The present project aims to restore some of Denmark’s large areas of coastal dune habitats. An urgent and comprehensive effort is imperative in order to reverse the trend of deterioration and to achieve a good conservation status of the targeted habitat types. This will be achieved mainly through combating IAS (conifereous species and Japanese Rose) (C1 and C5), conversion of plantations in order to create new habitats (C6). On the species level, this project aims at improving hydrological conditions (C2) and establishes a number of bird islands in order to minimize predation on vulnerable populations of ground nesting birds.
Therefore, the overall objective of the project is to improve the conservation status of the coastal dune habitats: 2120, 2130*, 2140*, 2180 and 2190 and to improve the conditions for a number of species, e.g. Scotch lovage (Ligusticum scothicum), Natterjack toad (Bufo calamita), Sand lizard (Lacerta agilis), Little tern (Sterna albifrons) and Gull-billed tern (Gelochelidon nilotica).
The Ministry of Environment and Food of Denmark is the coordinating project manager and undertakes the project in partnership with Thisted Municipality and Ringkøbing-Skjern Municipality.
The total budget is 2,845,912 € with 50% financed by the EU’s LIFE+ Nature Fond.
The project encompasses 15 sites all situated along the Danish westcoast
The main actions within this project is to:
- Mapping the distribution of Japanese Rose (Rosa rugosa) within a total area of 11,000 ha
- Applying a variety of methods to fight Japanese Rose (Rosa rugosa) in order to improve the conservation status of the habitat types and to achieve a better understanding of the effectiveness of the methods applied
- Improvement of the hydrological conditions in the coastal habitat types
- Clearing of forests consisting of primarily Mountain pine (Pinus mugo), Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) and Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) in order to increase the distribution of coastal habitat types
- Fighting the sporadic occurrence of invasive alien species (IAS) in coastal habitat types
- Improving the conditions for a number of ground-nesting birds by creating 3-5 birds islands.
Targeted species
Plants | |
Pillwort | Pililularia globulifera |
| Awlwort | Subularia aquatica |
Bog orchid | Hammarbya paludosa |
Sea bindweed | Calystegia soldanella |
Scotch lovage | Ligusticum scothicum |
Insects |
|
Marsk fritillary | Euphydryas aurinia |
Nordfolk damselfly | Coenagrion armatum |
Digny skipper | Erynnis tages |
Silver-spotted skipper | Hesperia comma |
Large heath or common ringlet | Coenonympha tullia |
The grasshopper | Chorthippus jutlandica |
Baltic hawker | Aeshna serrata |
Amphibians and reptiles |
|
Sand lizard | Lacerta agilis |
Natterjack toad | Bufo calamita |
| Birds |
|
Wood-sandpiper | Tringa glareola |
Avocet | Recurvirostra avosetta |
Little tern | Sterna albifrons |
Gull-billed tern | Gelochelidon nilotica |
Targeted Habitats |
|
2120 | Shifting dunes along the shoreline with Ammophila arenaria (’white dunes’) |
2130* | Grey dunes |
2140* | Decalcified fixed dunes with Empetrum nigrum |
2180 | Wooded dunes of the Atlantic, Continental and Boreal region |
2190 | Humid dune slacks |
For detailed information please refer to the Grant Agreement.
If you have a question concerning the LIFE+ project, you are always welcome to contact the project manager and the project working group.