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Description
Intensively managed fishponds are considered the most important breeding habitat for waterbirds as nesting sites as well as for rearing of young. In last decades, environmental change (incl. climate change) has deeply impacted waterbirds’ population dynamics. Most key drivers of population change, such as reproduction success, are strongly affected by environmental conditions on the breeding sites. Importantly, the lack of suitable nesting sites leads to competition for this critical resource. In this context, this project aims to increase the ecological value of man-made wetlands (i.e. mainly fishponds and post-mining water reservoirs) by creating new suitable nesting sites and enhancing the ecological conditions of fishponds to meet the breeding requirement of a group of selected waterbird species (ducks, gulls and terns) of interest. The intervention proposed in this project consists in the implementation of floating artificial islands in intensively managed fishponds through Nature-Based Solutions. These islands will directly provide the actual space for waterbirds to breed on but, importantly, will also create and enhance the entire local ecosystem by supporting the macrophyte vegetation and provide suitable habitat for the development of other fresh water organisms.
Summary of project results
The essence of the proposed project was to create alternative nesting options for pilot species of waterfowl to enhance their reproductive success by installing artificial floating islands at their traditional nesting sites, which, in the conditions of the Czech Republic, are intensively managed fishponds. These pilot species of waterfowl include: the mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), the gadwall (Mareca strepera), the red-crested pochard (Netta rufina), the common pochard (Aythya ferina), the tufted duck (Aythya fuligula), the black-headed gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus), and the common tern (Sterna hirundo). The aim of the project was to implement the innovative island solutions created to strengthen the ecological stability of these pilot species in pond locations, which are fragile ecosystems and whose functions are strongly influenced by intensive management as well as climate and environmental changes.
The project produced 20 functional samples of artificial floating islands for the breeding of the target species. The model sites are: Krvavý rybník, Obecní rybník (district Jindřichův Hradec), rybník Schwarzenberg, Vlkovský a Velký Lomnický (district Tábor), rybník Starý Vrbenský, Vyšatov, Domin a Hlavatecký (district České Budějovice), nádrže Propadlina a Černice (district Most). The project team deals with the patent office about the utility model of artificial floating islands for the breeding of ducks, gulls and ducks. This process will be finished during the implementation period of the project. We prepare the report „Artificial Floating Platforms: Nature-Based Solution for support of breeding sites of waterbirds“ based on the cooperation of the Norway partner Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA). The report represents NINA an electronic series reporting after completed research and will be finished during the implementation period of the project.
The evaluation of the innovative nature-based solution of floating artificial islands is the key output of the project. An increase in the ecological value towards breeding sites of man-made wetlands was observed.
You can learn more about the project in one of the episodes of the mini-documentary series filmed as part of the communication activities of the programme #czenvironment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivpL7egzODQ&t=2s
Summary of bilateral results
Norway partner Norwegian Institute for Nature Research has contributed to the development by dissemination the results from this project through their network and developing efficient and international outreach campaigns, successfully achieved the main goal by being involved in all the different stages of the project (islands instalation, monitoring and project outputs). We prepare the report „Artificial Floating Platforms: Nature-Based Solution for Support of Breeding Sites of Waterbirds “ based on the cooperation of the Norway partner Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA). The report represents NINA an electronic series reporting after completed research. The close cooperation with the Norway partner has been continued within the project of the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic titled Artificial Floating Islands to provide alternative breeding sites for threatened and declining waterbird species (no SS07020091).The outputs of the project have been implemented in the service contract with the European Commission “Supporting the recovery of bird species of Annex II of the Birds Directive in nonsecure conservation status” (09.0201/2022/886665/SER/D.3).