|
Μan and Nature in harmony |
||||||
|
Actions |
||||||
|
ACTIONS
A. Preparatory actions, elaboration of management plans and/or of action plans ACTION A.1: Formulation of the wetland Management Agreement and operation of the Wetland Management Committee ACTION A.2: Elaboration of the wetland restoration Plan ACTION A.3: Elaboration of a grazing management plan for the wet meadow habitats B. Peurchase / Lease of Land C. Non-recurring management ACTION C.1: Reestablishment of riparian tree stands ACTION C.2: Establishment of two observation hides and expansion of nature trails. ACTION C.3: Improvement of nesting, foraging and refuging habitat for priority species. D. Recurring management ACTION D.1: Management of wet meadow habitats through controlled grazing. ACTION D.2: Establishment and operation of the wetland guarding project. ACTION D.3: Management of reed beds, aquatic habitats and restoration of fish spawning grounds. ACTION D.4: Implementation of the wetland-monitoring scheme E. Public awareness and dissemination of results ACTION E.1: Operation of the Wetland Information Center ACTION E.2: Enhancement of wetland interpretation capabilities by creating a wetland interpretation room. ACTION E.3: Production of interpretation material. ACTION E.4: Creation of environmental education material for the SPA site. ACTION E.5: Organization of public meetings and an international workshop. F. Overall project operation and monitoring ACTION F.1: Project co-ordination and management EXPECTED RESULTS • Improvement of the wetland trophic status through the implementation of vegetation control measures that will remove litter and plant biomass (5% of the total reed biomass per year) from the wetland, and increase water circulation. Implementation of a conservation compatible hydro period, will further enhance the wetland water quality. • Increase of habitat heterogeneity, increase in the area of wet meadow…..AREA, open water and shallow open water habitats, establishment of riparian tree stands, enhancement of habitat conditions for fish and crayfish populations. Vegetation management will include control of 5% or reed bed area per year. An overall improvement of priority bird species habitat conditions, as well as of the socio-economic wetland values. • Significant reduction of disturbance events due to the guarding implementation. Improvement of the wetland environmental interpretation and ecotourism potential with reduction of the negative effects of visitor disturbance • Improvement of the wet meadow biodiversity potential, for the proliferation of priority wading bird species. • Increase of public awareness and local participation in conservation compatible economic activities. Changing of conservation related attitudes of local society towards wetland protection and sustainable management. • Formulation of a wetland Management Agreement, establishment an operation of the Wetland Management Committee. Co-ordination of management actions affecting the wetland habitats and priority species.
|
||||||
| Actions of Project LIFE-NATURE |
|
|||||
 |
||||||
|
by P.Giokas |
||||||
|
Opportunities for information and interpretation The wetland
Information Center (IC) is located at the entrance of the area, close to the
intersection of the national driveway from Edessa to Florina with the
provincial road to Kerasia. The visitor, after gathering the necessary
information and material at the IC, may start from this point and drive
around the wetland, following the peripheral road or, hike, following the
local road and trail network.
On the adjacent map, the peripheral road is plotted in grey color while, hiking trails that visitors may follow to experience the natural beauty of the wetland, are plotted in orange color. Interesting view points around the wetland are presented with the symbol and the distances of several points from the IC are shown on the sign Fishing (20), especially of crayfish, used to be one of the main income resources for the local inhabitants. Today, the excessive growth of reed beds and the water eutrophication have resulted in the significant decline of fisheries. One of the traditional activities is stock - raising (21). Cows, horses and sheep graze at the wet meadows and at the surrounding grasslands. In recent years, cherry tree cultivation (22) is the predominant agricultural activity. But, the accompanying excessive use of pesticides and fertilisers provokes the eutrophication of the wetland. The operation of the Agras hydropower plant (23) has a decisive effect in the local landscape, as it controls the water level of the wetland. Their personnel periodically removes the aquatic vegetation from the wetland canals (24). The churches of St George at Vryta and Panagia Mesonisiotissa (25) are important local monuments and are both surrounded by beautiful alleys, where traditional celebrations are taking place. The railway line, passing through the wetland (26), constitutes a unique element of the local landscape. Ecotourism and environmental education (27) are rather new, but rising activities at the area, that create an opportunity for the revitalization of the coexistence of man and nature (28). |
|
|||||
 |
PROJECT LIFE- NATURE, IMPLEMENTATION OF MANAGEMENT MEASURES AT THE AGRAS WETLAND | |||||
| LIFE (C) 2005-2008 . | ||||||
