strict nature reserve
A strict nature reserve (IUCN category Ia) or wilderness area (IUCN category Ib) is the highest category of protected area recognised by the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA), a body which is part of the International Union for ...
located in the southeast of
Lithuania
Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...
, about 30 km east of
Alytus
Alytus () is a city with Town privileges, municipal rights in southern Lithuania. It is the List of cities in Lithuania, sixth-largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, 14th-largest city in the Baltic ...
. Its nature protection status dates back to 1937, it is the oldest nature protection area in Lithuania.
“Zuvintas Visitor Center” requires tickets that cost 2 euros each (2024). However, the trails and the entire area is free of charge of everyone.
Nature
Žuvintas Biosphere Reserve is inhabited by more than 4,200 species of animals, plants, fungi and insects, 137 of which are endangered or protected species.
Around 2000 species are various insects.
In 2023, the combined bird population in this nature reserve totalled nearly 40 thousand.
The area covers almost 20 000 hectares of wetlands, lakes, mires, peatbogs, and pine tree stands. There are three big lakes in the area –
Žuvintas
Lake Žuvintas is a shallow lake in Alytus district, central Lithuania. Area of Žuvintas Lake is 965 ha. It is the shallowest lake in Lithuania with the greatest depth 2.2 m and average only 0.6 m. It is a paradise for water birds, but also fa ...
, , and .
The area lies in an intensive farming region with productive agricultural soil. It is populated, but sparsely, accommodating around 11 thousand people. Less than 10% (about one thousand) live within the buffer zone.
Protection history
Zuvintas Biosphere Reserve consists of strict nature reserves (IUCN category I), nature reserves (IUCN category IV) and is inscribed in national law under a specific protection category.
* In 1937, this nature reserve became the first nature protection area in Lithuania, on the initiative of zoologist
Tadas Ivanauskas
Tadas Ivanauskas (December 16, 1882 – June 1, 1970) was a Lithuanian zoologist and biologist, and one of the founders of Vytautas Magnus University.
Biography
He was born in Lebiodka Manor (today in Belarus) as a third child of Leonard Iwanows ...
.
* In 1940, Soviet Union occupied Lithuania and removed protection status for the area. During
Soviet occupation of Lithuania
The occupation of the Baltic states was a period of annexation of
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania by the Soviet Union from 1940 until its dissolution in 1991. For a period of several years during World War II, Nazi Germany occupied the Baltic st ...
, this was a popular bird and mammal hunting spot for Soviet
nomenklatura
The ''nomenklatura'' (; from , system of names) were a category of people within the Soviet Union and other Eastern Bloc countries who held various key administrative positions in the bureaucracy, running all spheres of those countries' activity: ...
.
* In 1993, Zuvintas Biosphere Reserve became a
Ramsar site
A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention,8 ha (O)
*** Permanent 8 ha (P)
*** Seasonal Intermittent < 8 ha(Ts)
**
Natura 2000
Natura 2000 is a network of nature protection areas in the territory of the European Union. It is made up of Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas designated under the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive, respectiv ...
.
* Since 2004, Žuvintas Biosphere Reserve has the status of
Important Bird Area
An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations.
IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Int ...
(IBA) and
Site of Community Importance
A Site of Community Importance (SCI) is defined in the European Commission Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) as a site which, in the biogeographical region or regions to which it belongs, contributes significantly to the maintenance or restoration at ...
(SAC).
* In 2011,
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
added Zuvintas Biosphere Reserve to the
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 engages w ...
.
In society
* In 2013, Zuvintas Biosphere Reserve was featured on Lithuanian postal stamps.
* In 2021, Lithuania's central bank released a commemorative euro coin dedicated to Zuvintas Biosphere Reserve. Half a million such coins were issued.
Awards
* In 2016, Irish
RTÉ Radio 1
RTÉ Radio 1 () is an Irish national radio station owned and operated by RTÉ and is the direct descendant of Dublin radio station 2RN, which began broadcasting on a regular basis on 1 January 1926.
The total budget for the station in 2010 w ...
won Rose D'Or for The Dawn Chorus programme, featuring bird song from Zuvintas Biosphere Reserve.
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, funga, or features of geologic ...