Adutiskis-Svyla-Birveta wetland complex

Adutiskis-Svyla-Birveta wetland complex (Adutiškio-Svylos-Birvetos šlapžemiu kompleksas). 15/11/11; Utena, Vilnius; 6,881 ha; 55°15'15"N 26°41'28"E. Nature Reserve, Natura 2000 SPA. The largest part of the site consists of wet forests dominated by aspen, birch, black alder and spruce stands, of which about 30% grows on peat land. The site also includes a system of fishponds (800 ha), open areas of raised bogs, several rivers and their floodplains, a network of drainage canals, a number of temporal oxbow lakes, and two clay-pits. Five of the site's habitat types as well as several rare plant and animal species are listed under the EU Habitats Directive. More than 500 species of higher vascular plants have been identified and birds of more than 150 species have been recorded, including some 50 species that are protected in Lithuania. The site hosts more than 1% of the population of White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons (10,000) and of the Taiga Bean Goose subspecies Anser fabalis fabalis (1,100). It is one of the key staging grounds for migratory water birds in eastern Lithuania, and the site, particularly its raised bogs, is important for groundwater recharge, aquaculture (mainly carp) and commercial timber production. It is threatened by drainage activities, large-scale fires, clear-cutting of old growth forest, and unsustainable agricultural uses. Ramsar Site number: 1992. Most recent RIS information: 2011.

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