In 2000 and 2001, thanks to financial support from the Latvian Environmental Protection Fund, the Latvian Fund for Nature undertook the project ‘Inventory of sites with protected species and planning of micro-reserves in the Gulbene and Alūksne Districts’.

Species and biotope inventory is very important in forested areas. And in Latvia, as is known, forest takes up almost half of the total area of the country. Over the past ten years, the number of entities managing forests has grown, as has the intensity of forest utilisation. Areas of little-disturbed forest are rapidly being reduced, and in consequence rare plant and animal species and communities are disappearing. The current importance of this work is underlined by the fact that the data on protected species and biotopes in Alūksne and Gulbene Districts was relatively sparse, or else out-of-date.

The aim of the project was to provide an inventory of sites with protected species in Gulbene and Alūksne Districts and suggest the establishment of micro-reserves at the major locations of rare species and at the biologically most valuable biotopes.

In the course of the project, use was made of the databases of the Latvian Fund for Nature, the Latvian Ornithological Society (LOB) and the State Forestry Service (VMD) on sites with rare animal species and previously established micro-reserves. Also considered were chance sightings of these species, recorded at LOB and LDF (questionnaires, surveys of VMD staff and local residents, reports by residents and VMD staff on birds’ nests and bird sightings).

In the course of the project, 85 sites with protected species and biotopes were inspected in Alūksne and Gulbene Districts. After comprehensive evaluation, 46 micro-reserves were proposed: 22 in Alūksne District and 24 in Gulbene District. The total area of the proposed micro-reserves is 557.8 ha (in certain places the precise limits are under revision), most of this area being forested.

Information on sites with protected species requiring micro-reserve status, after final approval of the limits of the micro-reserves, will be submitted to the State Forestry Service for micro-reserve establishment, and to the Latvian Environment Agency.

 In 2001 and 2002 the Latvian Fund for Nature, thanks to financial support from the Latvian Environmental Protection Fund, began and is continuing the project ‘Inventory of sites with protected species and planning of micro-reserves in Bauska, Ogre and Aizkraukle Districts’.

In the course of the project, an inventory was conducted of known and potential locations with specially protected animal species in the forests of Bauska, Ogre and Aizkraukle Districts. A total of 39 sites with protected animal species were identified with a total area of 330.3 ha.

Based on the results of fieldwork, map data was prepared at 1:10000 scale, and a substantiation and recommendations were formulated for protection of the sites with rare animal species. This included determination of the territory requiring protection and the appropriate management regime. Along with the inventory of known and potential sites, forest areas have been identified that are particularly important from the perspective of conserving biodiversity, known as key forest biotopes (natural forest biotopes). Information about these has been forwarded to the engineer-ecologists of the respective forest districts.

The material has been submitted to the State Forestry Service for establishment of micro-reserves and inclusion in the national database ‘Forest Fund’, and in the Environment Agency database on sites with specially protected species.