Engure lake (307)
Latvia, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2004
National site name: Engures ezers
Central coordinates: Latitude: 57.2667, Longitude: 23.1333
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 10
Area of KBA (km2): 127.37676
Protected area coverage (%): 99.46
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The shallow and heavily eutrophic Engure lake is the largest coastal lagoon in Latvia. Apart from seven permanent islands it is covered by vast expanses of emergent vegetation (mainly Phragmites, Typha and Scirpus) covering about 65% of the lake's surface. It is surrounded by a complex of fens, and mixed and coniferous forests. The site also includes dry pine forests, beaches and coastal meadows along the Riga gulf. Included in the first European IBA inventory [3] and all subsequent site lists [4, 5, 1]. Fully protected: there is a 99.5% overlap with Engure lake nature park, a candidate SPA.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance because it meets one or more previously established criteria and thresholds for identifying sites of biodiversity importance (including Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites, and Key Biodiversity Areas)
Habitats
Land use: agriculture | fisheries/aquaculture | forestry | hunting | nature conservation and research | tourism/recreation | urban/industrial/transport
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 31 | |
| Shrubland | 9 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 2 | |
| Grassland | 1 | |
| Marine Intertidal | 16 | |
| Forest | 41 |