Safe and intact: protecting rare and typical habitats in Polesia
Wildlife conservation encompasses a wide range of measures aimed at preserving natural diversity. These measures vary by country and region depending on a number of factors including national legislation specifics. One effective and important mechanism for preserving natural values in Polesia is identifying and protecting rare and typical habitats, as well as monitoring activities that allow for the identification of such areas requiring protection.
Rare habitats are unique to a country or region due to their distinctive characteristics. Although they occupy relatively small areas, they are crucial for conserving rare species and natural landscapes. Examples of rare habitats in Polesia include floodplain oak groves, lichen pine forests, spruce forests beyond the southern border of their range and many more. In contrast, typical habitats are widespread and reflect the characteristic features of natural areas supporting a wide range of species. However, they also require protection because their area is shrinking and their ecosystems are degrading due to anthropogenic factors or land use change. Polesia boasts a diversity of typical habitats, including peatlands, floodplain meadows, coniferous and deciduous forests, marshes, mires and raised bogs. Well-preserved, highly functional rare and typical habitats are essential for biodiversity conservation in the region.
The creation of protected areas (PAs) and the extension of existing ones are among the primary mechanisms for preventing the decline of global biodiversity. The presence of rare and typical habitats is a compelling reason to grant an area national or international protection status. At the international level, the importance of habitat protection is enshrined in the Bern Convention. Criteria for designating areas of special conservation significance include important and/or representative areas of threatened habitats or outstanding examples of a habitat type or mosaic of habitats. Resolution No. 4 of the Standing Committee to the Bern Convention lists the types of habitats that require special protection measures.
Dozens of habitats that are subject to special protection under the Bern Convention have been identified in Polesia. Approaches to protecting these habitats vary at the national level. For instance, Ukraine is involved in creating the Emerald Network. This initiative directly aims to preserve habitats and endangered species. Important areas for biodiversity conservation are identified and subsequently receive international protection status. Currently, the Emerald Network in Ukraine comprises 377 territories and 162 candidate areas, many of which are in Polesia. 13 sites (171,273 ha in total) in the Ukrainian Polesia were verified in accordance with the requirements of the Bern Convention and the data was submitted to the Bern Convention Standing Committee as part of our project. These areas were subsequently adopted as candidate Emerald Network sites.
Identifying valuable habitats is an important part of future activities within the framework of the Bern Convention. Experience has shown that Polesia still contains real natural gems of very high conservation value. One example is the case of Makove Bog, a large area of primeval forest that was recently discovered and protected thanks to our project. Our field researchers are certain that not all rare habitats in the region have been identified and protected yet. We believe it important to carry out further monitoring activities.
In Belarus, the presence of rare and typical habitats is also a criterion for designating protected natural areas. Additionally, according to the national law “On Specially Protected Natural Areas”, these habitats are protected, even being located outside of protected areas. Furthermore, habitat protection measures in Belarus are stricter than the general protection standards for most protected areas. The official procedure for taking an identified rare or typical habitat under protection is faster and simpler than designating a protected area. This allows valuable natural complexes that however do not meet the criteria for designation as protected areas to be conserved. At the same time, rare and typical habitats identified within existing protected areas receive additional protection measures compared to those established for the protected area as a whole.
While economic activities are partially permitted in most protected areas such as national parks and nature reserves (usually equivalent to IUCN cat. IV), habitat protection measures completely prohibit such activities. This is a significant advantage for protecting these areas. In forest habitats, the total ban on logging is significant because old-growth and dead trees remain in place, which is important for rare species of insects (for example, the Stag beetle) and mammals (like the Greater noctule). The preservation of island spruce forests and swamp coniferous forests creates favorable conditions for rare birds, such as the Pygmy owl or the Three-toed woodpecker. Prohibiting economic activities in aquatic habitats benefits the European pond turtle population.
Identifying and protecting valuable habitats affects various aspects of activities in these areas. The existence of these areas will become a powerful argument for expanding the network of protected areas in the future. Protecting typical and rare habitats allows environmental factors to be considered when planning economic activities and ensures that environmental impact assessment procedures are conducted correctly. The cultural and educational value of rare natural complexes, as well as their importance to local communities, should not be overlooked.
Thirteen areas covering over 171 000 hectares in Ukrainian Polesia have been proposed as candidate Emerald Network sites and are currently awaiting official adoption. At the same time, between in 2019 and 2022, a total of 184 rare and typical habitats encompassing 27 420 hectares were identified and designated as protected in Belarusian Polesia as part of our project.
The project “Polesia – Wilderness Without Borders” is part of the Endangered Landscapes & Seascapes Programme and is funded by Arcadia. The project is coordinated by Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS).