Pape Nature Reserve

The nature reserve is situated in Pape Latvia, about 15 km south of Liepaja. It covers an area of 57 square kilometers. The swampy Lake Pape, which dominates the area is surrounded by dunes, marshes and swamp forests. There is an information center for visitors.

Flora

The landscape is dominated by wetlands and forests. The forest consists mainly of wet birch and alder swamp forests. At higher locations can be found spruce and pine stands. Along the coast, sandy beaches with dunes.

Fauna

The Pape Lake is an important area for migratory birds dar. Approximately 50,000 of the feathered guests set each fall. They use the wetlands as a stopover on their migration.

With the help of WWF also rear cattle, wild horses and bison were located in the nature reserve. The Heck cattle are breeds image of the extinct aurochs and to replace these ecologically. Similarly, the Konik horses provide a substitute for the extinct Tarpan, the European wild horse dar. bison were also extinct in Latvia. The Heck cattle and wild horses were settled in 1999. The bison few years later. In 2007, the horses had multiplied to over 100 animals, the Heck cattle to more than 80 animals. The bison counted at this time less than 20 and increased slowly. Even before the establishment of the three large herbivores, lived in the area around the lake moose, roe deer, red deer, wild boar, beaver, wolf, otter and lynx. Thus, the reserve is home to an almost complete Holocene large animal fauna today. In addition, raccoon dogs occur as invasive species.

Swell

• Volker Hagemann: Latvia discover. Trescher Verlag; Edition: 1 A. ( 28 July 2006), pp. 274-275, ISBN 3897940647
• E. Marris (2009): Conservation biology: Reflecting the past. Nature 462, 30-32