Restoration of Floodplain Grasslands at Friedrich Haase’s Land
You are located on the land of SIA “Friedrich Haase”, which is situated within the “Lubāns wetland complex” nature reserve. The farm is restoring floodplain grassland habitats to allow the return of grassland plants, pollinators, and nesting birds. Floodplain meadows are not only a beautiful landscape, but also a habitat rich in species diversity.
Nature Reserve “Lubāns wetland complex”
The “Lubāns wetland complex” nature reserve is the largest inland wetland in Latvia. It was established to protect Latvia’s largest lake, as well as the surrounding bogs, forest areas, and wetlands, bringing together 12 nature reserves with a total area of 51,344 hectares.
A wetland is an area that is waterlogged or covered by a shallow layer of water. Wetlands include floodplain grasslands, fens, bogs, coastal grasslands, naturally flooded or waterlogged forests, and other habitats where land and water meet — including human-created wetlands.
Over the last 100 years, the water level of Lake Lubāns and its connected waterways have been artificially regulated to prevent flooding. These changes to the water regime have had a negative impact on floodplain grassland habitats of European importance, which can only exist if they flood regularly.
Water Regime in the Floodplain
Water Retention
A river floodplain is a low valley near a river that regularly floods during high-water periods. When the water level rises quickly – during spring ice melt or heavy rainfall – the floodplain acts as a natural water reservoir. Water flows in, accumulates, and as the river level drops, gradually drains away or infiltrates into the soil.
This means that at the peak of flooding, water is retained in the “pockets” of the floodplain rather than being rapidly carried downstream, thus reducing the flood risk in lower river sections and populated areas.
In places where floodplains have been drained or destroyed, flood and rainwater are no longer retained – they rush downstream, increasing the risk of flooding and damage to infrastructure.
Purification and Renewal
In spring, when the river overflows into the floodplain, a seasonal purification and renewal process begins. Floodwaters deposit nutrients, enriching the soil and improving its fertility, and wash away part of the dead vegetation.
In the shallow, warm water, fish spawn and their larvae develop, later returning to the river as the water recedes. Frogs spawn in pools left behind, and after the water withdraws, many bird species nest in the floodplain grasslands.
Project LIFE MarshMeadows (2023–2027)
The project aims to restore two major wetland complexes and ecosystem functions in three Natura 2000 sites in Latvia and Lithuania, including three farms in the Lubāna wetland complex.
Natura 2000 is the European Union’s network of specially protected areas created to protect various species and habitats.
The project restores EU-priority habitats, hydrological regimes, and introduces long-term grazing management systems.
SIA “Friedrich Haase”
The activities of SIA “Friedrich Haase” include crop farming, forestry, and beef cattle breeding. Within the LIFE MarshMeadows project, restorative grazing is being carried out on 265 hectares of the farm’s floodplain grasslands, along with the purchase of a cattle herd, construction of winter housing, establishment of grazing paddocks, and improvement of access roads.
In floodplain grasslands, where water levels frequently fluctuate and management with machinery is not always possible, grazing plays a crucial role in maintaining meadows and wetlands. Cattle are used here to help prevent the spread of shrubs and to maintain suitable conditions for species characteristic of floodplain grasslands.
Biodiversity in the Project Area
Species diversity in the floodplain is ensured by moisture and soil conditions, as well as by proper meadow management. Organic matter deposited during floods enriches the soil, creating favorable conditions for a wide range of plant species. The project area includes EU-level habitats of importance: 6450* Floodplain grasslands and three of their variations.
Plants in the Area
The high nutrient content of the soil promotes a rich diversity of flowering plants. In managed floodplain meadows, the following species are commonly found: Alopecurus pratensis, Poa palustris, Angelica sylvestris, Myosotis palustris, Carex acuta, Carex nigra, Comarum palustre, lVeronica longifolia, Filipendula ulmaria, Valeriana officinalis, Lythrum salicaria, Cirsium palustre.
Specially protected plant species in the area:
- Cnidium dubium, Dactylorhiza baltica (Baltic marsh orchid), Dactylorhiza incarnata (Early marsh orchid)
During the day, flowering plants in the meadows attract insects such as the marsh fritillary butterfly Euphydryas aurinia, which depends exclusively on devil’s-bit scabious Succisa pratensis. The large copper butterfly Lycaena dispar, small skipper Thymelicus sylvestris, ground beetle Carabus cancellatus, rose chafers, and many other invertebrate species are also found in the area. The hermit beetle Osmoderma barnabita occurs here as well.
On summer evenings, pollinators can be observed in the meadows, attracted by the sweet scent of fragrant orchids (Platanthera spp.). In the dark, they become prey for Nathusius’ pipistrelle Pipistrellus nathusii, the northern bat Eptesicus nilssonii, and several other bat species (seven in total).
If floodplains are not managed, dense stands of expansive plant species quickly develop, including stinging nettle Urtica dioica, cow parsley Anthriscus sylvestris, bluejoint reedgrass Calamagrostis canescens, reed canary grass Phalaroides arundinacea, ground elder Aegopodium podagraria, and meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria. Management is further hindered by extensive stands of the invasive Sosnowsky’s hogweed Heracleum sosnowskyi.
Birds in the area
Wet floodplains are particularly suitable habitats for various wader species that feed mainly on invertebrates found in soil and shallow water. The area is also home to the globally threatened great snipe Gallinago media, a rare species in Latvia, which “sings” during communal lek displays on the ground, sometimes gathering several dozen birds. The common redshank Tringa totanus is easily recognized by its orange legs and the base of its bill. The Lubāns wetland is one of the sites where the rare and protected black-tailed godwit Limosa limosa occurs in Latvia.
The corncrake Crex crex is difficult to see but easy to hear at night and during twilight from mid-May to July. Males produce a distinctive, monotonously repeated call, “crex-crex-crex.” The spotted crake Porzana porzana, found in wet meadows, can be identified by its short, ringing whistles “uit-uit-uit.” Like the corncrake, it mainly calls at dusk and at night, though its voice can occasionally be heard during the day.
Various songbirds are also found in the meadows, including the brightly colored common rosefinch (only adult males are vividly colored) Carpodacus erythrinus, known for its whistling calls “ti-vittu-vītū.” In shrub and reed belts along water bodies, the reed bunting Emberiza schoeniclus occurs, while open areas are inhabited by the yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella. In the extensive grasslands around Lubāns, the yellow wagtail Motacilla flava, now rare in Latvia overall, is still relatively common.
Several species of birds of prey are also present in the floodplain. The area serves as a feeding ground for the white-tailed eagle Haliaeetus albicilla, marsh harrier Circus aeruginosus, common buzzard Buteo buteo, and the lesser spotted eagle Clanga pomarina.
Floodplain Grasslands Cannot Exist Without Management
If they are not maintained, floodplains quickly become overgrown with shrubs and species diversity declines.
The good news – an overgrown grassland can be restored.
Grazing helps naturally maintain grassland structure.
Each such step helps grassland plants, pollinators, and nesting birds return.
Natural grasslands are not only beautiful landscapes but also species-rich habitats.
This information is provided within the framework of the project “LIFE MarshMeadows: Piloting integrated wetland restoration approaches in Latvia and Lithuania”, which is co-financed by the European Union and the Ministry of Smart Administration and Regional Development in Latvia.
Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.