Project title:
Efficient management of extensive meadows at Natura 2000 site Goričko
Project acronym:
Goričko meadows
Project Promoter:
Goričko Nature Park Public Institute
Project Partners:
Partner 1: Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry of Slovenia - Regional Agricultural Forestry Institute Murska Sobota
Partner 2: DOPPS - BirdLife Slovenia
Partner 3: University of Maribor - Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
Partner 4: Centre for waste handling Puconci CEROP d.o.o.
Project duration:
19.03.2015 - 31.05.2016
Total eligible costs of the project:
280,446.31 EUR
Project grant:
266,423.99 EUR
Programme Area:
Biodiversity and ecosystem services
General objective of the project:
Increased capacity to manage and monitor Natura 2000 sites effectively
Project summary:
In the past 20 years, the percentage of grasslands which are home to protected and Natura 2000 qualifying species of butterflies and birds strongly decreased in Goričko. This was due to land abandonment and agricultural intensification. The general aim of the project called Goričko meadows is more efficient management of three grassland Natura 2000 habitat types, Scops Owl and three grassland butterfly species. By mowing 60 ha of meadows in unfavourable conservation status, removal of alien invasive and woody overgrowth along with the removal of hay biomass, we will improve the conservation status of four target bird species, three target butterfly species and three target habitat types. At Natura 2000 Goričko we will establish monitoring of target butterflies, birds and habitat types. By informing and awareness raising among target groups (especially among farmers and meadow owners) we will achieve the inclusion of 10 new agricultural holdings into nature conservation measures of Agri-Environment Climate Schemes (AECS) 2014-2020 and the inclusion of 20 ha of new grasslands into nature conservation oriented measures of AECS.