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Reduction of biodiversity

Biodiversity, the composition of Latvian plant and animal populations and ecosystems was formed after the last Ice Age over a period of approximately 12 000 years. Humans also became involved in this process several thousand years ago; initially as a consumer of available natural resources, and later by introducing animal husbandry and plant cultivation. Population centres developed, and fields, meadows, pastures, roadsides, etc. were created. Apart from plants under cultivation, weeds and opportunistic species increased in abundance. Over the centuries, in accordance with the historical situation, the human population, its distribution, density and intensity of impact on nature and the surrounding landscape varied. The proportions of arable and non-arable land also fluctuated.

Decrease of biodiversity or natural diversity is a priority problem since:

• national self-awareness and the culture of nation were formed in a diverse nature environmenta and cultural landscape;
• disappearance of any of species create a chain reaction of hard-to-predict negative changes in nature as a whole;
• no generation has a moral right to reduce the level of biodiversity it leaves for the coming generations.

In deciding for protection of biodiversity, close ties between cultural and natural heritage bring forward ethical, esthetic and moral arguments. Under the socio-economic system present in Latvia since 1940, when part of the territory was intensely used, but the rest was used inefficiently or abandoned, ecosystems and biotypes and species were retained that have become extinct elsewhere in Europe, or are very rare. This fact increase international responsibility of Latvia for preservation of biodiversity from the continental perspective.

The main reasons for the depletion of biodiversity are the following:

• depletion and disappearance of habitats. Due to intensive agriculture, forestry and urbanisation, natural biotopes - old forests, swamps, floodplain are substituted with areas designated for uniformly intensive use. Meadows and pastures cultivated tradicionally disappear rapidly, and related species of plants and animals together with them (corn-crakes, partridges etc.);
• isolation of populations. The disappearance of biocenozes isolates plant and animal populations from each other. The exchange of genes between species populations is interrupted leading to decreases in the internal genetic diversity of species, and accordingly, the ability of species to adapt and survive;
• disruption of migratory paths. Changes of ecological conditions related to feeding, nesting, feathering and resting sites of migratory birds may lead to the disappearance of these species over a wide territory. Problems may also be created by the disruption of the migratory paths of birds and bats with the ill-considered placement of wind generators. Blocking the fish ways with hydrothechnic installations have already caused larges losses to fishery in Latvia.
• pollution of air and water. Increase of biogenetic substances in water ecosystems creates qualitative and quantitative changes in biocenozes. Species with a narrow ecological amplitude and limited competitiveness are ousted by widely distributed and expansive species. For example, in the beginning of the century, Isoetes and Lobelia dortmanna were quite widespread in olygotroph lakes with a sand bottoms. At present, these species have either fully disappearedin several lakes, or their populations are very small. Lakes have overgrown with Phragmites, Scirpus and Typha species.
• discharge of toxic substances into water kills animals in masses, it also causes accumulation of toxic substances in food chains and the weakening of populations.
• air pollution with nitric and sulfur combinations causes acidification of precipitation, creating direct damage to plants, especially coniferous as well as changes in soil reaction and soil microorganism composition;
• introduction of alien species. Import and introduction of acclimatized aild animals have created considerable losses in populations of native species. For example, raccoon dog, American mink. As to its spread in wild, the American mink has ousted the European one.Heracleum sosnovski was initially brought in as an ornamental honey plant, when entering the wild, it has spread in meadows, lawns, thus becoming a hard-to-fight weed. It creates burns of skin and mucuous membrane, endangering children in particular. Due to ignorance and negligence, many more dangerous weeds and pests have been released in wild nature.
• lack of records and information. Local Latvian races of cultivated plants and husbandry, as well as microorganisms are a significant breeding material for the future. Obtaining information on this genetic fund is the basis for complecting its collections and ensuring its preservation.

Measures for the preservation of biodiversity in Latvia:

1) protection of species:

protection of species in situ

Protecting of biodiversity of species of plants and animal should be ensured both by tested methods, such as creation of protected territories, and by introduction of new methods, as protection of species outside protected teritories. Instruments to ensure protection of species might be the following:

• the law of the Republic of Latvia ‘On the Protection of Species and Habitats’ that will provide general principles for protection of wild plants and animals, as well as regulations for the trade with these species, and integrate the requirements of international conventions in legislation of Latvia:
• the regulation of the Cabinet of Ministers ‘On Particularly Protected Nature Territories and Objects’ to provide general regulations for management of locations of protected species, as well as to approve new lists;
• signing of contracts and contractual commitments on localities of protected species between local governments and land users, and the control of implementation of these documents;
• introduction of tax relief in order to provide incentives for land owners to protect values of nature;
• establishment of a regular inventory and monitoring system for threatened species in order to work out methods for their protection
• regular revision and editing of the Red Data Book of Latvia in accordance with the changes in nature and national economy;
• ratification of the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitants, and introduction of its requirements into the law ‘On the Protection of Species and Biotopes’ and the law ‘On Hunting’;
• ratification of the Convention on Conservation of Migratory Spieces of Wild Animals, and implementation of its requirements;
• ratification of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered of Fauna and Flora, and implementation of its requirements, improving the procedure for issuing permits, introducing registration, documentation and marking of world-scale rare species of plants and animals;
• ratification of the Convention on Biologicall Diversityy and implementation of its reguirements by including the principles of the Convention into National Environmental Policy Plan and by establishing of an inter-ministerial task force;
• teaching of caring and understanding attitude towards nature, starting at the pre-school level institutions, revision of curriculums of schools and hirher educational establishments and inclusion of principles of conservation of biodiversity into curriculums (especially for professions connected with agriculture, forestry, energy);
• preparation of specialists in nature protection, including into curriculums the latest information about management of biotopes and preparation of economically-substantiated management plans. Providing structures of local nature protection institutions with qualified staff.
• public awereness building, involving the mass media.

protection of species ex situ

Together with the protection of endangered species in situ, a protection system should be created for that part of the genetic fund not to be found in situ, or whose protection it is possible to ensure with special methods only (husbandry, cultivated plants or cultures of microorganisms). Reitaining the achievements of selectionists of previous generations, we ensure the basis for the work in the future. Here different protection instuments should be used in accordance with the specifics of objects:

• recording and evaluation of cultivated plants, domestic animals and collections of microorganisms, certification of national collections and ensurance of funding for their maintenance;
• preparation of a list of rare and threatened with extinction weeds, creation of exemplary farms;
• ratification of the Convention on Biological Diversity, and implementation of its requirements;
• preparation of legals norms for protection of collections and to ensurance preservation of husbandry species;
• drafting of legislation for protection against pollutionn with genetically modified organisms. These legislative acts should be drafted in cooperation with the Ministry of Welfare in accordance with the directives EU;
• support involvement of botanical and zoological gardens of Latvia in international programmes for protection of species.

2) protection of habitats:

In order to ensure protection of the diversity of species in nature, it is very important to ensure the protection of natural and seminatural habitats. In order to be successful in this field, Latvia should use the following instruments:

• elaboration and implementation of sustainable of management methods in forestry and agriculture;
• preparation the classification of classification of habitats and the list of endangered habitats, or the Green Book of Latvia;
• identification of endangered habitats, and preparation of instructions for their management for the needs of land measurers, users, owners and environmental officials;
• signing of contracts and contractual commitments between local governments and land users, and control over their implementation, introduction of tax relief in order to ensure proper management of endangered habitats;
• the law ‘On the Protection of Species and Habitats’ to provide procedure to single out protected habitats and ensure responsibility for their protection and proper management;
• the law ‘On Territorial Planning’ and ‘Regulations for Territorial Planning’. These legal norms should provide the legal framework for inclusion of protected habitats in territorial planning, irrespective of the size and location of the object to be designated;
• ratification of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, Especially as Waterfowl Habitats, and implementation of its principle on `wise use` of wetlands in Latvia;
• adoption of the "Habitats directive` of the EU and its integration into the legislation of the Republic of Latvia;
• coordination of educational and teaching effort and the latest scientific findings and changes in national economy.

3) protection and restoration of migratory paths:

Latvia and the Baltic as a whole is a territory of particular importance on the Paleo-arctic migratory way of migratory birds, bats, butterflies and dragon-flies. International responsibility to ensure migration in Europe and Africa makes us to pay a particular attention to maintenance of the environmental quality and biotopes in Latvia. On the other hand, retention of migratory ways of fish and ensurance of water quality is an important factor in the development of national fishery in the future, including that of the Baltic region as a whole (Box 21).

Box 21.

It is no less important to preserve the wholeness of migratory ways of plant species in order to ensure continuity of natural florogenetic processes.

The following instruments should be used to ensure migratory ways:

• mapping of migratory ways of animal species, determination of locations of intersections and their protection;
• mapping of the migratory ways of plant species and the protection of important river vallies and sea coastal zone;
• ratification of the Convention on Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals and implementation of its requirements;
• ratification of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, Especially as Waterfowl Habitats, and implementation of its requirements;
• the law ‘On Protection Belts’ providing protective belts for the coastal zone of the Baltic Sea and the Riga bay, as well as the procedure for setting protection belts for water bodies and water cources, and their status. This law is of particular importance in preservation the habitats of migratory species and ensurance the continuity of migratory ways, as well as preservation of water quality. It will also containtions on permitted and prohibited activities in the above-mentioned belts;
• elaboration of the concept of network of ecological corridors (the ECONET) for Latvia, and its introduction in territorial planning;
• the law ‘On Territorial Planning’ and ‘Regulations for Territorial Planning’ that should provide for design of protected zones and ecological corridors when elaborating territorial or general plans for any territory;
• distribution of information of specifics of biology of migratory animals during migration and regulations to be complied with for population of neighbouring areas. Involvement of local population, especially schoolchildren, in registration work

4) improvement of the network of protected territories:

6.8% of the territory of Latvia is presently occupied by protected territories of different categories, established over nearly half-century. Different objects are taken under the state protection with different aims of protection.

• drafting of the Cabinet regulations ‘On Especially Protected Nature Territories and Objects’ to adopt general management regulations of protected territories;
• evaluation of the present protected territories, determination of research and management priorities;
• preparation and implementation of individual management plans for protected nature territories;
• signing of contracts and contractual commitments between local governments and land users, and control over their implementation;
• introduction of tax relief to provide incentives for land owners and users to protect values of nature;
• optimisation of the network of protected territories, including a scientifically substantiated revision of the present territories and their borders, as well as the establishment of new territories.

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* Convention on Biological Diversity, Rio-de-Janeiro, 1992.

** Tucker, G.M., Health, M.F. (1994) Birds in Europe: Their Conservation Status, Cambridge, U.K.: Bird Life International (Bird Life Conservation Series Nr. 3)

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Last updated: November 8, 1996. The information prepared by Valts Vilnitis: fuxis@varam.gov.lv