Agricultural Biodiversity
Agriculture land plays an essential role in the maintenance of biological
diversity in Latvia. It determines the nature conditions, like hilly relief,
diverse wetlands, lakes and rivers, also the low agriculture intensity in
considerable areas during the last 50 years.
In Latvia agriculture land covers 2.5 million ha or 39.3% from the country
area: 1.7 million ha or 67.4% covers arable land, 0.8 million ha or 31.4% -
meadows and grasslands but orchards comprise 1.2% from agriculture land
(Data from 1995). About 4.1% from the land used for agriculture include
roads and buildings.
There Dynamics of Weed Species number and composition in the corn-fields of
Latvia and researches on some invasive species - Hogweed Heracleum sosnowskyi
distribution are carried out in Latvia by Latvian Agriculture
University.
In total in Latvia there are about 15 000 ha of grassland habitats of
international or national importance.
Agriculture land is a habitat of international importance for migrating
birds, especially cranes and geese. Up to now in the country in total about
150 migrating birds are known from valuable agriculture lands, 15 from them
are included in the List of Important Bird Areas in Europe (Racinskis,
Stipniece 2000). These areas are protected according to the Bonn Convention
that Latvia ratified in 1999. Migrating birds are negatively influenced by
the decrease of cropper fields in the areas that are good rest places for
birds as well as field interruptions and road margin and ditch overgrowth
with shrubs.
Development tendences
In Latvia both regions with wide continuous drained fields where
intensive use of herbicides, pesticides and fertilisers takes place occur as
well as extensively managed mosaic agriculture landscape. In the last 50
years considerable agriculture land areas (up to about 2 million) have been
abandoned. At present they have overgrown with shrubs and broad-leaved trees
of different age forming a mosaic landscape with slight human
influence.
At the beginning of 1990-ties with change of political and economic policy
essential human influence upon nature took place. As a result of land reform
almost all the agricultural land and half of the forests became a private
property. Therefore, substantially increased the use of forest resources. In
the last years in separate regions, especially in Zemgale increases the
intensity of agricultural activities. In the areas with agriculture
intensification the maintenance of important landscape elements, valuable
habitats and field edges is endangered.
Threats to ecosystem
According to the
National Programme of Biological Diversity, the main
priority of the conservation of biological diversity is the protection of
natural grasslands. Especially valuable are flood-plain meadows.
In most of these areas adequate management activities are not carried out.
Therefore, special management activities are needed for the area of 13 500
ha. Area of natural grassland decrease and as a consequence characteristic
plant and animal species quickly disappear. This situation is favoured by
overgrowing with shrubs after the traditional management of grasslands
(mowing and grazing) is stopped, as well as the opposite process - more
intensive use of management methods as well as grassland transformation into
arable land or perennial grasslands. Large grassland areas discontinue
ditches and shrub zones and that is not suitable for wading birds.
Grassland animals, especially birds threaten early mowing (mowing in areas
important for birds not earlier than July 1 but traditionally it takes place
in the middle or second part of June). Essential threat is mowing without
using methods to protect the animals (here: recommendations for grassland
management that is favourable for birds).
Small wetlands in agriculture lands are endangered by drainage as most of
the intensive managers want to use all the area of their agriculture land.
Problem is small wetlands overgrowing with shrubs. In most cases the
presence of small shrub clumps is a factor favouring biological diversity
but in wetlands with enough open water area for waterfowl breeding (commonly
more than 0.5 ha) presence of shrubs eliminate a possibility for rare wading
birds and waterfowl and to breed.
Responsible institutions
Governmental institutions
Science institutions
Non-governmental institutions
Legislation and policy
For conservation of the biological diversity most important is the
National Programme of Biological Diversity with which
legislation must be agreed so far it concerns the use of agriculture land.
Needs of the maintenance of the biological diversity are incorporated in
"Countryside development programme SAPARD".
Most important normative acts are as follows:
- Ramsar Convention. On Wetlands of International Importance especially
as Waterfowl Habitat, Ramsar, 1971 (ratified in 1995)
- Helsinki Convention. On Protection of the marine Environment of the
Baltic Sea area, Helsinki, 1974, 1992. (ratified in 1994)
- Bern Convention. On Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural
Habitats, Bern, 1979 (ratified in 1996)
- Bonn Convention. On Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals,
Bonn, 1979 (ratified in 1999)
- Rio de Janeiro Convention. On biological diversity, Rio de Janeiro,
1992 (ratified in 1995)
- EU Directive on Conservation of Wild Birds 79/409/EEC (1979)
- EU Directive on Conservation of Species and Habitats 92/43/EEC
(1972)
- The Law on the Protection of Environment (1991, 1997)
- The Law on Specially Protected Nature Territories (1993, 1997)
- The Law on Melioration (1993)
- The Law on Agriculture (1996)
- The Law on Protected Belts (1997)
- The Law on Environmental Impact Assessment (1998)
- The Law on Conservation of Species and Habitats (2000)
- Regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers on Water Use Permits,
(15/22.04.1997)
- Regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers on the General Protection and
Use of Specially Protected Nature Territories (354 /1997)
- Regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers on the Environmental State
Monitoring (198/1997)
- Regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers on the Territorial Planning
(62/1998)
- Regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers on the Lists of Specially
Protected and Limitedly Exploitable Specially Protected Species
(396/14.11.2000)
- Regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers on the Lists of Specially
Protected Habitats (No 421/05.12.2000)
- Regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers on establishment, protection
and management of micro-reserves No.45 (2001)
- Regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers on Biological Agriculture (in
preparation)
Management and protection activities
In Europe the Agri-environment Programmes being an important part the
continuous agriculture development become more widespread. These programmes
as obligatory are planned also in the new EU Regulations of Rural
Development in a Programme Agenda 2000. Also in Latvia the National Project
of Agri-environment Development is elaborated. Recommendations developed in
the project are included in various EU support programmes for rural
development in candidate countries - parts of
SAPARD plan. The Cabinet of Ministers Republic of Latvia
and European Commission Plan has approved the plan. Project results are
applied in the description of the 5th priority-support sub-programme
"Environment Friendly Agriculture Methods".
Support for the Agri-environment activities in Latvia will be available in
selected pilot areas. Highest priority is given to local communities with
considerable areas of biologically valuable grasslands.
Taking into consideration quite large areas without great agriculture
chemistry application that still have a high biological diversity it is
important to elaborate the optimum strategy for the long-term agriculture
development decreasing threats to the natural habitats and their flora and
fauna. Planning support activities for agriculture and rural development
financed by Government resources and EU structural funds various priorities
and varied further development scenarios must be given to different
territories.
The following
Species Conservation Action Plans had been prepared -
for Corncrake
Crex crex, for Great Snipe
Gallinago media, for
Lesser Spotted Eagle
Aquila poparina, also Report on Cranes
Grus
grus and Agriculture.
Research and monitoring
With rapid decrease of biological diversity in agriculture lands and
forests in the EU countries intensive research is carried out to develop
mathematical models for habitats and landscape elements to evaluate the
overall species diversity as well as separate species. In 1995 a project
concerning agriculture landscape was started in Latvia:
- Latvian -Danish co-operation project "Biodiversity management in
Latvian farmland, a decision support system" (1995, 1997-2000). Project was
realised by the Latvian Fund for Nature in co-operation with the Danish
expert company "Ornis Consult". Support for research was received also as a
grant from the Latvian Scientific Council (leader J. Priednieks). This is
the only research in the frame of which the monitoring of bird species
nesting in agriculture lands was started.
- In addition, research of separate species, like corn-crake, snipe,
white stork were started (see separately about these species).
- Latvian Agriculture Environment Programme project and the correspondent
part in the SAPARD Programme was elaborated in the Latvian Fund for Nature
in co-operation with the Ministry of Agriculture and co-ordinated experts
from several countries co-ordinated by the Dutch company "Avalon". Project
title "Agri-environmental programmes in Central and Eastern Europe",
financed by Dutch Government MATRA Programme.
