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Aquatic Warbler

Results of the Project on Management Planning for
Conservation of Desna-Dniper population of Aquatic Warbler

Project on Management Planning for Conservation of Desna-Dniper population of Aquatic Warbler has been completed successfully. The project was implemented thanks to the funding from the United Kingdom “Environment for Europe Fund” and support of the UK Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and British Council, as part of Small Environmental Project Scheme.

Project results have significant importance for the protection of the Ukrainian AW sub-population of 500-600 singing males, which concentrate in Chernihiv Polisya and Dnipro Left-Bank forest-steppe areas.

The project was launched in September 2006 by opening a web-site dedicated to Aquatic Warbler and management planning for key habitats of Desna-Dnipro population. Web-site informs also about project progress.

At the early project stage, practical recommendations on management planning were developed and used in further work. Besides, Guidelines on Management Planning for Protected Areas were published at the final project stage. The Guidelines describe recent approaches in conservation management planning, which can be used in development and preparation of management-plans. The Guidelines are based on materials of Eurosite — largest network of organizations devoted to nature conservation management across Europe. The book also includes detailed analysis of legal pre-conditions for management-planning in Ukraine.

As a result of project, coherent management-plan for the key breeding habitats of Desna-Dnipro population of Aquatic Warbler was developed. Eight priority sites were selected for management purposes, which are low-land mesotrophic bogs in Chernihiv and Kyiv regions. During 2006- 2007, experts that were involved in the project carried out detailed survey of key habitats in Chernihiv and northern Kyiv regions. They prepared geobotanical description, hydrological assessment, thretas assessment, conducted counts of the birds (see results in Table), and developed digital maps of the area. All collected data was used in development of the management-plan. Management objectives for the sites were developed on the basis of threats analysis for biodiversity in key habitats. Local public and other stakeholders were actively involved in developing management-plan components, including first of all identifying priority threats and actions.

Some recommendations for management have already stared to be implemented, in particularly upgrading official protection status of zakaznik “Horodok” to zakaznik of state importance (Snov river valley, Schorsky district); designating two zakazniks of state importance “Bogdanivsky” (Halka river valley, Nizhynsky district) and “Perevid Bog” (Perevid river valley, Zgurivsky district); creating zakaznik of state importance by consolidating two local zakazniks “Supiy Bog” and “Svydovetsky” (Bobrovytsky district).

National Action Plan for Aquatic Warbler was updated under the project. It is expected that updated National Plant will be approved by the Ministry for Environmental Protection of Ukraine. Full text of the Plan as well as Memorandum of Understanding concerning conservation measures for the Aquatic Warbler (translated into Ukrainian) were published for dissemination.

Informational leaflets and poster were also published and disseminated under the project.

Desna-Dnipro Aquatic Warbler population’s settlements

© The Ukrainian Society for the Protection of Birds  
2002-2010