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Description
Main project objective is to raise the resilience of ecosystems under most pressure due to climate change by improving the knowledge and competencies of stakeholders for their management and implementation of restoration measures. the project will focus primarily on forests and wetlands, which are characterised by a major contribution to climate change mitigation. All selected project areas are Natura 2000 areas, the target qualification species and habitat types of which are in an unfavourable conservation status and have suffered damage due to climate change in the last decade or are further threatened by climate change. Project specific objectives are:
1)To raise knowledge and awareness of stakeholders on importance of protecting and conserving ecosystems and their ecosystem services to mitigate and adapt to effects of climate change, and to strengthen the stakeholders'' competencies and participation in the management of ecosystems; this will be achieved by implementing an education and awareness campaign for different target groups;
2)To improve the state of ecosystems affected by climate change; this will be achieved with concrete measures to improve the state of conservation of ecosystems in 5 project areas;
3)To develop new approaches to planning the management of selected ecosystems by integrating ES; this will be achieved by developing and validating two ecosystem management models – a uniform management model for individual ecosystems and a complex management model for cultural landscape that combines several types of ecosystems.
The main long-term impact of the project will be the improved status of forest ecosystems and wetlands affected by climate change and their improved resilience to climate change due to improved knowledge and skills of stakeholders for their management and developed new management models that consider ecosystems services and strengthen efforts to protect and restore biodiversity or species and habitat diverse ecosystems.
Summary of project results
Main objective of ZAGON project was to raise the resilience of ecosystems under most pressure due to climate change by improving the knowledge and competencies of stakeholders for their management and implementation of restoration measures. Partnership focused primarily on forests and wetlands, which are characterised by a major contribution to climate change mitigation. All selected project areas were Natura 2000 areas, the target qualification species and habitat types of which were in an unfavourable conservation status and suffered damage due to climate change in the last decade or are further threatened by climate change. The project included a local administration (Občina Grosuplje/Municipality of Grosuplje), a landscape park (Zavod za turizem in promocijo – Turizem Grosuplje/Institute for Tourism and Promotion Grosuplje – ZTG), the state professional institution for protection of nature (Zavod Republike Slovenije za varstvo narave/Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for Nature Conservation – ZRSVN), the forest manager (Zavod za gozdove Slovenije/Slovenian Forest Service – ZGS) and research institutions (Gozdarski inštitut Slovenije/Slovenian Forestry Institute – GIS and Høgskulen for grøn utvikling – stiftelse/University College for Green Development – HGUt). The combination of local and national management levels, the research and professional sector and the landscape park manager enabled a quality exchange of expertise and development of new models that will be useful and transferable at both local and national levels. Norwegian partner HGUt with rich experience in integrating the aspect of ecosystem services into the management of natural areas participated in the development and validation of new management models and shared its knowledge and experience with Slovenian experts. During the project already established cooperation between GIS and HGUt in the field of knowledge about ecosystem services was upgraded. The project was designed to develop and test innovative governance approaches, where aspects of climate change, provision of ecosystem services, and stakeholder engagement were integrated into management of protected areas, with focus on restoring ecosystems. Those approaches were implemented in a variety of management documents (plans, guidelines, positions, etc.), which were relevant for each protected area within the project.
First main project specific objective was to raise knowledge and awareness of stakeholders on importance of protecting and conserving ecosystems and their ecosystem services to mitigate and adapt to effects of climate change, and to strengthen the stakeholders'' competencies and participation in the management of ecosystems. This was achieved by implementing an education and awareness campaign for different target groups. For the purpose of communication plan, web project subpage, promotional packages for individual pilot areas, children''s picture book and basic promotional package, which included writing pads, roll-up stands and information boards about the project, were prepared. Various project presentations, press conferences and other events were also organized, and many articles about the project were written in professional and general media. Second main specific objective was to improve the state of ecosystems affected by climate change. This was achieved with concrete measures to improve the state of conservation of ecosystems in 5 project areas: Radensko polje Landscape Park (several ecosystems), Rački ribniki – Požeg Landscape Park (wetland), SAC Menina (forest, wetlands), SPA Grintovci – Turnovka (wetland) and SPA Grintovci – Podolševa and Raduha (forest). On the territory of Radensko Polje Landscape Park land purchase, wetland revitalization, hydrological research and implementation of educational trail were carried out by the Municipality of Grosuplje and ZTG. On the territory of Rački Ribniki – Požeg Landscape felling of trees, removal of undergrowth and tree planting were carried out by ZRSVN. On the territory of SAC Menina restoration and excavation of lakes, amphibian status assessment, training ground and limitation of grazing area were carried out by ZRSVN. On the territory of SPA Grintovci – Turnovka phytocenological inventory of the bog and limitation of grazing area were carried out by ZRSVN. On the territory of SPA Grintovci – Podolševa and Raduha inventory of Three-toed woodpecker and Western capercaillie, hydrological rehabilitation of forest trains, planting, soil analysis, renaturation and setting up a hunting trap were carried out by ZGS. Third main specific objective was to develop new approaches to planning the management of selected ecosystems by integrating ecosystem services. This was achieved by developing and validating two ecosystem management models – a uniform management model for individual ecosystems and a complex management model for cultural landscape that combines several types of ecosystems. The models were integrated into four management plans, namely into the draft management plans of Rački Ribniki-Požeg Landscape Park and the Radensko Polje Landscape Park, as well as into the forest management and grazing plans for the Menina planina Nature 2000 area. Participatory workshops in local environment played an important role in the project. They were proving to be a rich source of information, especially in terms of relevant local challenges related to nature restoration (affecting farming and forestry activities, urbanization and pollution), and potential solutions provided by local stakeholders (drivers of change in ecosystems and ecosystem services, responsibility attached to those drivers, means to control drivers of change, desired future trajectories, etc.). However, involving local people into innovation of governance of protected landscapes was not only providing data, but also strengthened connection among locals and managers of the protected areas and gave people a chance to have their say. Both were essential not only to develop a relevant governance approach reflected in a management plan, but also to build an environment for its successful implementation.
As part of the project 5 ecosystems were restored. For them ecosystem services were inventoried, and management models proposed. 2 new management models were implemented, which were considered in the preparation of 4 management plans. A uniform management model for individual ecosystems was considered in the preparation of grazing plan and forest management plan for Menina planina and for the draft management plan for Rački ribniki – Požeg Landscape Park. Menina planina and Rački ribniki – Požeg Landscape Park were ZRSVN´s project areas. Complex model of ecosystem management for cultural landscapes was considered in the preparation of the draft management plan for Radensko polje Landscape Park, ZTG´s project area on the territory of Municipality of Grosuplje. During the project education and awareness campaign was implemented with the aim of improving knowledge and understanding of the importance of ecosystem services for ecosystem management. It included field visits, workshops, trainings, international conference and study visits on which all project partners participated. By educational and promotional activities at the local, national and international level different target groups, including managers of protected areas, economic operators in selected areas, especially foresters, farmers, grazing communities and the tourism sector, landowners in selected areas, local communities and individuals, visitors to Natura 2000 areas, decision-makers and general public, were successfully reached. Project objectives were achieved based on the cooperation of key stakeholders in the field of management of protected species and forests in Slovenia, ZRSVN, ZGS and GIS. Target qualifying species in the project were Yellow-bellied toad, Italian crested newt, Marsh fritillary, Yellow-spotted whiteface, Water clover, Eleocharis carniolica, Hazel grouse, Black grouse, Western capercaillie and Three-toed woodpecker. With concrete measures to improve the state of conservation of ecosystems in 5 project areas all Slovenian project partners benefited. The main long-term impact of the project will be the improved status of forest ecosystems and wetlands affected by climate change and their improved resilience to climate change due to improved knowledge and skills of stakeholders for their management. The implemented restoration of ecosystems will strengthen or restore their natural capacity to act as sinks of atmospheric CO2. It is worth mentioning also that after the end of the ZAGON project its results were presented at the IUFRO congress, which took place in Stockholm (Sweden) between 23 June and 26 June 2024. The project was presented also on 1 October 2024 at the Škocjan Caves Public Service Agency (Slovenia) during the field visit showcasing exemplary ecosystem management practices which took place in Slovenia.
Summary of bilateral results
Norwegian project partner HGUt contributed its extensive experience to the project in the field of modelling, endogenous development and integrative management for environmental protection and sustainable development of the insured areas. The exchange of knowledge between project partners took place in the form of online meetings and two study visits. During the entire project, an active exchange of information, skills and knowledge between HGUt and Slovenian project partners took place. This was the key in all phases of development and implementation of the ecosystem management model. Based on the exchange of experiences with HGUt, experts from Slovenian partner institutions gained a lot of knowledge and strengthened their competences. As part of the meetings and the two study visits, HGUt provided the Slovenian partners with knowledge on the topic of management models that include ecosystem services. HGUt contributed to the project in particular with its extensive experience in the field of modelling, endogenous development and integrative management for environmental protection and sustainable development of protected areas. HGUt presented municipal planning in Norway to Slovenian project partners. This was the purpose of the first of two study visits. The acquired knowledge was then used by Slovenian project partners in development work in pilot areas in Slovenia. During the second study visit, the Slovenian project partners demonstrated HGUt the management of protected areas in Slovenia, which were affected by the negative effects of climate change. A joint assessment of the similarities and differences of the context in Norway and Slovenia was carried out. The exchange of information and experience with HGUt was crucial in the development of the conceptual framework of the ecosystem management model and its implementation in the pilot areas.