Restoration of aquatic and shore habitats

The key aim in the restoration of aquatic and shore habitats is to enhance the biodiversity of small water bodies and shore environments which may have degraded as a result of land use changes and water construction. Small water bodies mean creeks, brooks and trickles, ponds and springs, and lagoons shaped by land uplift along the coast (flads and glo-lakes). Urgent measures are needed for many brooks and springs, and we already have a lot of experience on methods to restore these. Whole catchments areas are taken into account in the planning of all measures and especially in their implementation schedules. Measures to restore aquatic and shore habitats can also be combined with other conservation themes, including those concerned with mires, bird waters and semi-natural grasslands.

For many shore habitats, more and better baseline data is needed for the planning and targeting of measures. This is why in the first stage the focus is on further studies and data collection. Many of the necessary measures also involve elements that are related to land use planning and legislation. Fortunately, shore habitats already benefit from actions taken in other types of sites covered by the themes of the Helmi habitat restoration programme. In targeting restoration measures priority would first be given to well-inventoried sandy shores and dunes.