrun reed during coming years. Now, our long-term objective is to manage properly former open bog areas in order to restore sedge habitat and leave it for natural regeneration. According to our evaluation, open area will exist at least for coming twenty years. However, sustentive measures can be implemented also during mentioned period in order to support natural regeneration process. National financial mechanisms can be available for such rather small scale management actions.

Actions and means involved

Project has the only preparatory action which is related with preparation of the technical project on the restoration of the hydrological regime of the Tyruliai bog, i.e. re-wetting of the rather dry peat areas.
Practical conservation measures will start by restoration of the formerly open wetlands, but currently overgrown with bushes and reed. In parallel, clearing of the woody vegetation on the dry peat area will start from very beginning of the project because this action is in close relation with re-wetting process with a condition that wood vegetation will be removed from management areas. One more management mean is related with reed, growing on the flooded areas, i.e. typical breeding habitat of the Bittern*. Cutting of the dense reed stands will be focused also on the increasing of the ecological capacity of such habitat, trying to attract the breeding pairs of the Bittern* and support increasing of the species breeding population. Blocking of the local roads is focused on the reduction of the disturbance of birds, especially in the areas related with breeding Bittern* and Spotted Crake. And finally, reparation of the local roads is closely related with fire prevention on the bog, at the same time
protecting breeding habitats of birds against the fire.
Monitoring block is mostly related with Ex-ante and Post-ante monitoring scheme, at the same time evaluating impact socio-economic conditions and ecosystem changes. A number of awareness raising activities will be implemented to ensure wide knowledge and experience spread about restoration of the boggy habitats and, at the same time, ensuring favourable conservation status of the protected bird species. For this, the project will develop a website, print a number of publications, communicate with media, make film, install visual infrastructure in the sites, etc. At the end of the project, will be organised seminar with participation of various national stakeholders related with bog restoration processes.

Expected results

The main expectation is related with increasing of the breeding population of the Bittern (at least 20 pairs) and Spotted Crake (up to 30 males) as well as staging cranes (exceeding 1000 birds). However these results should be related with implemented habitat management measures:

• re-wetted more than 500 ha of dry peat basing on the prepared technical project;
• improved capacity of at least 200 ha of former open sedge-grass areas and more than 100 ha dense reed stands overgrowing wet peatland areas;
• increased capacity of more than 200 ha reed stands growing in the flooded ponds by the extermination of read at least 20 ha area;
• closer of car traffic on the large area (some thousand ha) of the Reserve through the closer of the local roads;
• at the same time the quality of those roads will be improved ensuring effective fire prevention means.

Awareness raising activities will be started from setting up of project website and printing project leaflet (1500 copies), annual publication of the wall calendar (500 copies) focused on the site protection issue; brochure about Tyruliai bog (2000 copies), and making a film about the natural values of the Tyruliai bog and project achievments. In the project sites, information notice boards (5 units) will be setup together with visitor infrastructure (e.g. 2 bird watching towers). Project managements will be organised involving experienced project management team. Project
Steering Committee will be established to follow project implementation process.

Project area mostly covers wet habitats with peat accumulation. Dry peat areas of the destroyed peatbog are a source of the remarkable carbon emission. Restoration of such areas (Actions C1 and C2) starting from re-wetting of the site with following overgrowing with grass communities and formation of the bog vegetation complex will contribute to the significant reduction of the carbon emission and therefore reduction of climate change effect.