important plant areas in central and eastern europe - Plantlife

Section 5
References:
Maslovsky O., 1998, Principles of
description of Important Plant Areas in
Belarus. In the Proceedings of Planta
Europa – the Second European Conference
on the Conservation of Wild Plants, Uppsala
1998.- P. 30.
Maslovsky O., 2002, System Approach for
Development of a Plant Conservation
Strategy for Eastern Europe. In the Planta
Europa Proceedings of the Third European
Conference on the Conservation of Wild
Plants – Pruchonice, 2002.
Maslovsky O., Pronkina G. Forming of the
Important Plant Areas Network in
Belarus. In Important Plant Areas of
Northern Eurasia. Moscow, 2004, issue 1.
pp. 51-64
Maslovsky O., Pronkina G. Important Plant
Areas in Belarus. In Planta Europa IV
Proceedings,Valencia, 2004
(www.nerium.net/plantaeuropa/)
Parfenov V., Rykovsky G.,Tretyakov D.,
2004, Natural Migratory Channels as Base
for Identification of Important Plant Areas
of Belarus. In Important Plant Areas of
Northern Eurasia. Moscow, 2004, issue 1.
pp.40-50.
Red Data Book of European Bryophytes.
ECCB:Trondheim, 1995. – 291 p.
Major habitats at IPAs in Belarus
Forest is the major habitat on the majority of Belarussian IPAs (the major habitat on
eight IPAs) and covers 62% of the area of IPAs.There is coniferous forest on all ten IPAs
and deciduous forest on three IPAs. Bog is the major habitat at one IPA, and mire, fens
and bog are significant features of nine IPAs, covering 15% of the area of IPAs. Grassland
habitats occur at all ten IPAs (dry grasslands in two and mesic grasslands in nine),
covering 5% of the area of IPAs. Running and standing water is also a key feature on all
ten IPAs. Constructed habitats occur on all IPAs but at between 1-5% of the area.There
is a low level of agricultural or cultivated land on all IPAs although one IPA has up to
15% agricultural land.
Nature protection is the most common land use on IPAs, occurring on eight sites.
Forestry, and hunting are also important land uses occurring on nine and eight sites
respectively. Recreation (seven IPAs) and agriculture (seven IPAs) are also significant land
uses at IPAs in Belarus.
Qualifying criteria for IPAs in Belarus
Criterion No of Criterion A No of Criterion No of IPAs Criterion No of
A IPAs Tax. Group IPAs B C IPAs
Total sites 9 Vascular 9 Total 9 Total 10
with A plants sites with sites with
species B C
richness
habitats
Ai 0 Bryophytes 7 C C1 (7), C2(9), Ci 10
C3 (2)
Aii 9 Lichens 1 D D1(6), D2(6), Cii 10
D4 (5), D5(6)
Aiii 0 Fungi 0 E E2 (6),
Aiv 0 Algae 0
HD* 9 G G1(7), G3(8) HD* 10
species G4(8) habitats
BC* 9 BC* 10
species
habitats
*Letter codes refer to EUNIS habitats levels 1&2;HD=Habitats Directive, BC= Bern Convention
Of the ten IPAs in Belarus, nine qualify under all three criteria. Eight Criterion A species
have only one IPA recorded and eleven Criterion C habitats have only one IPA
recorded.
Key Threats to IPAs in Belarus
Deforestation threatens the most IPAs in Belarus.The other significant threats are the
lack of management planning, intensified forest management, land improvement
measures, tourist and recreation pressure, fires and the absence of monitoring.
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