The North Vidzeme Biosphere Reserve (NVBR) ( lv, Ziemeļvidzemes biosfēras rezervāts) is the only

biosphere reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or o ...

Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...

, located in the northern

Vidzeme Vidzeme (; Old Latvian orthography: ''Widda-semme'', liv, Vidūmō) is one of the Historical Latvian Lands. The capital of Latvia, Riga, is situated in the southwestern part of the region. Literally meaning "the Middle Land", it is situated in n ...

region in north-western Latvia along the border with

Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...

.North Vidzeme Biosphere Reserve
''Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA)'' The reserve includes varied natural and semi-natural habitats in primal and traditional

landscape A landscape is the visible features of an area of land, its landforms, and how they integrate with natural or man-made features, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal.''New Oxford American Dictionary''. A landscape includes the ...

s. NVBR includes 25 nature reserves, one nature park and two marine protected territories. NVBR generates nature tourism via the river

Salaca The Salaca () is a river in northern Latvia. It flows from Lake Burtnieks in Vidzeme, 90 km, to the Gulf of Riga. The river flows through three towns, Mazsalaca, Staicele and Salacgrīva. The riverbanks feature Devonian red sandstone c ...

, which starts its 95 km long journey from

Lake Burtnieks Lake Burtnieks ( lv, Burtnieka ezers, et, Asti järv) is the fourth largest lake in Latvia. It is shallow with an average depth of 2.9 m. The lake bed is mainly sandy, in places a little muddy. In the southeast part of the lake there is Devonian ...

and ends in the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain. The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from ...

History

In 1990, the ''North Vidzeme regional nature conservation complex'' was created by the Latvian government, on the border of the present biosphere reserve. An administration was created in

Salacgrīva Salacgrīva () is a town in Salacgrīva Municipality in the Vidzeme region of Latvia. The centre of the area surrounding Salacgrīva is the mouth of Salaca River, and the town's name literally means "Mouth of Salaca" in Latvian. It is famous for h ...

which started active planning for the creation of the first biosphere reserve in the country. The new protected area encompassed approximately 6% of the total area of Latvia, including multiple towns, industrial and infrastructural objects. The North Vidzeme Biosphere Reserve was officially created on 11 December 1997. Since its creation, it has been internationally recognized in the UNESCO

Man and the Biosphere Programme Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB) is an intergovernmental scientific program, launched in 1971 by UNESCO, that aims to establish a scientific basis for the improvement of relationships between people and their environments. MAB's work engag ...

. It also became part of the

World Network of Biosphere Reserves The UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR) covers internationally designated protected areas, known as biosphere reserves, which are meant to demonstrate a balanced relationship between people and nature (e.g. encourage sustainable dev ...

. In the beginning, the central administration was located in the seaside town of

in a renovated historical building with a staff of 11 members. Staff members were posted in various parts of the reserve. Twelve years later, in 2009, the administration of the Biosphere Reserve was integrated into the Nature Conservation Agency of Latvia. In 2011, the administration of the Nature Conservation Agency of Latvia (NCAL) was reorganized. In 2013, a co-ordinator for the Biosphere Reserve was appointed. The Vidzeme Regional Administration (VRA) includes large areas like the Gauja National Park, the North Vidzeme biosphere reserve and other protected landscape areas and strict reserves. Consultancy council now consists of 24 members, who represent various local municipalities, governmental institutions and NGOs.

Main statistics

* Population: 49591 in 2017 * Coordinates: 57°20' to 58°10' N; 24°20' to 26°00' E * Total area: 4 576 square kilometers (roughly 6% of Latvia), of which: ** Sanctuaries: 184,4 square kilometers ** Landscape protection zones: 1 600 square kilometers ** Neutral zones: 1 625,6 square kilometers ** Sea littoral until the depth of 10 m: 1 160 square kilometers * Height above sea level: 0 – 127 m * Main ecosystems: temperate coniferous and

mixed forests Temperate broadleaf and mixed forest is a temperate climate terrestrial habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature, with broadleaf tree ecoregions, and with conifer and broadleaf tree mixed coniferous forest ecoregions. These for ...

. High

bog A bog or bogland is a wetland that accumulates peat as a deposit of dead plant materials often mosses, typically sphagnum moss. It is one of the four main types of wetlands. Other names for bogs include mire, mosses, quagmire, and muskeg; a ...

coastal dunes A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, fl ...

coastal meadow Coastal meadows are Meadow, meadows in the coastal zone, influenced by the sea. Under this definition, the salinity of the air and wind is usually high and the flora is dominated by salt-tolerant species. Some coastal meadows may be flooded by s ...

s, pristine

beach A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological sources, such as mollusc shel ...

es, natural lakes and streams,

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...

cliff In geography and geology, a cliff is an area of rock which has a general angle defined by the vertical, or nearly vertical. Cliffs are formed by the processes of weathering and erosion, with the effect of gravity. Cliffs are common on co ...

Tourism

Popular tourist spots in the North Vidzeme Biosphere Reserve include: * The

Salaca River The Salaca () is a river in northern Latvia. It flows from Lake Burtnieks in Vidzeme, 90 km, to the Gulf of Riga. The river flows through three towns, Mazsalaca, Staicele and Salacgrīva. The riverbanks feature Devonian red sandstone c ...

- a river that flows through the reserve and is surrounded by sandstone cliffs and cave.s * Vidzeme Beach - a beach with sandstone cliffs, waterfalls and boulders. * Burtnieks Lake - the 4th largest lake in Latvia. * Seda swamp and area - this area contains viewing towers for bird watching that have been set up on the edge of the swamp. * Nature trails

Notes and references

External links

Planning and Management of a Biosphere Reserve
- Reference Book for Practitioners and Managers Based upon experience of the North Vidzeme Biosphere Reserve, Latvia (includes detailed map) *
Par Ziemeļvidzemes biosfēras rezervātu
- exact maps *
Ziemeļvidzemes biosfēras rezervāts

- official Webpage with pictures, information, current events
unesco.org - Biosphere Reserve Information - Latvia - NORTH VIDZEME
{{Protected areas of Latvia Mazsalaca Biosphere reserves of Latvia