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close| Location | Belarus, Brest |
| Central coordinates | 24o 51.00' East 52o 3.00' North |
| IBA criteria | A1, B2, B3 |
| Area | 16,225 ha |
| Altitude | 145 - 146m |
| Year of IBA assessment | 2005 |
Ornithological information A total of 110 bird species breed on the mire, of which 21 are listed in the National Red Data Book. The site is internationally significant because it supports one of the largest populations of the globally threatened Aquatic Warbler Acrocephalus paludicola, Corncrake Crex crex, and Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga. The site hosts more than 1% of the European populations of Bittern Botaurus stellaris, and Water Rail Rallus aquaticus. The site is of national importance for the conservation of Common Crane Grus grus, Snipe Gallinago gallinago, and Curlew Numenius arquata.
Site description Zvanets fen mire is located in the interfluve of the Dnieper-Bug Canal and its tributaries: Belooziorsk and Orekhov Canals. This is Europe's largest mesotrophic fen mire with numerous mineral islands.
Populations of IBA trigger species
| Species | Season | Period | Population estimate | Quality of estimate | IBA Criteria | IUCN Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus | breeding | 1996 | 5-10 breeding pairs | poor | B2 | Least Concern |
| Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus | breeding | 1996 | 10-20 breeding pairs | poor | B3 | Least Concern |
| Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga | breeding | 2001 | 1-2 breeding pairs | good | A1 | Vulnerable |
| Corncrake Crex crex | breeding | 1996 | 50-100 breeding pairs | poor | A1 | Least Concern |
| Spotted Crake Porzana porzana | breeding | 1996-2001 | 1,000-4,000 breeding pairs | medium | B3 | Least Concern |
| Common Crane Grus grus | breeding | 1996-2001 | 50-100 breeding pairs | good | B2 | Least Concern |
| Eurasian Eagle-owl Bubo bubo | breeding | 2001 | 15 breeding pairs | good | B2 | Least Concern |
| Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus | breeding | 1996-2001 | 100-200 breeding pairs | good | B2 | Least Concern |
| Common Grasshopper-warbler Locustella naevia | breeding | 2004 | 150-200 breeding pairs | poor | B3 | Least Concern |
| Savi's Warbler Locustella luscinioides | breeding | 1996-2001 | 1,500-3,000 breeding pairs | good | B3 | Least Concern |
| Aquatic Warbler Acrocephalus paludicola | breeding | 1996-2002 | 4,600-7,600 breeding pairs | good | A1, B2 | Vulnerable |
| Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus | breeding | 2004 | 6,000-8,500 breeding pairs | medium | B3 | Least Concern |
Protected areas
| Protected area | Designation | Area (ha) | Relationship with IBA | Overlap with IBA (ha) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zvanets | Nature Sanctuary or Partial Reserve (Local) | 10,460 | protected area contained by site | 10,460 |
|
| Zvanets | Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar) | 15,873 | protected area contains site | 15,873 |
|
Habitats
| IUCN habitat | Habitat detail | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | Alluvial and very wet forest | 13% |
| Grassland | Steppes and dry calcareous grassland | 9% |
| Wetlands (inland) | Fens, transition mires and springs | 78% |
Land use
| Land-use | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|
| nature conservation and research | 50% |
| not utilised | 30% |
| agriculture | 20% |
Other biodiversity 67 upper vascular plant species requiring various protection are found at the IBA, including 23 listed in the National Red Data Book. Most of these plants occur on the mineral islands, which are unique islands of outstanding flora diversity amid the vast uniform wetland. The mire hosts 10 vegetation communities rare for Europe and Belarus which were once widely spread across Polesie. Two mammal, 15 terrestrial and three water invertebrate species from the National Red Data Book occur on the IBA.
Management considerations Disruptions in the hydrological regime due to the influence of the surrounding drained areas results in floods or droughts and fires. Land-cultivation on mineral islands with rare flora. Unsustainable forestry carried out on the IBA does not take into account the need to conserve biodiversity. Burning of vegetation in spring is performed annually by local people, which damages the site, particularly in dry springs when the flood level is low. In that case, burning destroys the whole upper soil layer including plant roots and insects. Most bird species do not breed on such mires.
Protection status National Conservation Status: A national biological zakaznik Zvanets with a total area of 10,460 ha was established in 1996. In 2002 the borders of the zakaznik will be extended to encompass the whole area of the IBA. International Conservation Status: An IBA was established in 1998 (code BY016, criteria A1, B2, B3). The site is a Ramsar site (criteria 1, 2, 3).
References A.Kozulin, L.Vergeichik, M.Nikiforov and others. Treasures of Belarusian nature.- Minsk, 2002. -160 p.
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Recommended citation BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Balota Zvaniec. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 20/06/2013
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