Vestamager and adjacent sea area (3020)
Denmark, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2000
National site name: Vest- og Sydamager med omgivende hav
Central coordinates: Latitude: 55.5833, Longitude: 12.5333
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 5
Area of KBA (km2): 62.10261
Protected area coverage (%): 99.75
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A shallow sea area and adjacent coast with saltmarshes; also includes a reclaimed area with freshwater lakes and reedbeds. Some wetlands have been restored whilst others have been afforested.
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.
Additional biodiversity: Numbers of both breeding and visiting birds have declined. In some years total numbers of waterbirds exceed 20,000 individuals. Recurvirostra avosetta, Philomachus pugnax, Sterna paradisaea and S. albifrons, listed on Annex I of the EC Birds Directive, breed at the site.
Habitats
Land use: forestry (10%) | nature conservation and research (70%) | tourism/recreation (100%) | urban/industrial/transport (30%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Shrubland | 30 | |
| Grassland | 25 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 20 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 13 | |
| Marine Intertidal | 13 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Ongoing restoration projects, including raising water-levels in some areas, and the expansion of grazing will probably help reverse the negative trends of some bird species. Some areas are scheduled for urbanization and parts have already been destroyed by road construction.