Uudiste arhiiv

Esileht   »   Projects-EN
27.01.2025

Restoring EU priority grassland habitats and building a new narrative for their management (GrassLIFE2)

Restoring EU priority grassland habitats and building a new narrative for their management (GrassLIFE2)

All grassland habitats of EU importance in Latvia are currently in an unfavourable/bad conservation status, with a declining (U2-) trend. It is due to a long-term neglect of the semi-natural grassland habitats that led to a dramatic decrease in total coverage of semi-natural grasslands, fragmentation, and poor quality of habitats, exacerbated by other urgent problems, such as lack of capacity and means for restoration and management, difficult accessibility and management conditions on some of the grasslands, lack of practical knowledge on restoration, low prestige for nature farming, and lack of political will and financial incentives for grasslands.

GrassLIFE2 is a continuation of GrassLIFE project LIFE16NAT/LV/262 that has successfully introduced a range of innovative restoration approaches in Latvia, while restoring 1,320 ha of EU priority grassland habitats in fourteen Natura 2000 sites. The objective of GrassLIFE2 project is to upscale the work done in GrassLIFE and tackle all major factors that have led to an unfavourable conservation status of grassland habitats in Latvia. We plan to implement a coherent package of actions, starting from best-practice restoration, to testing, assessing, fine-tuning, and applying innovative grassland restoration methods in the Latvian context.

The project targets five priority grassland habitats of EU importance: 1630*, 6120*, 6210*, 6230*, and 6270*, and will restore 1,260 ha of EU priority habitats in eleven Natura 2000 sites. The direct restoration impact will be multiplied by means of replication to other EU countries and in Latvia, demonstration and targeted communication. Project restoration areas are eleven Natura 2000 sites of core importance for the connectivity of target grassland habitats in Latvia. They were selected, based on Latvian PAF and on GrassLIFE connectivity model. The project directly supports the implementation of EU Habitats Directive and EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030.

Principal Investigator: Aveliina Helm

Partnerid: Latvian Fund for Nature (Coordinator), Latvian University, Vides Risinajumu Instituts Nodibinajums, Krastini - Valkas rajona Valkas pagasta zemnieku saimnieciba, SIA MATRICARI, SIA "3Dpro", ZS Veckigli, Praulienas pagasta zemnieku saimnieciba "Kalna Rubeni", Vetras, SIA Ruksi, ZS Varpurves, SIA Sita Nature park, SIA STRAUMES GG, Viss.lv SIA

Financing: LIFE´i programme

Duration: 01.01.2023–31.12.2028

Total Eligible Budget: 7,514,242 € 

Read more at project webpage. 

Projektialad_woodmeadowlife
Laelatu
20200814_082827
20210604_151214
08.04.2024

The Center of Excellence for Sustainable Land Use (FutureScapes)

The Center of Excellence for Sustainable Land Use (FutureScapes)

The Center of Excellence for Sustainable Land Use (FutureScapes) is a 7-year-project (2024-2030) that aims to identify the relationships between biodiversity and carbon fluxes and integrate this new knowledge with satellite data into machine learning models. This in addition can be used to implement informed land-use planning and decision-making for policy makers as well as landowners and land users.

FutureScapes focuses on developing innovative solutions to address biodiversity loss and climate change. The main goal is to identify complex interconnections and co-benefits of biodiversity and carbon stocks and fluxes and to integrate this new knowledge into large-scale spatial models to create decision-support tools for land use planning.

We will identify, analyze and link quantitatively the complex relationships between biodiversity patterns/functions, ecosystem carbon storage, sequestration and greenhouse gas emission from local to national level.

By using geospatial data (incl. satellite data) and machine learning based spatial modelling, we will upscale the knowledge and relationships to regional level and implement in spatially explicit land use planning and management, considering the socioeconomic fabric of landowners and land users.

Principal investigator: Evelyn Uuemaa, University of Tartu, Professor in Geoinformatics and Team lead for the Landscape Geoinformatics Lab

Team: 

Funding: Ministry of Education and Research / Estonian Research Council

Project volume: 7 000 000 euros

Duration: 01.01.2024–31.12.2030

See also the the project description in ETIS.

logo_dark_huba681c645f17e1fe25b5bb9546221724_146795_500x0_resize_q90_h2_lanczos_3
09.11.2022

Introducing adaptive community based biodiversity management in urban areas for improved connectivity and ecosystem health (urbanLIFEcircles)

Introducing adaptive community based biodiversity management in urban areas for improved connectivity and ecosystem health (urbanLIFEcircles)

Duration: 2022-2027

The urbanLIFEcircles project demonstrates a systematic approach for how to lead a biodiversity-oriented change in urban nature management. It brings together a consortium of lighthouse cities Tartu (EE), Aarhus (DK) and Riga (LV), with the aim of improving city wide biodiversity management for restored connectivity and improved ecosystem health. We plan to improve the support for biodiversity in these cities through habitat restoration and increased citizen awareness. Additional support for urban biodiversity comes from the governance level, by setting up necessary strategic approach and integrating biodiversity goals to practical procedures. We envision a continuous interconnected wildlife habitat in each city that starts from peri-urban nature reserves and reaches throughout the cities, connected through green corridors and a network of high-nature value connectivity “stepping stones”. In this vision, urban citizens are seen as part of the urban ecosystem, participating in restoration activities and benefitting from ecosystem services offered by these “urban LIFE circles”. We have set ambitious objectives to achieve this by: (I) engaging communities in cities to actively participate in conservation; (II) assisting businesses towards developing necessary products & services supporting biodiversity in cities; (III) establishing synergies for biodiversity-oriented governance and management; (IV) deploying science-based methods for the adaptive management. All this builds a sufficient baseline, so it is possible to (V) demonstrate with concrete actions and practical examples that the system change for biodiversity is possible in cities. We plan to build on existing best practices on both urban biodiversity conservation as well as participatory urban governance. Our cities have varying challenges and different capacity in biodiversity matters, making the solutions we develop, demonstrate and propose applicable in most urban areas in Europe.

Project participants: Aveliina Helm, Elisabeth Prangel, Polina Degtjarenko, Oliver Kalda, Liis Kasari-Toussaint

Funding: Environmental Investment Center, European Commission

Project description in ETIS. 

MicrosoftTeams-image
MicrosoftTeams-image copy
MicrosoftTeams-image (2)
21.04.2022

Restoring and promoting a long term sustainable management of Fennoscandian wooded meadows in Estonia and Latvia (WOODMEADOWLIFE)

Restoring and promoting a long term sustainable management of Fennoscandian wooded meadows in Estonia and Latvia (WOODMEADOWLIFE)

Duration: 1 November 2021 - 31 December 2026

The Estonian-Latvian joint LIFE project (LIFE20 NAT/EE/000074) "Restoring and promoting a long-term sustainable management of Fennoscandian wooded meadows in Estonia and Latvia" focuses on the restoration of wooded meadows in Estonia and Latvia, creation of sustainable solutions for maintenance and on raising public awareness of the natural and cultural heritage of wooded meadows and their protection and management. WOODMEADOWLIFE will improve the conservation status of wooded meadows in Boreal Biogeographic region by restoring Estonian and Latvian wooded meadows and establishing the system for their long-term management throughout both countries. By doing that, it will significantly contribute to the overall conservation status of 6530* in the EU, as both countries host 60% of all wooded meadows in the Boreal Biogeographic region. 
 The overall long-term objective of this project is to restore significant areas of priority EU habitat 6530* Fennoscandian wooded meadows (700 ha in two countries), develop agreements, guidelines and smart solutions for their future management and highlight their ecosystem services, ecological functions and unique heritage value in both countries.

Project participants: Aveliina Helm, Triin Reitalu, Elisabeth Prangel, Elvi Liiv

Funding: LIFE program, Environmental Investment Centre (KIK)

See also the project's page on Environmental Board's webpage.

Projektialad_woodmeadowlife
Laelatu
20200814_082827
20210604_151214
18.04.2022

Interactive effects of local and landscape scale restoration of semi-natural grasslands and agricultural fields on species interactions and ecosystem functions (InterRest)

Interactive effects of local and landscape scale restoration of semi-natural grasslands and agricultural fields on species interactions and ecosystem functions (InterRest)

Duration: 2022-2025

Calcareous grasslands were created by traditional land use in European cultural landscapes and are one of the most species-rich habitat types. They harbour many rare and highly endangered species but are nowadays often threatened, mainly by abandonment and eutrophication. Hence, restoration measures are urgently needed. However, transnational restoration approaches are missing and evaluations within regional restoration schemes focus usually only on indicator species or species richness and ignore their biotic interactions, ecosystem functions and the landscape context. Especially species interactions are important indicators of restoration success as they are often more sensitive to environmental changes and determine vital functions that are necessary to stabilize ecosystems.

In this project we will investigate species interactions across different trophic levels including (1) plant-soil, (2) plant-pollinator and (3) bird-food resource interactions, in restored and degraded calcareous grasslands that are embedded in different socio-ecological and landscape contexts in three countries (Germany, Spain and Estonia). Additionally, we will measure ecosystem functions including soil functions, pollination and predation. We hypothesize that local restoration measures will lead to more complex and stable interactions and improved ecosystem functions compared to degraded sites. Moreover, we will investigate whether landscape-scale restoration with agri-environment schemes can make local restoration more effective through additive or synergistic effects. We will also analyse the social contexts of the restoration programs and identify key actors who are necessary to achieve local and landscape restoration goals. The results of our project will contribute to several Aichi targets by focussing on habitats with extremely high conservation value. They will inform the European Habitats Directive on the effects of restoration measures on species interactions and ecosystem functions and how they are linked to social networks. Knowledge of the contribution of agri-environment schemes at the landscape scale to the restoration of calcareous grasslands can be integrated in the Common Agricultural Policy. The project will contribute to safeguarding the precious biodiversity in calcareous grasslands, their interactions and functions and promote resilient ecosystems in European cultural landscapes. InterRest is a Biodiversa project where we collaborate with scientists from Germany, Spain, Belgium, Sweden and Netherlands.

Project participants: Aveliina Helm, Tsipe Aavik, Triin Reitalu, Elisabeth Prangel, Elvi Liiv

Funding: Estonian Research Council 

 

See also the project's official website and the project description in ETIS

Biodiversa logo
278689905_1676919249367152_7725934632285780780_n
278632379_322657679976027_8954603787067758270_n
278488259_954894601765451_7439161595536145914_n
278431272_274073148274366_4005070883795374430_n
26.10.2021

Country-wide assessment and mapping of the economic value of ecosystem services provided by Estonian terrestrial ecosystems

Country-wide assessment and mapping of the economic value of ecosystem services provided by Estonian terrestrial ecosystems

Duration: 2021 july- 2023 january

The project develops a conceptual basis and methodology for economic valuation of nature's contributions to people (ecosystem services) provided by Estonian terrestrial ecosystems (forests, wetlands, grasslands, agricultural ecosystems). Indicators of economic value will be developed for selected ecosystem services, and spatially detailed assessment will be carried out for chosen protected areas and country-wide. The project will provide indicators and maps needed to value nature's contributions to people and integrate ecosystems and their services into decision-making in Estonia.

Project participants: Aveliina Helm, Elisabeth Prangel, Elvi Liiv

Funding: Estonian Environment Agency

ELME2 mushrooms
ELME2 hiking
ELME2 pollination
ELME2 cattle
17.06.2021

Experience of European countries in financial evaluation of terrestrial ecosystem services

Experience of European countries in financial evaluation of terrestrial ecosystem services

Duration: 2021 april - 2021 september

The aim of the work is to analyse experiences of financial evaluation of ecosystem services in other European countries, to give an overview of the used methodological approaches, results, conclusions and the possible application of these methodologies in Estonia. The results of the work will be used in the development of the field of financial evaluation of ecosystem services within the framework of the ELME project.

Project participants: Aveliina Helm, Elisabeth Prangel, Elvi Liiv

Funding: Environment Agency

DSC_0204
Lammastega loopealne
Bee on cowslip
Conservation of natural biodiversity in agricultural land 1
16.03.2021

Large-scale restoration of calcareous grasslands, implications for biodiversity

Large-scale restoration of calcareous grasslands, implications for biodiversity

Duration: 2019 january - 2021 april

Project focuses on impacts of large-scale grassland restoration on biodiversity, ecosystem functioning and provision of ecosystem services. This is a follow-up to the project carried out in 2015-2017, during which the pre-restoration status of grassland biodiversity was recorded. Current project aims to 1) describe the post-restoration status of important species groups; 2) analyze the impacts of large-scale restoration activities on biodiversity, ecosystem services and ecosystem functions; 3) compile the guidelines for landscape-scale restoration of Estonian grasslands, considering the impact of different restoration actions on biodiversity. Results of the project are important for organizing the conservation and restoration of semi-natural grasslands.

Project participants: Aveliina Helm, Tsipe Aavik, Liis Kasari, Triin Reitalu, Elisabeth Prangel

Funding: Environmental Investment Centre

Project information in Estonian Research Information System

alvar before 3
alvar after
alvar before 2
alvar after 2
alvar before
alvar after
04.01.2021

LIFE IP project "ForEst&Farmland"

Comprehensive management of forest and farming landscapes to improve the conservation status of Natura 2000 habitats and species

Duration: 2020 January - 2029 December

The project is developed to tackle different conservation challenges that influence the values of Estonian most diverse ecosystems. Estonia is a sparsely populated country with vast territories covered with forests, wetlands and arable land, and where the historic land use has resulted in heterogenic and diverse landscapes. Socio-economic situation is changing – Estonia has been rapidly developing and rural areas face new challenges, mainly intensifying management due to different reasons that takes place both in forest and farming landscapes. The project will focus on forests and arable land with high biodiversity, this includes seminatural grasslands, fields, pastures and other types of arable land and a range of different forest ecosystems. The practices and methodologies to be developed and tested in the project will be of high demonstration value also for other regions and countries of the EU. 

In this project, our workgroup is involved with the sustainable management of semi-natural grasslands and ensuring the biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. Together with our partners, we will help launch a councelling system for semi-natural grasslands, restore grasslands and help with communication. In agricultural landscapes, we will create sample areas where crop yield and biodiversity are guaranteed thanks to science-based agroecological approaches. Together with farmers, we will test which agricultural practices are most effective in Estonia. We will work closely together with BirdLife to monitor the effectiveness of agri-environmental measures.

Project participants: Aveliina Helm, Tsipe Aavik, Marianne Kaldra, Rufus Trepp, Liis Kasari-Toussaint, Linda Pall, Kristiina Jürisoo, Remek Meel, Tanel Vahter

Partners: Ministry of the Environment (coordinator), Environmental Board, Ministry of Rural Affairs, State Forest Management Centre, BirdLife Estonia, Private Forest Centre, University of Tallinn, KEMIT

Funding: European Commission

Ilus_teeserv_Kuremäe_lähedal_4_Iris
Põllusaar 2 Tartu serval
20190713_104357
20190714_161103
03.04.2020

Centre of Excellence EcolChange

Centre of Excellence EcolChange

Duration: 2016 march - 2023 march

The Centre of Excellence EcolChange is created in cooperation of two universities, Estonian University of Life Sciences and University of Tartu. Head of the Centre is Professor Ülo Niinemets, Estonian University of Life Sciences. Our work group participates in the work of the Center of Excellence through the Macroecology work group. The EcolChange represents a synergistic network of expertise to elaborate global and local scenarios for terrestrial ecosystems in the context of global change, from molecular to biome-level responses. It aims to integrate studies of ecosystem function, biodiversity and adaptability, create symbiosis between macroecological big-data, genetic and experimental approaches and incorporate ecological knowledge into principles of adaptation to global change through sustainable ecosystem management. Furthermore, it aims to enhance ecologically sustainable economic growth via smart regional planning in forestry and agriculture.

Project participants: the whole work group

Funding: European Regional Development Fund

IMG_7283
ecolchange2

Tartu Ülikooli maastike elurikkuse töörühm

J. Liivi 2, 50409, Tartu, ESTONIA

Aveliina Helm / +372 5553 8679 / aveliina.helm@ut.ee

© TARTU ÜLIKOOLI MAASTIKE ELURIKKUSE TÖÖRÜHM, 2025