Restoration of Floodplain Meadows at Mareks Pušpurs’ Land
You are located on the land of SIA “M.M.P. Vest”, which lies within the nature reserve “Lubāns wetland complex”. The farm is restoring floodplain grassland habitats to enable 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 “M.M.P. Vest”
The floodplain grasslands of the Lubāns Wetland Complex along the Pededze River, covering an area of 40 hectares, are managed by SIA “M.M.P. Vest”, which is engaged in the breeding of pedigree deer.
Within the LIFE MarshMeadows project, restorative grazing is being carried out on 40 hectares of the farm’s floodplain grasslands. To manage the area, grazing infrastructure has been established and a herd of deer has been purchased as part of the project.
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. Here, deer are used 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 floodplains is ensured by moisture and soil conditions, as well as by proper management. During floods, organic matter washed into the area enriches the soil, creating favorable conditions for a wide range of plant species. The project area includes habitats of European Union importance:
6450* Northern boreal alluvial meadows (Type1 and 3), as well as 6270* Fennoscandian lowland species-rich dry to mesic grasslands (Type 3).
Plants in the area
The high nutrient content of the soil promotes a rich diversity of flowering plants. Common species found in floodplain meadows include Alopecurus pratensis, Poa palustris, Angelica sylvestris, Myosotis palustris, Carex acuta, Carex nigra, Comarum palustre, Veronica longifolia, Filipendula ulmaria, Valeriana officinalis, Lythrum salicaria, Cirsium palustre.
Specially protected plant species in the area:
- Dactylorhiza baltica (Baltic marsh orchid), Dactylorhiza incarnata (Early marsh orchid), and Platanthera bifolia (Greater butterfly-orchid).
During the daytime, flowering plants in the meadows attract the scarce fritillary Euphydryas aurinia, which depends exclusively on devil’s-bit scabious Succisa pratensis. The large copper butterfly Lycaena dispar, the large skipper Thymelicus sylvestris, ground beetles Carabus cancellatus, rose chafers, and many other invertebrate species are also commonly found. In some places, the hermit beetle Osmoderma barnabita occurs.
Photos: Sintija Elferte
On summer evenings, pollinators can be observed in the meadows, attracted by the sweet scent of butterfly-orchids. After dark, they become prey for Nathusius’ pipistrelle Pipistrellus nathusii, the northern bat Eptesicus nilssonii, and seven other bat species.
If floodplains are not managed, dense stands of invasive plants quickly develop, including stinging nettle Urtica dioica, cow parsley Anthriscus sylvestris, purple small-reed Calamagrostis canescens, reed canary grass Phalaroides arundinacea, ground elder Aegopodium podagraria, and meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria.
Birds in the area
Wet floodplains are particularly suitable habitats for various wader species that feed mainly on invertebrates found in the soil and shallow water. The area is also home to the rare great snipe Gallinago media, which performs communal ground displays, sometimes gathering several dozen birds in one place. The common redshank Tringa totanus and green sandpiper Tringa ochropus are easily recognizable by their long legs and distinctive bill bases.
Difficult to spot but easily heard at night and during twilight from mid-May to July is the corncrake Crex crex. Males are known for their unmistakable, monotonously repeated call “crex-crex-crex,” heard mainly at dusk and during the night, though occasionally also during the day.
A bird of prey found in the floodplain is 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.