Wildlife habitat restorations and management with landowners and hunters

Transcription

1 Wildlife habitat restorations and management with landowners and hunters Turku Mikko Alhainen Senior Planning Officer Finnish Wildlife Agency, Finland 1

2 The Finnish Wildlife Agency s Nature Management and Conservation Strategy 2014 THE VISION NATURE MANAGEMENT The objective of the Finnish Wildlife Agency is to improve the habitats of game species by management plans and related development projects in wetlands, agriculture and forestry areas. The improvement measures are always implemented in cooperation with agricultural and environmental actors, the forest industry and the landowners

3 HABITATS FOR GAME BIRDS WITHIN AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY ECOSYSTEM SERVICES Willow Grouse Ducks Geese Black Grouse Partridge Hazel Grouse Capercaillie C Mikko Alhainen

4 MANAGEMENT PLANS 1. National strategy for wetlands and waterfowl 2. National management plan for Partridge 3. Management Plan for Grouse Habitats and Species Suomen riistakeskus

5 National strategy for wetlands and waterfowl implementation through Life+ Return of Rural Wetlands project Main objective is to promote interest among local stakeholders to take care of the waterfowl habitats and biodiversity in their home regions 48 model wetland sites with landowners totaling 340 ha Active communication with stakeholders on all levels and education to landowners/hunters Active media work to deliver the results to the public and to stakeholders Total costs 1,8 milj. Mikko Alhainen 5 Mikko Koho

6 Drained wetlands: If we have lost the ducks, what do we have left? Suomen riistakeskus

7 Suomen riistakeskus

8 Wildlife Habitat Biodiversity Clean waters Flood retention Recreation Landscape Suomen riistakeskus

9 Demonstrative wetland sites Wetland sites that local people/landowner want to create/restore: Bottom-Up! To support existing interests on habitat restoration To create positive experience and messages Primarily flooded wetlands brood habitat for waterfowl biodiversity Project had money for planning, concrete action and materials and we expected locals to participate on voluntary basis by work or handling part of the costs own input promotes ownership wetland will be taken care of Minimum bureaucracy for landowners Hands on approach. Wetlands restored as fast as 6 months from proposal! 9

10 Vitikankorpi Hämeenlinna June 2013 Kuva: Mikko Alhainen

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12 Vitikankorpi Hämeenlinna June Kuva: Marko Muuttola

13 Suomen riistakeskus

14 Suomen riistakeskus Kuva: Timo Niemelä

15 Photos Mikko Alhainen

16 Suomen riistakeskus

17 Mallard Teal Goldeneye Vitikankorpi Hämeenlinna Year Total ducklings Average before Average after Average ducklings/ha after restoration Kuva: Mikko Alhainen

18 Suomen riistakeskus

19 Välitalo, Pudasjärvi 8 ha, euroa Suomen riistakeskus C Jukka Tienhaara, Maailmasta Oy

20 Lampsisuo, Kajaani 9 ha, euroa Suomen riistakeskus C Juha Siekkinen

21 Pikku Nuoluanjärvi, Liminka 9 ha, euroa Suomen riistakeskus C Juha Siekkinen

22 National management plan for Partridge: Implementation Focus in co-operation with landowners to increase the use of agro-environmental subsidies such as buffer zones and wildlife fields. Nature and Game Management Trust Finlands Partridge project 22 Kuva: Luonnon- ja riistanhoitosäätiö

23 Way to future From intensive monoagriculture Profitable modern agriculture with crop rotation, water protection and wildlife habitat & biodiversity 1. Buffer zones along ditches and rivers 2. Wildlife food plots 3. Crop rotation and hayfields 4. Avoiding unnecessary plowing 5. Managed forest edges Restoring, re-creating and managing wetlands and rivers/streams Water purification Flood retention Wildlife habitat 2. 5.

24 Suomen riistakeskus 24

25 Management Plan for Grouse Habitats and Species Future of Grouse population is in the commercial forests. The forest management determines the habitat quality and the viability of populations, thus affecting the hunting opportunities it s more about will and attitude than money issue Forest owners have interest towards wildlife friendly management with great potential, as hunters own almost 1/2 of Finland s land area! 25

26 CLEAR CLEVER NO FOOD, NO SHELTER! THIS IS GOOD! Seppo Leinonen

27 Wildlife Friendly Forest Management Example: thinned pine stand where shelter providing undergrowth has bee saved. Business as usual: All understory trees would be cut away no shelter 27 Picture: Kuva: Timo Mirja Niemelä Rantala

28 The restoration and management of habitats provide versatile ECOSYSTEM SERVICES WILDLIFE BERRIES MUSHROOMS CLEAN WATER CONTROL OF FLOODS LANDSCAPE RECREATION

29 Suomen riistakeskus

30 Thank You! Biodiversity, Wildlife Habitat Managent and Water protection of Agriculture and Forestry often need the same buffer zones, wetlands and set-asides multifunctionality Future of viable bird population relies on the land-use of the wider countryside Opportunities in every farm and village! Kuva: Marko Muuttola