Ziemelgauja (9513)
Latvia, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2004
National site name: Ziemelgauja
Central coordinates: Latitude: 57.5387, Longitude: 26.3848
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Area of KBA (km2): 218.24077
Protected area coverage (%): 98.79
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The site consists of a ca. 100 km long and uniquely diverse section of Gauja river valley, including significant areas of natural flood-plain meadows of outstanding value. Covered by a complex systems of natural riverbed terrain rich in ox-bows. The site also includes a mosaic of farmland and forest. Deciduous forest dominates along the bottom and on the slopes of the valley whereas the upper parts include coniferous, mainly Scot's Pine, forests and the raised Puksu bog. Parts of the IBA have been listed in varying combinations since 1994 [4, 5, 1]. Fully protected: there is a 99.7% overlap with the newly designated Ziemelgauja protected landscape area, 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: agriculture | forestry (50%) | nature conservation and research | tourism/recreation | urban/industrial/transport
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 11 | |
| Shrubland | 7 | |
| Forest | 70 | |
| Grassland | 7 | |
| Wetlands(Inland) | 4 |