Zvarde forest (351)
Latvia, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2004
National site name: Zvardes mezi
Central coordinates: Latitude: 56.5000, Longitude: 22.6000
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 100 to 140
Area of KBA (km2): 81.75252
Protected area coverage (%): 99.65
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Vast forest site, largely unaffected by drainage and comparatively lightly managed due to its status as a former Soviet military firing range. Several natural streams with many beaver dams cross the area. Most of the forests are secondary deciduous stands comprising remnants of old-growth stands. Listed as an IBA since 2000 [3, 1]. Fully protected: there is a 100% overlap with the newly designated Zvarde forests nature park, a candidate SPA.
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 (15%) | hunting (60%) | nature conservation and research | tourism/recreation | urban/industrial/transport (7%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Grassland | 9 | |
| Shrubland | 12 | |
| Forest | 71 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 7 | |
| Wetlands(Inland) | 1 |