Key Biodiversity Areas

Ziemelu bogs (302)
Latvia, Europe

Site overview


KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2004
National site name: Ziemelu purvi
Central coordinates: Latitude: 57.9667, Longitude: 24.9000
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 35 to 60
Area of KBA (km2): 67.97434
Protected area coverage (%): 98.86
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes

Site details


Site description: A large peatland and forest complex, comprising three open raised bogs rich in small lakes and pools, surrounded by wet forest. Together with Estonian IBA Põhja-Liivimaa (031) across the border, this site forms of the largest natural peat bog area in the Baltic countries. Most of this IBA was included in the first European IBA inventory [5], and listed in all subsequent site lists with some amendments [6, 7, 1]. High protection level: there is a 86.1% overlap with two restricted nature reserves and candidate SPAs, Ziemelu bogs and Pirtsmeza bog.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that was identified using previously established criteria and thresholds for the identification of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and for which available data indicate that it does not meet global KBA criteria and thresholds set out in the Global Standard.

Habitats


Land use: forestry | hunting | nature conservation and research | tourism/recreation
IUCN HabitatCoverage %Habitat detail
Forest26
Artificial - Terrestrial1
Wetlands(Inland)53
Shrubland20