Download The value* of grassland The big idea Actions

The value* of grassland
The big idea
*The value of grassland depends upon the valuer
The area covered by natural and semi-natural
grasslands has considerably decreased in the
Baltic States throughout the last century as a
result of estrangement of people from rural
lifestyle. The semi-natural grasslands were
converted to arable land or forest or became
urbanized. Farmlands were lost to natural succession and overgrew with forests. The loss of
biodiversity, soil quality and pollution of water
were caused by intensification of agriculture.
LIFE Viva Grass project aims to address socio-economic constraints to nature conservation policy by developing models for economically viable management of grassland
biodiversity that would be applicable all over
the Europe and particularly in marginal areas
that experience socio-economic decline, land
abandonment and consequent loss of farmland biodiversity. The project will contribute
to strategic planning processes by delivering
an Integrated Planning Tool as an instrument
to perform ecosystem-based approach and to
strengthen linkages among social, economic,
environmental and agricultural policies.
However, marginal grassland areas or areas not
suitable for intensive agriculture still contain
high biodiversity.
Loss of grassland biodiversity leads to degradation or even destroying of the ecosystem
functions and services. To maintain or provide these services artificially would require
enormous financial investments.
The project will demonstrate opportunities for
multifunctional use of grasslands as basis for
sustainability of rural areas and stimulus for
local economies.
Actions
%% Assessment of grassland ecosystem services
Provisioning services – hay for animal feeding, biomass for energy production, herbs for medical treatment, genetic resources;
Regulating services – water regulation,
ent regulation,
pollination;
soil retention,
nutri-
Cultural services – rural and urban landscape and its aesthetic
qualities and cultural heritage, providing basis for recreation and
tourism, as well as quality of life for living in that area;
at the selected case study area - county, municipality, protected area and farm level.
%% Development of the Integrated Planning Tool
by addressing ecosystem-based planning and
socio-economic matter in nature conservation
policies.
%% Demonstration actions to create preconditions for valuable grasslands management.
%% Capacity building for the relevant target
groups on applying the Integrated Planning
Tool on national, regional, protected area and
farm level.
Case study areas
Project areas
in Estonia
Who we are
The LIFE Viva Grass project has 15 partners in the three Baltic States.
Among them environmental and social NGOs, municipalities, governmental and scientific institutions, GIS operator, regional park
directorates and farmers.
Tallinn
1. Lääne county – to develop pilot scenarios for sustainable grassland
management and to elaborate ecosystem based planning proposals
for a regional strategic plan.
2. Lääne-Saare Municipality – to generate solutions for sustainable
grassland management in an area with emerging interest for intensive
use of cattle breeding.
3. Farm “Kurese” – to create preconditions for keeping a 300 cattle
herd as stipulation to perform restoration and long-term management
of valuable grassland area.
Project areas
in Latvia
Baltic Environmental
Forum - Lithuania
Baltic Environmental
Forum - Latvia
Baltic Environmental
Forum - Estonia
Farm “Kurese”
Farm “Šovītes”
JSC Hnit-Baltic
University of Latvia
Estonian University
of Life Sciences
Otras Majas
Municipality of Cesis
Pavilniai and Verkiai
Regional Park
Dubysa Regional Park
Silute District
Municipality
Lääne-Saare
Municipality
Institute for Environmental
Solutions
!
Rīga
1. Cesis municipality – to generate solutions for landscape restoration and maintenance, based on economically viable models for
long-term grassland management.
2. Madliena parish – to prepare business-stimulating proposals on
economically viable solutions for grassland management.
3. Farm “Šovītes” – to restore 80 ha of abandoned grassland and
elaborate sustainable business opportunities for multifunctional
use of grassland products and socio-economic benefits provided by
ecosystem services.
Contact us
Baltic Environmental Forum – Lithuania
Užupio str. 9/2-17, LT-01202 Vilnius, Lithuania
Project areas
in Lithuania
Kęstutis Navickas Project manager
Phone +370 5 255 9146
E-mail [email protected]
Vilnius
1. Šilutė municipality – to implement business catalytic activities
by promoting nature tourism, where grassland management shall
be essential precondition for developing the areas as an attractive
tourism destination.
2. State Šušvė landscape reserve – to restore 20 ha of semi-natural
grassland and to define practical long-term management measures
for the protected area.
3. Verkiai and Pavilniai regional park - to restore 8 ha of semi-natural grassland and to prepare a long-term grassland maintenance
recommendations.
More about the project: www.vivagrass.eu
The project “Integrated planning tool to ensure viability of grasslands”
(LIFE Viva Grass) No LIFE13 ENV/LT/000189 is co-financed by the
EU LIFE+ Programme, Ministry of Environment of the Republic of
Lithuania, Latvian Environmental Protection Fund, Estonian Environmental Investment Centre and the project partners.
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