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2EED IS THE MAIN CHARACTER IN %STONIAN AND 3OUTHERN &INNISH COASTAL AREAS BOTH ONSHORE AND OFFSHORE 4HE SPECIES ISKNOWN THE WORLD OVER 2EED HAS GRADUALLY ENCROACHED UPONOUR COASTLINE AND ITS EXPANSION HAS BEEN ACCELERATED BY HUMANACTIVITIES EUTROPHICATION CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE CESSATION OFCOASTAL MEADOW MANAGEMENT4HE CHARACTERISTICS OF REED AND REED BEDS AND THEIR SIGNIFICANCE FOR WATER QUALITY ARE DESCRIBED IN THE FIRST AND SECONDCHAPTERS OF THIS BOOK 2EED AS IT IS AND 0URE 2EED2EED CAN BE SEEN AS AN INVASIVE PROBLEM SPECIES 7E CANLOSE OUR FAMILIAR LANDSCAPE AND OUR RECREATION AREAS BECAUSETHE COASTLINE HAS BECOME OVERGROWN 2EED BEDS HOST SEVERALSPECIES BUT AT THE SAME TIME THE AMOUNT OF COASTAL MEADOWAND THE SPECIES THAT LIVE ON IT HAVE DRASTICALLY DECLINED 4HETHIRD CHAPTER 6OICES IN THE 2EED "ED DESCRIBES THE BIODIVERSITYOF REED BEDS AND COASTAL MEADOWS ! GLOSSARY INCLUDING BIRDAND VASCULAR PLANT NAMES IN %STONIAN &INNISH AND 3WEDISHCAN BE FOUND ON THE LAST PAGES2EED BEDS CAN ALSO BE SEEN AS A POSSIBLE SOURCE OF INCOME2EED CAN BE USED AS BIOENERGY AND AS CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL4HE )NTERREG )))! PROJECT h2EED 3TRATEGY IN &INLAND AND %STONIAv HAS DEVELOPED AND TESTED SOME SOLUTIONS SUITABLE FOR OURCOASTAL AREAS 4HE CHAPTER 4OUCH AND 4HATCH DESCRIBES THE HISTORY OF REED AND ITS USE IN ART AND HANDICRAFTS AND THATCHINGROOFING "URNING TO +NOW REVEALS THE CHARACTERISTICS OF REEDAND THE POSSIBILITIES OF UTILISING REED FOR BIOENERGY

4HE BALANCE BETWEEN THE PRESERVATION UTILISATION AND MANAGEMENT OF COASTAL AREAS IS A FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION AND IS ONETHAT IS RELATED TO THE CREATION OF STRATEGY PILOTS IN &INLAND AND%STONIA 7E SHALL SEE AN EXAMPLE OF A STRATEGY MAP OF THE TOWNOF 3ALO IN THE CHAPTER 'ATHERING IN 2EED/UR &INNISH%STONIAN hREED TEAMv FELT THAT THIS MULTI ANDINTERDISCIPLINARY PROJECT FITS WELL IN THE )NTERREG )))! PROGRAMME FRAME 4HIS KIND OF APPROACH WAS IMPORTANT BECAUSESPECIALISTS TEND TO DISCUSS MATTERS IN CIRCLES OF THEIR OWN ANDIN THIS CASE IT WAS ESPECIALLY FRUITFUL TO HAVE INPUT FROM EXPERTSIN OTHER FIELDS )N THIS WAY INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE WASSHARED AND COMPILED IN NUMEROUS MEETINGS 4HE NETWORK CREATED BY THIS PROJECT IS OF VITAL IMPORTANCE TO ITS SUCCESS4HERE ARE REGIONALLY TAILORED SOLUTIONS TO THE QUESTION OFHOW TO MAKE A PROFIT FROM REED WHILE STILL HONOURING OTHERVALUES SUCH AS BIODIVERSITY RECREATION AND WATER PURITY 3USTAINABLE AND ECOLOGICALLY SOUND SOLUTIONS SUCH AS REED CONSTRUCTION WILL CERTAINLY TAKE DEEPER ROOT IN THE FUTURE !FTER ALONG WORKING DAY IT IS HEAVENLY TO REST IN A PEACEFUL THATCHEDHOUSE AND TO BLEND IN WITH THE HARMONY OF NATURE 4HE PROJECT HAS FORMED THE BASIS FOR SEVERAL NEW APPROACHES AND PROJECTS IN THE "ALTIC 3EA 2EGION4HE WINDS OF CHANGE ARE BLOWING

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-ORPHOLOGICALLY THE #OMMON 2EED 0HRAGMITES AUSTRALIS IS APERENNIAL HYDROPHYTEGEOPHYTE WITH USUALLY VERY HIGH SHOOTSUP TO M SELDOM EVEN M 4HE HEIGHT OF THE SHOOTS DEPENDS ON AIR AND WATER TEMPERATURE HUMIDITY THE CONTENTOF NUTRIENTS AND MANAGEMENT 4HE #OMMON 2EED USUALLYFORMS DENSE STANDS AND APPROXIMATELY SHOOTS OF M CANBE FOUND WHICH LEAVES ARE HELOMORPHIC CM SELDOM CMWIDE 4HESE PLANTS HAVE AN EXTENSIVE CREEPING RHIZOME SYSTEMRHIZOMES CM THICK DENSE FIBROUS ROOTS AND VESICULARARBUSCULAR MYCORRHIZA IS A CHARACTERISTIC FEATURE OF ITS ROOTS4HE FLORESCENCE IS A DENSE PANICLE UP TO CM SOMETIMES CM LONG 4HE DURATION OF FLOWERING LASTS UP TO MONTHS0HRAGMITES AUSTRALIS IS CROSSPOLLINATED BY WIND WITH THEWEIGHT OF SEEDS COMPRISING G WHICH ARE NOT ONLY DISPERSEDBY WIND BUT ALSO BY BIRDS WATER AND HUMANS 4HE SEEDBANKIS SHORTAGED TRANSIENT LESS THAN YEAR 2EPRODUCTION BYSEEDS HOWEVER IS POOR AND THE REED GROWS MAINLY VEGETATIVELYBY RHIZOMES (ASLAM /N THE OTHER HAND SEEDS WEREDISPERSED BY HUMANS IN THE )*SSELMEER AREA IN .ETHERLANDS INS RESULTING WITHIN YEARS IN MONOTONOUS REED STANDS2ODEWALD2UDESCU )N PLANT COMMUNITIES THE #OMMON 2EED IS HIGHLY COMPETITIVE ACCORDING TO 'RIME{S LIFESTRATEGY SYSTEM IT IS ACOMPETITORSTRESS TOLERATOR HTTPUFZDEBIOLFLOR 4HE MAINCOMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES OF REEDS ARE AS FOLLOWS ANY LATERAL BUD CAN DEVELOP INTO A HORIZONTAL OR VERTICALRHIZOME TALL AND DENSE REED STANDS PREVENT LIGHT REACHING TOGROUND LEVEL AND SUPRESS THE GROWTH OF OTHER SPECIES THE LITTER MAT COVERS THE GROUND PREVENTING OTHER SPECIESFROM GERMINATING AND GROWING THERE A DENSE ROOT AND RHIZOME SYSTEM CREATES VERY DIFFICULTROOT COMPETITION CONDITIONS FOR OTHER SPECIES IN THE SOIL(ENCE THE REED EXCLUDES SMALLER SPECIES AS A RESULT OF COMPETION AND MODIFYING THE ENVIRONMENTAL GROUND MUCH OF#OMMON 2EED 0HRAGMITES AUSTRALIS 0ICTURE -IMMI 6UORISTO

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4HE SOILS WHERE THE #OMMON 2EED GROWS ARE VERY VARIABLE(OWEVER IT PREFERS NUTRIENTRICH HABITATS WITH ORGANIC MATTER CONTENT UP TO 4HE P( OF THE SOIL CAN VARY BETWEEN BUT IN MOST CASES IT IS 4HE SHOOT HEIGHT IS

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RESULTED IN THE RAPID DECREASE IN BIODIVERSITY 4HE MAIN REASONS FOR THE EXPANSION OF THE #OMMON 2EED ARE AS FOLLOWS DECREASED MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES MAINLY GRAZING ANDMOWING CLIMATIC CHANGES COMPARATIVELY MILD WINTERS WITHOUTPERMANENT ICE ON THE SEA ICE DESTROYS THE REED RHIZOMES INCREASED MEAN T FAVOURS THE GROWTH OF REED

3OME YEARS AGO ONE MORE IDEA EMERGED HELPING TO EXPLAINTHE RAPID INVASION OF THE #OMMON 2EED 4HE COMPARISONOF GENOTYPES OF HISTORICAL USING HERBARIUM COLLECTIONS ANDPRESENTDAY SPECIMENS OF REED DEMONSTRATE THAT THESE AREGENETICALLY DIFFERENT AND PROBABLY HAVE A DIFFERENT ABILITY TOEXPAND TOO 3ALTONSTALL ! GOOD DESCRIPTION ABOUT THEPHYSIOLOGY BIOLOGY ECOLOGY AND RESPONSE TO MANIPULATIONS OFTHE #OMMON 2EED IS GIVEN EG BY -AL AND .ARINE

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(ASLAM 3- 0HRAGMITES COMMUNIS 4RIN "IOLOGICAL &LORA OFTHE "RITISH )SLES n * OF %COL ,AMBERTINI # 'USTAFSSON -(' &RYDENBERG , ,ISSNER *3PERANZA - "RIX ( ! PHYLOGEOGRAPHIC STUDY OF THECOSMOPOLITAN GENUS 0HRAGMITES 0OACEAE BASED ON !&,0S n 0LANT3YST AND %VOL -AL 4+ .ARINE , 4HE BIOLOGY OF #ANADIAN WEEDS0HRAGMITES AUSTRALIS #AV 4RIN EX 3TEUD n #AN * 0LANT 3CI -INCHINTON 4% 3IMPSON *# "ERTNESS -$ -ECHANISMS OF EXCLUSION OF NATIVE COASTAL MARSH PLANTS BY AN INVASIVEGRASS n * OF %COL 2ODEWALD2UDESCU , $AS 3CHILFROHR $IE "INNENGEWSSER"AND 886)) 3TUTTGART3ALTONSTALL + #RYPTIC INVASION BY A NONNATIVE GENOTYPEOF THE #OMMON 2EED 0HRAGMITES AUSTRALIS INTO .ORTH !MERICAn 0ROC OF THE .AT !CAD OF 3CI OF THE 53! 4HE DATABASE "IOL&LOR 5&: #ENTRE FOR %NVIRONMENTAL 2ESEARCHTHE $EPARTMENT OF #OMMUNITY %COLOGY 'ERMANYHTTPWWWUFZDEBIOFLORINDEXJSP ;REF TH !PRIL =

/N SHALLOW SEASHORES REED HAS SPREAD ALL ALONG THE COASTLINE 4HE !RCHIPELAGO 3EA &INLAND /CTOBER 0HOTO %IJA (AGELBERG

)N SPITE OF BEING A PROMINENT PART OF THE COASTAL ECOSYSTEMIN SOUTHERN &INLAND AND %STONIA THERE HAS BEEN A LACK OF ACCURATE INFORMATION ON THE SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF REED 0HRAGMITES AUSTRALIS OR AT LEAST STUDIES CONCERNING THE TOPIC HAVEBEEN RELATIVELY SMALLSCALE AND SCATTERED 2EED IS A CHALLENGINGTARGET TO MAP SINCE IT GROWS ON THE INTERFACE BETWEEN MARINEAND TERRESTRIAL ENVIRONMENTS )N ADDITION ITS APPEARANCE ANDEXISTENCE MARKEDLY DEPEND ON THE ACQUISITION DATE WITH REEDSTANDS OFTEN BEING CHARACTERIZED BY UNCLEAR TRANSITIONAL ZONESTO EGMEADOWS /WING TO THESE REASONS AS WELL AS TO A LIMITEDINTEREST IN PRODUCING ACCURATE REED MAPS THE EXISTING INFORMATION REGARDING REEDGROWING AREAS PRIOR TO THIS RESOURCEMAPPING WAS FOUND TO BE INSUFFICIENT AND NOT UPTODATE TOBE SUITABLE FOR SPECIFIC REEDORIENTED PURPOSES 4HAT IS WHYIT WAS FOUND ESSENTIAL TO CONDUCT THIS ANALYSIS n TO ASCERTAINMORE ACCURATELY WHERE REED ACTUALLY GROWS4HE RESOURCE MAPPING WAS CARRIED OUT OVER A COMPARATIVELYLARGE RESEARCH AREA COASTAL AREAS OF SOUTHERN &INLAND AND .%%STONIA &IG AND THE TIME SPAN ALLOCATED TO COMPLETE THESTUDY WAS THREE MONTHS &EB!PR 7HEN MAPPING VEGETATION PATTERNS SUCH AS REEDGROWING AREAS A SUITABLE BALANCEBETWEEN THE SCALE AND SCOPE HAS ALSO TO BE DECIDED UPON THERESULT OF WHICH BEING THAT THE DECISION MUST CORRESPOND TOTHE WORKLOAD AND THE COSTS AVAILABLE TO BE UTILISED &OR THATREASON THE ANALYSIS WAS CONDUCTED BY INTERPRETING SATELLITE IMAGES ENABLING THE PROCESSING OF A LARGE AREA IN A COMPARATIVELYSHORT TIME !IR PHOTOS WOULD HAVE GIVEN FAR MORE DETAILEDRESULTS BUT NEITHER THE SCHEDULE NOR FINANCIAL RESOURCES SUPPORTED THEIR USE0RIOR TO PERFORMING THE ANALYSIS FOR THE WHOLE AREA A SMALLPILOT STUDY WAS CONDUCTED IN ORDER TO ASSESS THE SUITABILITY

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OF SATELLITE IMAGERY FOR REED RESOURCE MAPPING AS WELL AS TOPROVIDE A ROUGH ESTIMATE ON THE ACCURACY OF THE RESULTS !SMALL AREA NEAR THE CITY OF 4URKU 37 &INLAND WAS SELECTEDFOR THE TESTING AREA BECAUSE OF THE OPTIMAL AVAILABILITY OFSATELLITE IMAGES AND AIR PHOTOS FOR THIS PURPOSE 4HE SATELLITE IMAGES SELECTED WERE THREE SEPARATE ,ANDSAT 4-%4-FRAMES ACQUIRED ON *UNE *ULY AND !UGUST 4HESE ,ANDSAT SATELLITES HAVE A SPATIAL RESOLUTION OF M IETHE IMAGE PIXEL SIZE THE SMALLEST DETECTABLE UNIT AND THEYCONTAIN CHANNELS EACH OF WHICH IS CAPABLE OF DETECTING

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A DIFFERENT WAVELENGTH AREA OF THE SPECTRUM OR %4-SATELLITES POSSESS AN EXTRA PANCHROMATIC CHANNEL ! ,ANDSATFRAME COVERS AN AREA OF X KM WITH A DAY ACQUISITION CYCLE DETECTION FREQUENCY OF THE SAME AREA (OWEVER THEUSABILITY OF A SINGLE FRAME DEPENDS PRIMARILY ON THE WEATHERCONDITIONS !LL OF THESE THREE ANALYSED IMAGES COVERED EXACTLYTHE SAME AREA BUT BECAUSE THEY REPRESENTED DIFFERENT MONTHSOF ACQUISITION THEY MADE IT POSSIBLE TO ASSESS WHETHER THEREWERE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN EARLY AND LATE SUMMER DATES REGARDING REEDGROWING AREAS 7INTERTIME IMAGES WERE NOT CHOSENTO BE UTILIZED BECAUSE THE AVAILABILITY OF WINTER IMAGES OF GOODAND UNIFORM QUALITY WOULD BE FAIRLY DIFFICULT TO OBTAIN FOR THEWHOLE STUDY AREA AS A RESULT OF HIGHLY VARYING SNOWICE CONDITIONS /NE IMAGE ACQUIRED BY !34%2 SATELLITE WAS ALSO INVESTIGATED BUT DESPITE ITS BETTER SPATIAL RESOLUTION M IT WASNOT FOUND TO BE SUPERIOR TO ,ANDSAT IMAGES AS !34%2 IMAGESARE LIMITED BECAUSE OF POORER SPECTRAL RESOLUTION NUMBER OFCHANNELS -OREOVER ANALYSING THE WHOLE RESEARCH AREA BY USING THEM WOULD HAVE BEEN FAR MORE EXPENSIVE AND LABORIOUSCOMPARED TO ,ANDSAT FRAMES !LL THE COMPUTERAIDED ANALYSESNEEDED FOR THE PILOT STUDY AS WELL AS FOR THE WHOLE RESOURCEMAPPING STUDY WERE CONDUCTED IN THE ,ABORATORY OF #OMPUTER #ARTOGRAPHY AT THE $EPARTMENT OF 'EOGRAPHY 5NIVERSITYOF 4URKU &INLAND BY USING %2$!3 )MAGINE AND !RC')3 PROGRAMS4HE PILOT STUDY INVOLVED TESTING SEVERAL METHODS DEVELOPEDFOR SATELLITE IMAGE PROCESSING 4HESE METHODS INCLUDED UNSUPERVISED CLASSIFICATION )SODATACLUSTERING SUPERVISED CLASSIFICATION VEGETATION INDICES )22 AND.$6) AND OTHER SPECTRALENHANCEMENT PROCEDURES PRINCIPAL COMPONENT ANALYSIS AND4ASSELLED CAP nTRANSFORMATION )N CONCLUSION THE BEST RESULTSWERE GAINED BY CAREFULLY SUPERVISED CLASSIFICATION n A METHODTHAT REQUIRES THE DEFINITION OF SMALL TRAINING AREAS FOR EACHSPECTRALLY DIFFERING LAND COVER CLASS "ASED ON THE INFORMATIONPROVIDED BY THE USER THE CLASSIFICATION FOR THE WHOLE IMAGEAREA IS COMPLETED BY THE COMPUTER PROGRAM 3OME FURTHERPROCESSING STEPS WERE FOUND NECESSARY PRIOR TO INTRODUCINGTHE FINAL AREA OF REEDGROWING AREAS IN POLYGON FORMAT ONLYTHOSE AREAS CLASSIFIED TO BE REED IN CONTACT WITH THE SHORELINESHOULD BE KEPT THIS WILL DELETE ALL INLAND hREEDv AREAS THAT AREMORE LIKELY TO BE ERRONEOUSLY CLASSIFIED AND DO NOT BELONG TOTHE SCOPE OF THIS STUDY 4HE REMAINING REEDCLASSIFIED PIXELSSHOULD BE FILTERED BY USING X MAJORITYFUNCTIONS THIS WILLREDUCE NOISE IE FILL SMALL HOLES INSIDE LARGER REED PATCHES ANDDELETE ISOLATED REED PIXELS !FTER CONVERTING THE RASTER DATA SETINTO POLYGON FORMAT BORDER LINES SHOULD BE SLIGHTLY SMOOTHED

OUT TO ACHIEVE A REALISTIC RESULT 2EED PATCHES APPEAR TO EXTENDTHEIR AREA SIGNIFICANTLY DURING THE LATE SUMMER DATES (OWEVER THE EXPANSION OF REED AREAS IN GENERAL BETWEEN THE YEARSn MAY HAVE AFFECTED THE RESULTS 4HE ANALYSIS CONCLUDED THAT LATE SUMMER IMAGES SHOULD BE USED IN THE ANALYSIS&URTHERMORE AN ACCURACY ASSESSMENT OF THE RESULTING REED AREADELINEATIONS WAS PERFORMED BY COMPARING AERIAL IMAGE INTERPRETATION 4WO TRUECOLOUR AIR PHOTOS FROM THE YEAR WEREUSED ACQUIRED AT AN ALTITUDE OF M )T WAS FOUND THAT SATELLITE IMAGE INTERPRETATION IS BY NO MEANS A FLAWLESS METHOD.EVERTHELESS IT STILL IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING FAIRLY ACCURATERESULTS BY RECOGNIZING APPROXIMATELY OF ALL REEDGROWINGAREAS 4HIS DEGREE OF ACCURACY WAS JUDGED TO BE SUFFICIENT TOBE USED IN REED RESOURCE MAPPING4HE MAPPING WAS CONDUCTED FOR THE WHOLE STUDY AREA BYUSING THE METHODOLOGY FOUND MOST SUITABLE DURING THE PILOTSTUDY 4HE SATELLITE IMAGES CHOSEN FOR THIS TASK WERE ,ANDSAT4-%4- IMAGES WHICH FULFILLED THE CONDITIONS SET FOR THEACQUISITION YEAR LESS THAN YEARS OLD MONTH END OF *ULYOR !UGUST AND WEATHER AS FEW CLOUDS AS POSSIBLE AND FORTHE PRICE n THE MOST EXPENSIVE CATEGORIES OF ,ANDSAT IMAGESWERE NOT AFFORDABLE 4HE STUDY AREA WAS COVERED BY USING FOURSEPARATE IMAGE FRAMES ACQUIRED BETWEEN THE YEARS n4WO ADDITIONAL IMAGES WERE USED TO COVER A FEW MINOR CLOUDSPRESENT IN THE MAIN IMAGES 4HERMAL AND PANCHROMATIC CHANNELS WERE REMOVED FROM THE IMAGES AND THEY WERE GEOREFERENCED AND RECTIFIED AT A MAXIMUM ERROR OF METERS WITH WATER AREAS BEING MASKED AWAY !FTER PREPROCESSING PROCEDURESALL SATELLITE IMAGES WERE CLASSIFIED BY USING THE SUPERVISED APPROACH MAXIMUM LIKELIHOOD CLASSIFICATION 4HE CLASSIFICATIONRESULTS OF SEPARATE IMAGES ESPECIALLY OF THE ADJACENT FRAMESWERE CONSTRUCTED TO BE AS SIMILAR AS POSSIBLE BEFORE CONVERTINGTHEM INTO POLYGONS AND COMBINING THE OUTCOME INTO A SINGLEDATA SET !LL POLYGONS OUTSIDE THE SHORE ZONE WERE DELETED ANDRESULTS WERE CHECKED WITH APPARENTLY MISCLASSIFIED POLYGONSBEING REMOVED &INALLY BORDERLINES WERE EVENED OUT7HILE THE RESULTS INDICATED THAT REED IS QUITE COMMON IN THECOASTAL ZONE OF SOUTHERN &INLAND &IG THE EXTENT OF REEDPATCHES VARY MARKEDLY BETWEEN DIFFERENT REGIONS 4HE LARGESTAREAS COVERED BY REED ARE LOCATED IN THE SHELTERED BAYS OFMIDDLEAND SOUTHERN 6ARSINAIS3UOMI PROVINCE AS WELL AS IN EASTERN5USIMAA AND +YMENLAAKSO PROVINCES 2EEDGROWING AREAS AREMOST EXTENSIVE ON THE MAINLAND SHORES n PATCHES GROW SMALLERAND BELTS NARROWER IN THE MORE UNSHELTERED ARCHIPELAGO AREAS4HE TOTAL REED COVERAGE IN THE &INNISH STUDY AREA WAS HA CONSISTING OF APPROXIMATELY SEPARATE POLYGONS /N

THE MUNICIPAL LEVEL THE LARGEST REEDGROWINGAREAS WERE FOUND IN 0ERNAJA HA 0ORVOO HA AND 4AMMISAARI HA)N THE %STONIAN STUDY AREA REED AREAS ARENOT AS EVENLY LOCATED AS IN &INLAND &IG n SOME SHORES ARE TOTALLY LACKING REED BUT AFEW PATCHES ESPECIALLY IN -ATSALU BAY COVERCONSIDERABLY LARGE AREAS 4HE MAJORITY OFOTHER NOTEWORTHY REED AREAS ARE LOCATED ONTHE MAINLAND SHORES AND ON THE SHELTEREDCOASTLINE OF 3AAREMAA ISLAND "Y CONTRASTTHE AREAS OF HIGHER WIND EXPOSURE ARE ALMOSTREEDLESS 3ATELLITE IMAGE INTERPRETATION WASFOUND TO BE MORE DIFFICULT IN %STONIA COMPARED WITH &INLAND BECAUSE OF A LARGER AREAOF MEADOWS AND OTHER REEDLIKE VEGETATIONREEDLIKE REGARDING SPECTRAL SIGNALS RECEIVEDBY SATELLITE 4HE TOTAL COVERAGE OF REEDGROWING AREAS IN THE %STONIAN STUDY AREA WAS HA CONSISTING OF APPROXIMATELY SEPARATE REED POLYGONS /N THE MUNICIPALLEVEL ,IHULA HA 2IDALA HAAND +RLA HA WERE MOST FEATURED BYREEDGROWING AREAS THE TWO FIRSTMENTIONEDOF WHICH ARE SITUATED ON -ATSALU BAY ANDTHE LAST ONE ON THE SOUTHERN COAST OF 3AAREMAA ISLAND

4HE ACCURACY OF SATELLITEBASED MAPPING IS DEPENDENT ON THE METHODOLOGY USED AND THE EXPERIENCE OF THEINTERPRETER 4HE RESULTS HOWEVER MAY ALWAYS BE SEENAS SLIGHTLY SUBJECTIVE .ONETHELESS THE RESULTS ATTAINEDIN THE REED RESOURCE MAPPING WERE REGARDED AS FAIRLYACCURATE COMPARED WITH THE WORKLOAD 3TILL BECAUSETHEY LACK A COMPREHENSIVE ACCURACY ASSESSMENT AND THERESOLUTION OF THE SATELLITE IMAGES RESTRICTS THE DETECTIONOF SMALLER TARGETS THEY SHOULD FOR THE MOST PART BEINTERPRETED AS TREND INDICATING RESULTS /THER SOURCESOF ERRORS ALSO INCLUDE POSSIBLE DEFICIENCIES IN GEOMETRICACCURACY hMIXED PIXELSv OR PIXELS CONTAINING MORE THANONE LAND COVER TYPE FALLACIOUS CLASSIFICATION TRAININGAREAS AND SPECTRAL SIMILARITIES OF REEDGROWING AREASCOVER CLASSES (OWEVER THE PURPOSE OF THE MAPPINGWAS FOUND TO BE SUFFICIENTLY REALIZED n THE STUDY OFFERSA GOOD GENERALLEVEL ESTIMATE OF THE PRESENCE OF REEDGROWING AREAS ON THE COASTAL ZONES OF SOUTHERN &INLANDAND .7 %STONIA PROVIDING A GOOD STARTING POINT FORFURTHER REEDRELATED ACTIVITIES

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4HE METHODOLOGY OF MAPPING REEDS FROM INTERPRETING ,ANDSAT SATELLITE IMAGES HAS BEEN DEVELOPED ANDTESTED IN &INLAND %STONIAN COASTAL CONDITIONS AREDIFFERENT WITH DIFFERENT BEDROCK RELIEF GRADIENTS ANDCOASTAL MORPHOLOGY 4HUS REEDS ARE SUBJECT TO DIFFERENT ECOLOGICAL CONDITIONS 4O CONTROL HOW THE EFFICACYOF THE METHOD IN %STONIAN REEDS &INNISH MAPPING RESULTS WERE COMPARED WITH THE %STONIAN REED MAP FROM3AAREMAA )SLAND "OTH THE AREA OF REED BEDS AND THESPATIAL PLACEMENT OF REED POLYGONS ARE COMPARED4HE 3AAREMAA REED MAP &IG IS MADE BY CORRECTING &INNISH DATA BY ANALYZING TRUE COLOR AERIAL PHOTOSAS WELL AS BY EXAMINING THE %STONIAN BASIC MAP #ORINE LAND COVER DATA COASTAL DATABASES ANDUSING EXPERT KNOWLEDGE4HE RESULTS 4ABLE SHOW THAT THE AVERAGE REEDAREA ERROR AMOUNTS TO WHICH IS IN ACCORDANCEWITH THE PREFERRED PROBABILITY 4HE MAXIMUMERROR IS UP TO IN -USTJALA PARISH 4HE RESULTS ARENOT AS ACCURATE WHEN OR AFTER COMPARING THE COMMONPART OF CORRECTED AND NOT CORRECTED REED POLYGONS )T

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SEEMS THAT POLYGONS DERIVED FROM SATELLITE IMAGES ANDDETAILED REED POLYGONS HAVE A COMMON SPATIAL PART OFLESS THAN MEANING OF CALCULATED REED AREASDONT ACTUALLY HAVE REAL REED COVER )N ,EISI PARISH THECALCULATED REEDS COVER SPATIALLY ONLY OF THE REEDSHAVING AN AREA ERROR OF ONLY )T SEEMS THATBECAUSE REEDS HAVE SPREAD TO THE NARROW AREA ALONGTHE COASTLINE THE SPATIAL ERROR OF ^ M CAN hRELOCATEvREEDS TO AREAS DEVOID OF REEDS4HE RESULTS OF THIS ANALYSIS SHOW THAT THE METHODOLOGY OF MAPPING REEDS FROM A SATELLITE WORKS IN %STONIAN COASTAL AREAS ON THE COUNTY LEVEL /N THE PARISHLEVEL THE PROBABILITY OF ERROR CAN BE TOO SIGNIFICANT TOUSE THIS DATA IN THE ACTUAL PLANNING PROCESS "ECAUSEREEDS USUALLY HAVE A SPECIFICALLY STRETCHED SHAPE THEYARE VERY SENSITIVE TO SPATIAL ERRORS 4HE PREPROCESSINGOF SATELLITE IMAGES MUST BE VERY CAREFULLY PERFORMED INORDER TO PROVIDE THE REED MAP WITH SPATIAL ACCURACY

4ABLE

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0ITKNEN 4 -ISS RUOKOA KASVAA ;7HERE REEDGROWS= 4URUN AMMATTIKORKEAKOULU 4URKU &INLAND0RINTED FORMAT IN SERIES 0UHEENVUOROJA VOL !VAILABLE ALSO IN INTERNET RUOKOFIJULKAISUT ;REF TH -ARCH=

&IG !N EXAMPLE OF THE COMPARISON BETWEEN THE FIRST STUDY WHICH WAS &INNISH AND THE SECOND STUDY WHICH WAS %STONIAN -AP 4AMBET +IKAS

-APPING REED BEDS IN -ATSALU %STONIA 0HOTO +AJA ,OTMAN

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4HIS WORK AIMED TO PRODUCE VEGETATION CLASSIFICATION FORCOASTAL WETLANDS IN TWO PILOT SITES IN 3OUTHWEST &INLAND )NTHIS CLASSIFICATION REED BEDS WERE SUBDIVIDED INTO SEVERAL SUBCLASSES BASED ON SPECIFIC PROPERTIES THAT ARE GENERALLY RELATEDTO THE PARTICULAR STAGE OF REED BED SUCCESSION 4HE STUDY EMPLOYED AN INTERPRETATION OF THE COLOUR INFRARED PHOTOGRAPHSAND FIELD SURVEYS CARRIED OUT DURING THE SUMMER 4HESE')3BASED VEGETATION MAPS WERE THEN COMBINED WITH THE RESULTS OF DRY REED BIOMASS AND THATCH QUALITY MAPPING #OMBINING A VEGETATION MAP AND REED QUALITY MEASUREMENTS INTOONE DATABASE ENABLES AN OVERALL ASSESSMENT OF REED BEDS ANDCAN SERVE AS A STARTING POINT FOR PLANNING OF THE MANAGEMENTACTIVITIES 4HE ARTICLE IS FOCUSING MOSTLY ON THE DESCRIPTION OFTHE METHODOLOGY USED IN THIS WORK

#

0LANNING OF CONSERVATION AND UTILIZATION ACTIVITIES WITHIN REEDBEDS REQUIRES KNOWLEDGE ON THEIR LOCATION EXTENT AND QUALITY4O ASSESS THEIR POTENTIAL BIODIVERSITY VALUE OR USEFULNESS FORBIOENERGY AND CONSTRUCTION PURPOSES THESE COASTAL WETLANDSSHOULD BE CLASSIFIED ACCORDING TO THEIR PROPERTIES 4HERE IS ACHALLENGE HOWEVER TO FIND A UNIFORM CLASSIFICATION APPROACHTHAT CAN BE APPLIED TO DIFFERENT GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATIONS 4HIS ISBECAUSE REED BEDS VARY FROM PLACE TO PLACE DUE TO A NUMBER OFFACTORS INCLUDING CLIMATE TOPOGRAPHY SOIL PROPERTIES AND MANAGEMENT HISTORY OF THE SITE7HILE ALL REED BEDS ARE TYPICALLY DOMINATED BY MONOTONOUSSTANDS OF 0HRAGMITES AUSTRALIS THEY DIFFER IN MANY WAYS 4HEYVARY IN AGE STRUCTURE WATER AND LITTER LEVEL AND PRESENCE ANDABUNDANCE OF OTHER VEGETATION 3TEMS OF REED MAY BE DIFFERENTIN HEIGHT DENSITY AND THICKNESS 4HESE PROPERTIES ARE LIKELY RELATED TO THE GRADUAL STAGES OF SUCCESSION IN THE COASTAL WETLANDAND MAY SERVE AS A BASIS TO CLASSIFY REED BEDS INTO SEVERAL TYPES!S KNOWN AN UNMANAGED REED BED PRESENTS A TRANSITIONAL

STAGE OF NATURAL SUCCESSION FROM YOUNG REED THAT RECENTLYCOLONISED AREAS OF OPEN WATER TO DRY LAND "ECOMING OLDERREED BEDS ACCUMULATE LITTER AND DEAD VEGETATION ON THE GROUNDLEVEL !S A RESULT A LITTER LAYER RISES AND REED BED BECOMES DRYER ALLOWING OTHER PLANT SPECIES INCLUDING SHRUBS AND TREESTO COLONISE THESE HABITATS $IFFERENT REED BED CLASSES REPRESENTDIFFERENT HABITATS THAT VARY IN THE SPECIES THEY CAN SUPPORT4HOSE REED BEDS STANDING IN WATER DURING THE SUMMER OFTENATTRACT BIRDS AND INVERTEBRATES BUT HAVE LITTLE BOTANICAL INTEREST )N CONTRAST REED BEDS WITH WATER LEVELS AT OR BELOW THESURFACE DURING THE SUMMER CONTAIN RICHER PLANT SPECIES COMPOSITION4HE STUDY FOLLOWED THE VEGETATION CLASSIFICATION SCHEMA OF/ESCH /ESCH ACCORDING TO WHICH REED BEDS CAN BEDIVIDED INTO SIX SUBCLASSES RANGING FROM DRY REED BED THATCONTAINS A LARGE AMOUNT OF OTHER VEGETATION CLASS ) TO PURESTANDS OF REED GROWING IN WATER 4HE CLASSIFICATION OF REEDBEDS IS BASED ON THE BEDS STRUCTURE WATER AND LITTER LEVEL ANDPRESENCE AND AMOUNT OF OTHER VEGETATION SEE !PPENDIX FORCLASSES CHARACTERISTICS $UE TO THE WATER LEVEL AND SOIL PROPERTIES GROUND IN REED BED CAN BE MUDDY BOGGY OR RATHER DRYOTHER VEGETATION MAY OCCUR VIGOROUSLY AND BE PREDOMINANTOR BE ABSENT %ACH REED BED CLASS CAN ALSO BE CHARACTERISEDBY THE TYPICALLY ASSOCIATED PLANT SPECIES %MPLOYING THIS CLASSIFICATION AT OUR STUDY SITES ONE MORE REED BED SUBCLASS WASADDED (AVING THE SAME CHARACTERISTICS AS A 6) REED BED CLASS ITDIFFERS FROM IT STRUCTURALLY PRESENTING A MOSAIC OF WATER OPENINGS AND PATCHES OF DENSE REED STANDS 4HIS SUBCLASS HENCEHAS BEEN NAMED AS A 6) MOSAIC TYPE OF REED BEDS $UE TO THESTRUCTURE SUCH REED BED SEEMS TO BE AN IMPORTANT HABITAT FORNUMEROUS BIRD SPECIES

7

4WO COASTAL WETLANDS BOTH REPRESENTED BRACKISH WATER AREASIN DIFFERENT PART OF THE 3OUTHWEST &INLAND WERE USED IN THIS

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3TUDY AREAS IN 4URKU AND 3ALO 3OUTHWEST &INLAND

STUDY /NE IS SITUATED ALONG THE (ALIKONLAHTI "AY 3ALO TOWNIN A PART OF THE 3ALO REGION WHICH IS LOCATED KILOMETRESEAST OF 4URKU AND KILOMETRES WEST OF (ELSINKI 4HE WHOLEAREA OF REED BEDS ALONG THE (ALIKONLAHTI "AY IS MORE THAN HA 7ATER OF THE BAY IS NUTRIENTRICH DUE TO THE RUNOFF FROMTHE SURROUNDING AGRICULTURAL LANDS AND NATURALLY SLOW WATEREXCHANGE RATES %XTENSIVE REED BEDS THERE OFFER SHELTER FOR NUMEROUS MIGRATORY BIRDS AND NESTING SPECIES 4HE SECOND SITE ISLOCATED ON THE ISLAND OF (IRVENSALO WHICH IS A PART OF THE CITYOF 4URKU AND SITUATED IN THE FRONT OF THE 4URKU HARBOUR 4HEWHOLE AREA OF THE ISLAND IS HA WITH REED BEDS COVERINGABOUT HA 0ART OF THE AREA &RISKALANLAHTI IS BELONG TO THE.ATURA .ETWORK

#

0RELIMINARY VEGETATION MAPS WERE BASED ON AN INTERPRETATION OF THE COLOUR INFRARED AERIAL PHOTOS HAVING A HIGH SPATIALRESOLUTION ONE PIXEL COVERS AREA OF M M CAPTURED INEARLY AUTUMN 4HE IMAGES WERE INTERPRETED TO DELINEATE DIFFERENT VEGETATION PATCHES 3EPARATION OF REED BEDS FROM OTHERVEGETATION TYPES IN COLOURINFRARED PHOTOS WAS POSSIBLE DUE TOTHE DIFFERENCES IN COLOUR SHADOWS VARYING FROM LIGHT GREEN TOINTENSIVE RED 4HE DENSITY OF THE VEGETATION CAN ALSO BE SEEN INTHE PHOTOGRAPHS !T SOME SITES ONE CAN EVEN RECOGNISE HEIGHT

OF REED STANDS BASED ON THEIR SHADOWS 4HE INTERPRETATION OFTHE VEGETATION TYPES WAS ALSO SUPPORTED BY THE DIGITAL 4OPOGRAPHIC $ATABASE PROVIDED BY THE .ATIONAL ,AND 3URVEY OF&INLAND 4HIS DATABASE CONTAINS AMONGST OTHERS POLYGONS OFFLOODPLAINS AND MUDDY AREAS 4HE POLYGONS REPRESENTED DIFFERENT VEGETATION TYPES WERE DRAWN UP ONSCREEN IN !RC')35NCLEAR BOUNDARIES BETWEEN PATCHES WERE CHECKED IN THEFIELD EMPLOYING THE GLOBAL POSITION SYSTEM '03 4HE FIELDSURVEYS WERE CONDUCTED IN THE SUMMER OF "ECAUSE THESTUDY AREAS WERE RELATIVELY SMALL IT WAS POSSIBLE TO OBSERVEMOST OF THEM )N THE FIELD THE VEGETATION TYPE OF THE PATCHTHE SITE PROPERTIES SUCH AS BOTTOM CONDITION AND WATER LEVELAND THE PLANT SPECIES FOUND WITH IN WERE RECORDED IN THE DATASHEETS AND THEN INPUTTED INTO THE !RC')3 DATABASE

9 , ,

-APPING OF REED QUALITY AND BIOMASS WAS CARRIED IN SPRING &IELD SURVEY AND LOCATION OF THE SAMPLE POINTS WEREPLANNED BASED ON THE MAPS DERIVED FROM THE SATELLITE IMAGERYAND AIR PHOTOS)N THE FIELD PROPERTIES OF REED STANDS OF EACH SAMPLE SITEWERE FIRST EVALUATED VISUALLY AND THEN MEASURED 4HREE TO SIXQUADRATE SAMPLE PLOTS WERE SELECTED FROM EACH LARGE REED BEDBY USING X M WOODEN FRAME 4HE RESULTS OF THE REED ASSESSMENT WERE RECORDED ON A FIELD SHEET THAT INCLUDED FOLLOW

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2EED BED TYPE 6) MOSAIC -OSAIC OF DENSE REED AND WATER PATCHES (ALIKONLAHTI "AY 3ALO0HOTO .ATALIA 2IKKNEN TH *UNE

2EED BED TYPE )) 2ATHER DRY GROUND THICK LITTER LAYER NUMBER OF OTHER PLANT SPECIES (ALIKONLAHTI "AY3ALO 0HOTO .ATALIA 2IKKNEN TH *UNE

ING PARAMETERS COORDINATES OF THE SAMPLEPOINT DESCRIPTION OF THE SITE AND ITS SURROUNDINGS CURRENT WEATHER CONDITIONSLEVEL OF THE ICESNOW ABOVEGROUND LENGTHOF THE STEM AND BASAL STEM DIAMETER ANAVERAGE OF FIVE STEMS AS WELL AS THE PROPERTIES OF THE REED MATERIAL SUCH AS HARDNESS STRAIGHTNESS AND COLOUR )N ADDITIONTHE COLOUR OF THE LOWEST PART OF THE STEMSWAS CHECKED 7E ALSO MEASURED THE HEIGHTAND BASAL DIAMETER OF THE HIGHEST STEMSTHAT SEEM TO BE ATTRACTIVE FOR BIRD NESTING4HE FOLLOWING EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALWAS USED IN THE FIELD A X M WOODEDPLOT FRAME FIELD SHEETS A '03 NAVIGATORCLIPPERS 6ERNIER CALLIPERS FOR MEASURINGSTEM DIAMETER A METRIC RULER A DIGITALSCALE AND BLACK PLASTIC BAGS(IGH QUALITY THATCHING REED IS BRIGHTYELLOW STRAIGHT AND HARD HARD WHENFELT AND NOT BRITTLE )T STANDS IN BUNCHESFAIRLY UNIFORM IN LENGTH WHERE THE AVERAGE LENGTH IS ABOUT CM LONG AND THEAVERAGE THICKNESS MM )T SHOULD ALSOBE DURABLE AS THATCH )N ADDITION A HIGHQUALITY REED STEM SHOULD BE SLIGHTLY REDDISH AT ITS BOTTOM "ASED ON THESE PARAMETERS REED MATERIAL WAS CLASSIFIED INTO FOURCLASSES RANGING FROM THE PRIMA QUALITYREED TO REED UNSUITABLE FOR THATCHING 4HEFIRST CLASS REED MATERIAL SHOULD BE HOMOGENEOUS IN STRUCTURE AND NO HIGHER THAN TWOMETERS TALL WITH A BASAL STEM DIAMETER MM COARSE AND STRAIGHT DEVOID OF RUBBISH SUCH AS OLD REED STEMS AND THE STEMSOF OTHER PLANTS 4HOSE REED STANDS WHICHARE TOO TALL OR TOO THICK OR CONTAININGPOOR QUALITY MATERIAL CANNOT BE USED FORTHATCHING AND ARE ASSIGNED TO THE FOURTHCLASS OF POOR REED MATERIAL 'OOD QUALITY REED THAT HOWEVER EXCEEDED TWO ANDHALF METERS WAS MARKED AS AN APPROPRIATEMATERIAL FOR REED MATS&OR BIOMASS ASSESSMENT ALL ABOVEGROUND REED STEMS INSIDE A SAMPLE PLOTWERE HARVESTED BY CUTTING THEM AT ICE

SNOW LEVEL AND THEN WEIGHED 4HE FIELD WEIGHT OF REED MATERIAL HOWEVER IS AN UNSTABLE CHARACTERISTIC BECAUSE MOISTURECONTENT MAY VARY SIGNIFICANTLY DUE TO THE WEATHER AND SITECONDITIONS 4HEREFORE THE DRY BIOMASS SHOULD BE ESTIMATEDTO ENSURE COMPARABILITY BETWEEN THE SITES )T REQUIRES DETERMINATION OF MOISTURE CONTENT THAT CAN BE DONE IN A LABORATORY WHERE REED SAMPLES SHOULD BE DRIED AT # FOR HOURS !LAKANGAS

4HE MOISTURE CONTENT CAN BE CALCULATED AS FOLLOWS

&INALLY THE DRY REED BIOMASS CAN BE ESTIMATED BY MULTIPLYING THE FIELD REED BIOMASS ON THE MOISTURE CONTENT ANDEXPRESSED IN TONNES PER HECTARE

! SQUAREMETRE FRAME HAS BEEN PLACED ON THE REED BED %VERY STEMINSIDE THE FRAME IS COUNTED 4HIS IS HOW THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF REEDSTEMS IS MEASURED 3CIENTIST LO +ASK AT WORK IN SPRING IN(IRVENSALO 4URKU &INLAND 0HOTO %IJA (AGELBERG

2EED ENTREPRENEUR -IHKEL ,ING IS SHOWING A &INNISH GROUP HOWTO IDENTIFY THE BESTQUALITY REED FOR THATCHING 3AAREMAA %STONIA-ARCH 0HOTO %IJA (AGELBERG

&IG &OLLOWING VEGETATION TYPES WERE DISTINGUISHED IN THE STUDY AREAS

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&IG 2ESULTS OF VEGETATION MAPPING AND REED QUALITY AND BIOMASS MAPPING HAVE BEEN PUTON THE SAME MAP -AP .ATALIA 2IKKNEN

!LAKANGAS % 3UOMESSA KYTETTVIEN POLTTOAINEIDEN OMINAISUUKSIA 6ALTIONTEKNILLINEN TUTKIMUSKESKUS/ESCH 4 6ANHANKAUPUNGINLAHDEN KASVILLISUUSKARTOITUS *ULKAISEMATON SELVITYS (ELSINGIN KAUPUNGIN YMPRISTKESKUS JA (ELSINGIN VESI JA YMPRISTPIIRI9MPRISTSUUNNITTELU %NVIRO /Y 6ANHANKAUPUNGINLAHDEN LINTUVESI.ATURA ALUEEN HOITO JA KYTTSUUNNITELMA ;-ANAGEMENT PLAN FOR 6ANHANKAUPUNGINLAHTI "AY=

4HE RESULTS OF THE WORK ARE SHOWN IN &IGURES 4URKU AND 3ALO VEGETATION TYPES AND&IGURE (ALIKONLAHTI "AY 3ALO )N LATTERDRY BIOMASS VALUES AND QUALITY CLASSES AREVISUALIZED OVER THE VEGETATION MAP (EREDIFFERENT COLOURS ILLUSTRATE DIFFERENT VEGETATION TYPES AND REED BED CLASSES 4HE GRADESOF BIOMASS VALUES ARE PRESENTED AS DARK PURPLE CIRCLES VARYING IN SIZE WHILE CLASSES OF THEREED QUALITY ARE VISUALIZED BY PATTERNFILLINGGRADES 4HE REED BEDS OF 6) TYPE AND )6 TYPEHAVE BEEN REPRESENTED THE MOST EXTENSIVELYIN BOTH STUDY SITES COVERING ACCORDINGLY AND OF THE STUDY AREA IN 4URKUAND AND OF THE (ALIKONLAHTI "AYSTUDY AREA &IG AND &IG %STIMATES OF ABOVEGROUND DRY BIOMASS OFREED VARY IN THE (IRVENSALO STUDY AREA FROM TO ON AVERAGE TONNES PER HECTARE ANDIN REED BEDS ALONG (ALIKONLAHTI "AY FROM TO ON AVERAGE TONNES PER HECTARE4HE QUALITY OF REED ALSO VARIES SIGNIFICANTLYNOT ONLY FROM PLACE TO PLACE BUT EVEN WITHINTHE SAME REED BED 2EED ON THE EDGES OF THEBED IS USUALLY MORE THICK AND CROOKED ANDCAN BE USED FOR ENERGY PURPOSES 4HE EDGESARE USUALLY RICHER IN OTHER VEGETATION BECAUSE THEY ARE BRIGHTER WARMER AND DRIER!S A RESULT REED MATERIAL HARVESTED FROM THEEDGES REQUIRES MORE LABOUR FOR SEPARATING ITFROM OTHER PLANTS SHOOTS )NSIDE OF REED BEDWIND INTENSITY DECLINES WETNESS INCREASESAND REED TENDS TO BE MORE DENSE THIN ANDSTRAIGHT AND HENCE MIGHT BE BETTER SUITEDFOR THATCHING3UCH DETAILED CLASSIFICATION OF THE COASTALWETLANDS WAS POSSIBLE DUE TO THE RELATIVELYSMALL STUDY AREAS AND AVAILABILITY OF HIGHQUALITY AERIAL IMAGERY )T SHOULD BE NOTEDALSO THAT THE RESULTS OF REED BIOMASS ANDQUALITY MAPPING HAVE TEMPORARY NATURE ANDCAN VARY FROM YEAR TO YEAR DUE TO THE WEATHERCONDITIONS OR MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

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!S A RESULT OF DECOMPOSITION AND PALUDIFICATION FOLLOWING CHANGES IN THE WATER LEVEL THE CURRENT VEGETATION IN THEREED BEDS IS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT 4HE HABITATS OF CATSTAIL ANDCLUBRUSH HAVE EXPANDED AND THERE SEEMS TO BE MORE REED

SWEET GRASS ,ARGE GROUPS OF IRIS GROW IN THE REEDBEDS4HE MAIN FACTORS AFFECTING THE SIZE STRUCTUREAND DYNAMICS OF A REED BED IN -ATSALU AND THEWESTERN COAST OF %STONIA ARE AS FOLLOWS

4HE ABOVE MENTIONED CONTINUING GROWTH INTHE REED BEDS SURFACE AREA IS IN THE MAIN DUETO THE SHAPE OF THE -ATSALU+ASARI 6ALLEY )N THES THE BIGGEST AND WIDEST PART OF -ATSALU"AY REACHED AN IDEAL DEPTH FOR THE SPREAD OF REEDBEDS DUE TO THE ISOSTATIC UPLIFT OF THE AREA &URTHER GROWTH OF THE SURFACE AREA OF THE REED BED ISNOT POSSIBLE BECAUSE THE VALLEY GETS NARROWER IN

4HE -ATSALU REED BED IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST AND OLDEST IN THECOASTAL REGIONS OF THE "ALTIC 3EA 4HE FIRST WRITTEN DETAILS ABOUTTHE REED BED DATE FROM WHEN THE ORNITHOLOGIST 2USSOW AND THE LANDOWNER 'ERNET WERE DESCRIBED THE EXTENSIVEALMOST KM IN TOTAL REED BED IN THE +ASARI RIVER DELTA4HE REED BED HAD #OMMON 2EED BULRUSH AND CALAMUS WITHLARGER CLUMPS OF SEDGE GROWING IN BETWEEN)N % +UMARI ESTIMATED THE -ATSALU REED BED TO BE KM IN SIZE AND HE REPORTED THAT THE REED BED WAS SPREADINGTOWARDS THE WEST IN THE SHALLOW WATERS OF THE BAY AND TOWARDSTHE EAST ALONG THE RIVERBANKS +UMARI "Y THEREED BEDS SURFACE AREA HAD GROWN EVEN FURTHER !CCORDING TO+SENOFONTOVA THE SURFACE AREA OF THE REED BED WASTHEN KM AND IT STRETCHED FROM EAST TO WEST FOR A DISTANCEOF KM AND FROM NORTH TO SOUTH FOR A DISTANCE OF KM

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4HE VAST REED BEDS OF -ATSALU "AY CAN ONLY BE SEEN FROM A WATCHTOWER NEAR 3UITSU 2IVEROR ELSE FROM THE AIR 0HOTO )VAR /JASTE

THE WEST -ERISTE TS +IRSIME 7E CAN ONLY OBSERVEINTERNAL STRUCTURAL CHANGES AND THICKENING OF THE REED BED-ERISTE TS +IRSIME %UTROPHICATION HAS PROBABLY BEEN THE FATE OF -ATSALU "AYTHROUGHOUT HISTORY )N PARTICULAR IN THE S THE SAND THE S WATER CONTAINING LARGE AMOUNTS OF NUTRIENTSFLOWED ALONG THE RIVERS INTO -ATSALU "AY 4HE HEIGHT OF THEREED AND THE THICKNESS OF ITS STEMS INCREASED WITH THE RESULTTHAT THE REED BENT OVER AND BECAME MORE BRITTLE +SENOFONTOVA 0OLMA 4HE RAPID EXPANSION OF THE REED BED WASBLAMED ON AGRICULTURE)F THE SURFACE AREA OF THE DELTAS REED BED APPEARS TO BE GROWING SMALLER THE DECREASE IN HUMAN ACTIVITIES IN THE COASTALREGIONS IN THE S AND S RESULTED IN THE EXPANSION OFTHE -ATSALU "AY REED BEDS ALONG THE SOUTHERN AND NORTHERNSHORES TO THE FORMER COASTAL MEADOWS OF (AESKA AND +EEMUAND ALSO TO THE ISLETS THE PENINSULAR OF 3ASSI THE AREA OF 4AUKSI (AESKA REEFS 3AARDO AND +IIDEVA SHORES LOWER SHORE OF THE0UINEN &OREST 2OOGLAIU PENINSULAR ETC

!CTIVE GRAZING KEEPS THE COASTAL MEADOWS OPEN AND FLAT #OWS ESPECIALLY ARE GOOD GRAZERS IN REED BED AREAS AS THEY DO NOT AVOID MOIST OREVEN WET AREAS (AESKA -ATSALU .ATIONAL 0ARK 0HOTO )IRO )KONEN

4HE DEVELOPMENT OF 3OUTH%ASTERN-ATSALU BAY REED BEDS -APS-ATS-ERISTE

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4HE FIRST MENTION OF THE AREAS BIRDLIFE IS FROM WHEN THECURATOR OF 4ARTU 6)34 5NIVERSITY :OOLOGICAL -USEUM 6ALERIAN2USSOW FIRST FOCUSED HIS ATTENTION ON THE LOCAL BIRD POPULATION/N HIS JOURNEYS HE STUDIED THE PRESENCE AND NESTING HABITSOF BIRD SPECIES 3INCE THEN THE AREA HAS ATTRACTED SEVERALOTHER ORNITHOLOGISTS EACH OF WHOM HAS FOUND SOMETHING NEW)MMEDIATELY BEFORE THE AREA WAS DREDGED IN IES -IHKEL (RMS STAYED HERE FOR ALMOST ONE MONTH (E FOCUSED ONTHE BIRD POPULATION OF THE RIVER DELTA ! MORE THOROUGH STUDYOF -ATSALU "AY WAS UNDERTAKEN BY %ERIK +UMARI 3ITS WHOSEINITIATIVE IN LED TO THE FOUNDATION OF THE -ATSALU NATURERESERVE

4HE SURFACE AREA OF -ATSALU "AY REED BEDS IS APPROXIMATELY HA /RNOTHOLOGICALLY THE REED CAN BE DIVIDED INTO SEVERAL ZONES /NNO 0AAKSPUU +ASTEPLD

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4HE ALMOST DRY LOW REED BED CLOSE TO THE SHORE WITH ITSSEDGE TUSSOCKS AND WILLOW BUSHES HAS MOVED SEVERAL HUNDREDMETRES FURTHER TO THE WEST DURING THE PAST YEARS )NSEVERAL PLACES WHERE REED USED TO GROW NOWADAYS TALL 3EDGE4USSOCKS 2EED 3WEET 'RASS AND )RIS THRIVE !T THE SAME TIMEISLANDS OF ALMOST DRY LOW REED BED WITH 3EDGE 4USSOCKS ANDSOMETIMES 7ILLOW BUSHES CAN BE FOUND SOME WAY FROM THESHORE INSIDE THE EASTERN REED BED FOR INSTANCE NEAR THE HUMMOCK OF 4KU )N SUMMERTIME LOW REED BEDS GROW SCATTEREDIN THE AREA AND THERE ARE PLENTY OF OTHER TYPES OF GRASSES)RIS 3EDGES 2EED 3WEET 'RASS (ORSE -INT #UCKOO &LOWER

+ASARI AND 2UDE APPROXIMATELY BETWEEN THE MOUTH OF THERIVER 3UITSU AND THE END OF THE 2UDE CANAL 4HIS KIND OF REEDBED HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE HABITAT OF THE MOST DIVERSE OF REED BEDBIRD POPULATIONS 4HE REED BED NORTH OF THE OF 2UDE 2IVERONLY CONTAINS A FEW PATCHES OF OPEN WATER 4HE STRIP OF OPENWATER ALSO RUNS ALONG THE -ATSALU MARINE REED BED WHICH ISBEYOND THE BANK OF THE +ASARI RIVER 4HE HABITATS ON THE WESTERN FRINGES OF THE REED BED HAVE REMAINED ALMOST INTACT BUTOVER TIME HAVE MOVED CONSIDERABLY TO THE WEST!BOUT YEARS AGO THE REED BED OF -ATSALU WAS STRUCTURALLYVERY DIFFERENT )N THE CONTINUOUS REED BED THERE WAS OF OPEN WATER IN SMALL AND LARGER PATCHES WHEREAS TOWARDS THEOPEN SEA THE AMOUNT INCREASED TO AND IN THE REEDMOSAIC AREA OF THE OUTER ZONE IT INCREASED TO AS MUCH AS +UMARI 3ITS !LONGSIDE THE CHANGING REED BED THE NESTING BIRD POPULATION HAS ALSO CHANGED TO A GREAT DEGREE 4HE LARGE COLONIESOF "LACKHEADED 'ULLS HAVE DISAPPEARED .OONE KNOWS THEREASON FOR THEIR DISAPPEARANCE 4HE NUMBER OF ,ITTLE 'ULLSIN THE REED BED BEFORE DREDGING VARIED A LOT BUT IT CONTINUEDTO BE A COMMON NESTING BIRD 3INCE THIS SPECIES HAS NOTNESTED IN THE REED BED AS FAR AS IS KNOWN BUT IT IS POSSIBLE THATA COUPLE OF PAIRS MAY HAVE DONE SO 4HERE ARE FEWER LITTLE GULLSHOVERING ABOVE THE REED BED YEAR UPON YEAR OTHER THAN THE OC

.UMBER OF BIRDS NESTING IN THE REED BED IN %ARLIER LITERATURE *GI (RMS +UMARI /NNO 0AAKSPUU +ASTEPLD AND MEANSTHAT THE SPECIES IS DOMINANT FREQUENT OR COMMON MEANS THATTHE SPECIES OCCURS

'REATER 3PEARWORT -ARSH 0EA 3PIKERUSHES ETC/N THE OTHER HAND AREAS OF DRIER RAISED REED BEDSHAVE STARTED TO INVADE SEVERAL PLACES !T THE END OF THES THE ENTIRE SEASHORE AT -ATSALU AND THE SEASHOREON THE 3UITSU SIDE OF ,IHULA VILLAGE HAD BEEN OVERRUNBY DRIER RAISED REED BEDS AND A THIN BELT OF THEM WASALSO FOUND AT THE EDGE OF THE FLOODPLAIN /F LATE THESURFACE AREA OF THESE REED BEDS HAS GROWN CONTINUOUSLYPARTICULARLY AT THE EDGE OF THE FLOODPLAIN )N WINTERREED IS MAINLY HARVESTED FROM THE DRIER RAISED REEDBEDS4HE MAIN SECTION OF THE EASTERN PART OF THE REEDBED COMPRISES A DENSE SHALLOW REED BED WITH LITTLEOPEN WATER WHICH MAKES UP OF THE TOTAL MASS OF REEDGROWTH!CCORDING TO AERIAL PHOTOS THERE IS STILL A THIN BELTOF DENSE DEEPWATER REED BED RUNNING NORTHSOUTH INOPEN WATER IN THE MASS OF REED BEDS IN THE RIVER BETWEEN

CASIONAL FEEDER 4HE OCCURRENCE OF "LACK 4ERN HAS ALWAYS BEENVARIABLE .OWADAYS THE NUMBERS HOVER AROUND THE FIGURE AND IN SOME YEARS THERE MAY EVEN HAVE BEEN FEWER-UTE 3WANS ARE THE DISTINCTIVE FEATURE OF THE REED BED THEYCAN BE SEEN FROM FAR AFIELD AND THE SPECIES IS PARTICULARLY WELLREPRESENTED ON THE OUTER FRINGES OF THE REED BED 4HE NUMBEROF "ITTERN HAS GROWN $URING THE LATEST INVENTORY OF SPECIESTHE NUMBER OF7ATER 2AILS AND 3POTTED #RAKES WAS ESTABLISHEDPARTICULARLY WELL THERE WERE MASSES OF BOTH 4HE NUMBER OFTHESE TWO SPECIES HAS VARIED A LOT OVER THE YEARS AS HAS THEIR ACTIVITY IN THERE WERE TIMES FEWER WATER RAILS AND TIMES FEWER SPOTTED CRAKES IN DRY AND BENT REED STEMS THANTHERE WERE DURING NORMAL WATER LEVELS AND IN UPRIGHT REED IN $URING DRY SUMMERS #ORNCRAKES NEST IN THE REED BED4HERE ARE NUMEROUS 0ASSERIFORMES LIVING IN THE REED BED4HE 3EDGE 7ARBLER IS COMMON IN THE THINNER AND SHALLOWERPART OF THE REED BED AND ON RIVERBANKS )N DRIER AND DENSERSECTIONS OF THE REED BED THERE ARE FEWER OF THEM THESE SECTIONS

ARE DOMINATED BY 2EED 7ARBLERS AND 'REAT 2EED 7ARBLERS4HE REED BED IS FULL OF 2EED "UNTINGS AND 3AVIS 7ARBLERS4HERE ARE PLENTY OF 9ELLOW 7AGTAILS WHOSE OCCASIONAL NESTINGPLACE HAS BEEN THE PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED +UMARI4HE FIRST SIGNS OF HUMAN ACTIVITIES IN -ATSALU REGION DATEFROM THE 3TONE !GE AND THE AREA BECAME PERMANENTLY INHABITED IN THE -IDDLE )RON !GE BETWEEN THE TH AND THCENTURIES 2EED ROOFS WERE POPULAR IN THE -ATSALU REGION TILLTHE END OF THE TH CENTURY BUT THE OLD TRADITION HAVE STILLNOT DECLINED )NCIDENTS ARE KNOWN FROM THE S IN WHICHTHE FARMS ALONG THE SHORELINE PLANTED REED IN THE SHORE AREASIN ORDER TO HAVE A SUPPLY OF IT CLOSE BY2EED WAS ALSO USED IN OTHER WAYS IT WAS USED FOR REED PIPESAND BAGPIPES MATS AND FENCES INSULATION FOR WALLS AND INSPRINGTIME FOR ANIMAL FODDER )N TIMES OF TROUBLE PEOPLEWERE EVEN KNOWN TO HAVE HIDDEN IN THE REED BEDS 4HE REEDBED GUARDS BECAME A PHENOMENON IN THEIR OWN RIGHT 4HE LIFEOF ONE SUCH GUARD IS TOLD IN A CHILDRENS STORY BOOK

! MAGNIFICENT DISPLAY OF MALE 'REAT 3NIPES PLAYING IN THEIR LEKS CAN STILL BE SEEN IN -ATSALU BUT NOT IN &INLAND ANYMORE "UT WHAT ABOUT THE FUTURE7ILL PROACTIVE MANAGEMENT MAKE IT POSSIBLE TO REESTABLISH THE SPECIES IN COASTAL MEADOWS IN &INLAND TOO 0HOTO !NTTI "ELOW

/LD FISHERMENS HUTS ALONG THE 3UITSU 2IVER IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF -ATSALU .ATIONAL 0ARK 3OME OF THE REED ROOFS ON THESE HUTS ARE NEARLY YEARS OLD0HOTO %IJA (AGELBERG

%RIT - 3ILMA LOODUSKAITSEALA THTSUS NIIDU JA ROOSTIKULINDUDE PESITSUSALANE %ESTIS n (IRUNDO LK %RIT - 2ANNANIIDU JA ROOSTIKULINDUDE ASUSTUSTIHEDUS3ILMA LOODUSKAITSEALAL JA %ESTIS n ,OODUSEVAATLUSI 0ENIJELK (RMS - -ATSALU LAHE JA SELLE MBRUSE LINNUSTIKUSTn ,OODUSUURIJATE 3ELTSI ARUANDED LK *GI ! 2USSOWI REISID "ALTIMAADE LINNUSTIKU TUNDMAPPIMISEKS 4ARTU KSIKIRI -ATSALU ,+! RAAMATUKOGUS+SENOFONTOVA 4 -ATSALU LAHE PILLIROOG JA ROOSTIKUD n -ATSALU n RAHVUSVAHELISE THTSUSEGA MRGALA 4ALLINN ,K +SENOFONTOVA 4 0OLMA ' 2OOSTIKE TAIMESTIKU JALINNUSTIKU MUUTUSTEST KESOLEVAL SAJANDIL n -ATSALU 2IIKLIKU,OODUSKAITSEALA KOSSTEEMIDE DNAAMIKA JA SEISUND n -ATSALU2IIKLIKU ,OODUSKAITSEALA AASTAPEVALE PHENDATUD TEADUSLIKTEHNILISE KONVERENTSI ETTEKANNETE KOKKUVTTED ,IHULA AUGUST A4ALLINN 6ALGUS LK

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#OASTAL MEADOW MANAGEMENT AT A VOLUNTARY CAMP IN -ATSALU .ATIONAL 0ARK IN SUMMER 0HOTO +EIJO ,UOTO

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2EED BELONGS TO THE 0OACEAE FAMILY #OMMON 2EED n IN ,ATIN0HRAGMITES AUSTRALIS #AV n IS ONE OF THE MOST WIDELY FOUNDVASCULAR PLANTS IN THE WORLD OCCURRING ON ALL CONTINENTS EXCEPT !NTARCTICA #OMMON 2EED IS ONE OF THE DOMINANT PLANTSPECIES IN %UROPEAN LANDWATER ECOTONES VAN DER 0UTTEN 4HE SPECIES IS PERENNIAL ITS BASAL STEM IS UPRIGHT ANDUSUALLY METRES HIGH )N NUTRIENTRICH AREAS IT CAN GROWEVEN TALLER 4HE LEAVES ARE LONG CENTIMETRES WIDE GREENAND SHARPEDGED 4HE FLOWERS ARE THICK APPROXIMATELY THESIZE OF THE PALM OF YOUR HAND 4HE FLOWERS WILL NOT DEVELOPIN POOR HABITATS WHERE REED GROWS AS A hHABITAT RELICv *ALAS 4HE SIZE OF THE IN FLORESCENCE ALSO DEPENDS ON THEQUALITY OF THE HABITAT 2EED THRIVES IN WETLAND HABITATS ANDGROWS IN FRESH OR IN BRACKISH WATER )N DIFFERENT HABITATS THEGENETICALLY SIMILAR CLONES OF THIS ADAPTABLE SPECIES MAY SEEMREMARKABLY DIFFERENT2EED HAS AN EXTENSIVE CREEPING RHIZOME AND THE UPTURNEDENDS OF ITS BRANCHES DEVELOP INTO AN AERIAL SHOOT *ALAS 2EED SOMETIMES PRODUCES A SHOOT UP TO METRES AWAYFROM THE RHIZOME AND THE SHOOT MAY END UP GROWING IN APLACE THAT APPEARS RATHER DRY )T IS SUFFICIENT THAT A PART OF THERHIZOME IS IN A MOIST HABITAT 2EED RECEIVES ITS NUTRIENTS BYMEANS OF AN EXTENSIVE UNDERGROUND RHIZOME THAT EXTENDS TOA DEPTH OF BETWEEN AND CENTIMETRES )T ALSO HAS THINNER ROOTS OF OVER CENTIMETRES IN LENGTH WHICH GROWS BOTHHORIZONTALLY AND VERTICALLY .UTRIENTS STORED IN RHIZOME AREIMPORTANT IN THE BEGINNING OF THE GROWING SEASON 7ITH THESERESERVES THE PLANT ENSURES ITS SURVIVAL IN CHALLENGING HABITATS'RANELI ET AL 2EED OFTEN IMPROVES THE OXYGENCONTENT OF OXYGEN POOR SEDIMENT BY RELEASING OXYGEN INTO THESEDIMENT THROUGH ITS EXTENSIVE RHIZOME 4HE LIFESPAN OF THERHIZOSPHERE IS APPROXIMATELY YEARS )N POLLUTED AND EUTROPHICATED AREAS THE RHIZOME BIOMASS IS LOW BUT THE SHOOT ISOUTSTANDING 'RIES 'ARBE !T ITS DENSEST A REED BED MAY CONTAIN AS MANY AS SHOOTS PER SQUARE METRE BUT THE AVERAGE DENSITY IS BETWEEN

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AND PER SQUARE METRE *ALAS )N &INLAND THESPECIES FLOWERS IN THE END OF SUMMER AND THE SEEDS RIPEN INMIDWINTER !FTER FLOWERING THE REED STEMS TURN WOODY SHEDTHEIR LEAVES AND REMAIN UPRIGHT THROUGH THE ICE 2EED SEEDSGERMINATE IN &INLAND AT THE RATE OF *ALAS 4HE SEEDS ARE DISPERSED IN LATE WINTER BY THE WIND 6EGETATIVESPREAD BY BELOWGROUND RHIZOMES IS COMMON 3ALTONSTALL ;AMONGST OTHERS= #OLONIZATION OF REED OCCURSTHROUGH THE RHIZOME AND ROOTS hHIDDENv IN THE GROUND ANDIT CAN COLONIZE NEW AREAS MANY METRES PER YEAR $EEP WATERMAY STOP VEGETATIVE COLONIZATION OF NEW HABITATS )F REED HASCOLONIZED NEW AREA IT DOES NOT ALWAYS SUPPRESS THE GROWTHOF OTHER SPECIES DURING ONE GROWING SEASON $OMINANCE ANDMONOCULTURE MAY DEVELOP AFTER SEVERAL YEARS 'SEWELL 2EED OFTEN DOMINATES LANDWATER INTERFACE ANDFORMS MONOCULTURES 2EEDS STEM AND LEAVES GROWS ALMOST ALWAYS ABOVE THE WATER LEVEL /VERWINTERING GREEN BUDS OF REEDARE IN THE UNDERGROUND PARTS OF THE PLANT /VERWINTERINGOCCURS IN GREEN OVERWINTERING BUDS BUT THE NEW GREEN LEAVESEMERGE ONLY IN SPRING %LLENBERG ET AL 4HE DEPTH OF WATER IMPACTS THE OCCURRENCE OF REED /XYGEN TRANSPORT CAPACITY OF REED IS RELATED TO THE WATER DEPTH4HE DEEPER IT GROWS THE MORE DIFFICULT IT IS FOR IT TO TRANSPORTOXYGEN INTO THE ROOTS 4HE OPTIMUM SALT TOLERANCE OF THE SPECIES IS PER MILS 4HE COLONIZATION OF REED INTO NEW AREASCAN ALSO BE AFFECTED BY WAVES ENVIRONMENTAL DISTURBANCECOMPETITION WITH OTHER PLANT SPECIES AND PROBABLY NUTRIENTLOAD 7EISNER 3TRAND 2EED CAN LOWER THE SULPHATECONTENT IN THE UPPER ORGANIC LAYERS OF SEDIMENT WHICH LEADSTO A MORE VIGOROUS GROWTH 4HIS ENABLES REED TO COLONIZE HARSHENVIRONMENTS "ART (ARTMAN 2EED CAN OXYGENATE THE SEDIMENT AROUND ITS ROOTS AND THEREBY PREVENT ITSELFFROM TAKING IN TOXIC SUBSTANCES FROM THE SEDIMENT 'RIES ET AL 4HE OCCURRENCE OF REED INDICATES SLIGHTLY ACIDAND NITROGENRICH CONDITIONS %LLENBERG 2EED GROWS USUALLY IN HARD SEDIMENT WITH LOW AMOUNT OF

ORGANIC MATTER )N SOFT SEDIMENTS AND IN SHELTERED LOCATIONSTHIS SPECIES USUALLY IS NOT GOOD IN COMPETITION WITH OTHERPLANT SPECIES )F REED GROWS ON A SOFT SURFACE IT IS OFTEN GRAZEDBECAUSE ANIMALS CAN HAVE ACCESS TO ITS ROOTS BY PULLING THESTEM2EED HAS BEEN STUDIED EXTENSIVELY BUT ITS IMPACTS ON THEWATER QUALITY ARE NOT ENTIRELY CLEAR AND SOME RESULTS OF THERESEARCH ARE CONTRADICTORY "ECAUSE REED IS A COMMON ANDOFTEN ABUNDANT SPECIES IT IS HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT FOR MANY WATERAND LAND ECOSYSTEMS )N GENERAL AQUATIC MACROPHYTES AREVERY IMPORTANT FACTOR GOVERNING THE NUTRIENT LEVELS IN AQUATICECOSYSTEMS 0HILLIPS

!QUATIC MACROPHYTES COMMONLY STABILIZES THE SEDIMENTS ANDREDUCES THE IMPACTS OF WATER MOVEMENTS ON THE SEDIMENT OFWATER BODIES 6ERMAAT ET AL ;AMONGST OTHERS= AND ITIS COMMONLY KNOWN THAT THEY REDUCE THE GROWTH POTENTIAL OFALGAE 0HILLIPS !QUATIC MACROPHYTES CAN ALSO HAVE ANINDIRECT EFFECT ON THE NUTRIENT LEVELS BECAUSE THEY IMPROVETHE HABITAT OF PREDATORY FISH 4HESE FISH IN TURN CAN HAVE

A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE BIOMASS OF THE FISH THAT ENHANCETHE EUTROPHICATION IE BREAM AND ROACH *EPPESEN 3AMMALKORPI !QUATIC VEGETATION SUPPRESS THE IMPACT PLANKTIVOROUS FISH ON THE ZOOPLANKTON BECAUSE OF THEINCREASED SHELTER FOR ZOOPLANKTON -ICROCRUSTACEANS LIVING INAQUATIC VEGETATION CAN REDUCE THE BIOMASS OF PHYTOPLANKTONREMARKABLY 6AKKILAINEN !QUATIC MACROPHYTES CANALSO SHADE THE PHYTOPLANKTON AND THEREBY AFFECT ITS GROWTHAND BIOMASS *EPPESEN 3AMMALKORPI 2ESEARCH BY 4OIVONEN AND (UTTUNEN AND -ARISTO

SUPPORTS THE GENERAL VIEW THAT THERE IS A STRONG LINKBETWEEN AQUATIC MACROPHYTES AND EUTROPHICATION 4HIS LINK ISOBVIOUS IN WATER BODIES THAT ARE NATURALLY EUTROPHIC A STRONGPOSITIVE CORRELATION BETWEEN NUTRIENT LEVELS AND THE BIOMASSOF AQUATIC MACROPHYTES AT THE LANDWATER INTERFACE 4HE NITROGEN CONTENT OF REED STEMS IS ALSO HIGH IN THE SHORE AREAS OFEUTROPHIC LAKES PROBABLY BECAUSE REED RETAINS NUTRIENTS COMING FROM THE CATCHMENT AREA +VET 3ANDSTRM )F NUTRIENT LOAD OF WATER ECOSYSTEM IS CONSTANT AND HIGHAQUATIC MACROPHYTES ARE ABLE TO CONTROL THE BIOMASS OF PHYTOPLANKTON 6AKKILAINEN )N EUTROPHIC AND ALGAERICHWATER BODIES THE BIOMASS OF AQUATIC MACROPHYTES WILL USU

2EED CAN COLONISE LARGE AREAS AGGRESSIVELY )T CAN GROW DENSELY THE AVERAGE DENSITY IS BETWEEN AND SHOOTS PER SQUARE METRE 0HOTO %IJA (AGELBERG

ALLY REMAIN HIGH EVEN IF THE EXTERNAL NUTRIENT LOAD DECREASES)N SOME CASES NITROGEN IS LIMITING THE GROWTH OF ALAGAE VAN$ONK ET AL 4HE NITROGEN INTAKE OF AQUATIC MACROHYTESIS KNOWN TO BE LINKED WITH THE RHIZOSPHERE AND ITS SURROUNDING SEDIMENT 2ISGAARD0ETERSEN *ENSEN !QUATICMACROPHYTES THAT HAVE BOTH ROOTS AND AERIAL SHOOTS SUCH ASREED CAN KEEP THE PHOSPHORUS LOCKED IN THE SEDIMENT 4HERELEASE OF OXYGEN FROM THE ROOTS CAN LEAD TO THE OXYGENATIONOF IRON AND THIS IN TURN LEADS TO THE RETENTION OF PHOSPHATES!QUATIC MACROPHYTES CAN ALSO INCREASE THE PHOSPHORUS LEVELSIN THE WATER BECAUSE OF THE DECOMPOSING PLANT MASS FOLLOWEDBY A SEDIMENTATION AND AN INCREASE IN ORGANIC MATTER -OSSET AL

$URING A CUT ONLY SMALL QUANTITIES OF NUTRIENTS ARE REMOVEDFROM WATER BODIES ALONG WITH THE REED BIOMASS BECAUSE THE BIOMASS IS NUTRIENT POOR OF THE PLANT MASS !SAEDA )N YEARLY CUTTED AREAS THE REED REMAINS SMALL BUT CUTTING HAS NO IMPACT ON NUTRIENT CONTENTS %ARLY SUMMER CUTTING INCREASES THE LEAKAGE OF NUTRIENTS INTO THE ENVIRONMENT,ATER ON IN THE GROWING SEASON NO MORE LEAKAGE OCCURS 5HLENIUS 'SEWELL +OJO )NTENSIVE CUTTING IN*UNE DURING SEVERAL YEARS CAUSED DECLINE OF REED BECAUSE THENUTRIENT STORAGES IN ROOT SYSTEM WILL BE EXHAUSTED 2EED CUTTING ABOVE THE SURFACE OF THE WATER RESTRICTS THE GROWTH OF THESHOOTS BUT IF YOU WANT TO REMOVE THE REED TOTALLY IT SHOULDBE CUT BELOW THE SURFACE TO STOP OXYGENATION 4HIS MUST BEDONE EARLY IN THE SUMMER IF REED IS GROWING IN MUDDY SUBSTRATES .UTRIENT SUPPLIES IN THE RHIZOME ARE AT THEIR LOWEST WEEKS AFTER THE START OF SPRING GROWTH IN &INLAND THIS ISAT THE END OF *ULYBEGINNING OF !UGUST AND CUTTING IS MOSTADVANTAGEOUS AT THIS TIME 7EISNER 'RANELI !SAEDAET AL #UTTING IN THE END OF !UGUST WILL HAVE NO IMPACTON FUTURE GROWTH BECAUSE THE REED HAS ALREADY STORED ENOUGHNUTRIENTS IN ROOT SYSTEM FOR THE NEXT GROWING SEASON 7EISNER 'RANELI 4HE RECESSION OF A REED BED WILLTAKE YEARS DEPENDING ON THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LOCATION SUCH AS THE QUALITY OF THE BOTTOM SEDIMENTS 7HEN THEREED BED RECESSION OCCURS LOOSE STEMS ABOVE THE SURFACE MAYINCREASE THE NEED TO CLEAN THE SHORE AREAS4HE EFFECTS OF THE CUTTING ON THE WATER QUALITY ARE ALSO DEPENDENT ON THE SIZE OF THE CUT AREA THE TOTAL SURFACE AREA OFTHE REED BED AND ITS LOCATION 4HE REMOVAL OF REED BEDS FROMTHE SHORE AREAS OF THE ISLANDS CLOSEST TO THE MAINLAND MUST BE

)N EARLY SUMMER *UNE THERE ARE A LOT OF NUTRIENTS IN THE STEM AND THELEAVES OF REED WHICH MAKES IT A NUTRITIOUS AND DELICIOUS FOOD FOR CATTLE%ARLY SUMMER CUTTING IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY OF ELIMINATING REED 2EEDCUTTING FOR CATTLE FODDER CARRIED OUT IN -IETOINEN 3OUTHWEST &INLANDON TH *UNE 0HOTO +IMMO (RJMKI

,ATE SUMMER REED HARVESTING *ULY AND !UGUST IS THE MOST EFFECTIVEWAY OF REDUCING NUTRIENTS FROM THE SEDIMENT BECAUSE AT THIS TIME OFTHE YEAR MOST OF THE PLANTS NUTRIENTS ARE FOUND IN THE STEM AND LEAVES4HIS MATERIAL COULD BE SUITABLE FOR BIOGAS PRODUCTION CATTLE DOESNT LIKEIT 2EED CUTTING IN *OROINEN 3OUTHERN 3AVOLAX &INLAND ON TH *ULY 0HOTO %IJA (AGELBERG

VIEWED WITH CAUTION BECAUSE REED HAS A POSITIVE IMPACT ONTHE RETENTION OF NUTRIENTS IN SUCH LOCATIONS )N AREAS FAR FROMMAINLAND THE IMPACT OF REED ON NUTRIENT LEVELS IN WATER ISPROBABLY LOWER ,INDHOLM ;AMONGST OTHERS= BUT THEROLE OF THE REED IN NUTRIENT DYNAMICS OF BRACKISH WATERS IS NOTTOTALLY UNDERSTOOD )F THE LITTORAL ZONE OF OLIGOTROPHIC WATERBODY IS NARROW AND DEEP THE IMPORTANCE OF REED AND HORSETAIL IN RETAINING NUTRIENTS IN THE SEDIMENT IS NOT SIGNIFICANT.URMINEN 4HE PLANT MASS THAT IS REMOVED SHOULDBE TAKEN FAR FROM THE SHORELINE IMMEDIATELY AFTER IT HAS BEENCUT IN ORDER TO PREVENT TO PREVENT NUTRIENT LEAKAGE BACK TOTHE WATER ECOSYSTEM 0LANT MASS CAN BE COMPOSTED OR USED ASANIMAL FODDER +AIRESALO AND 5USI2AUVA HAVE NOTEDTHAT DEAD HORSETAIL DETRITUS MAY CAUSE A PHOSPHORUS LOAD THATIS TIMES GREATER IN LITTORAL WATER THAN THAT CAUSED BY ACTIVELY GROWING HORSETAIL &ALSELY MANAGED REED BEDS ARE NOTABLESOURCES OF METHANE PARTICULARLY IN SPRING 3ORRELL ET AL 4HUS THE REMOVAL OF REED BEDS CAN ALSO HAVE NEGATIVE EFFECTSON THE EMISSION OF GREENHOUSE GASES IF NOT PROPERLY DONE

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4HE CARBON DIOXIDE ORIGINATING FROM PLANT RHIZOME RESPIRATION AND SEDIMENT DECOMPOSITION AND METHANE PRODUCEDIN THE SEDIMENT BY INETHANEPRODUCING MICROBES ARE RELEASEDINTO THE ATMOSPHERE ALSO IN WINTER VIA DEAD REED STEMS THATSTICK OUT FROM ICE COVER 4HE CAPACITY OF REED TO CARRY OXYGENIS NOT SUFFICIENT TO HELP WITH THE REEDCLEANSING PROCESS INWINTERTIME BUT THE AEROBIC METABOLISM OF THE REEDS RHIZOMEIS SUFFICIENT FOR IT TO MAINTAIN ALL OTHER VITAL FUNCTIONS 2EEDCLEANSING IS THEREFORE NOT A VIABLE OPTION IN NORTHERN CLIMATESIN WINTERTIME THE NUTRIENTRICH WATERS WILL NOT BE CLEANSEDBECAUSE THE REED CANNOT TRANSFER SUFFICIENT OXYGEN FROM THE ATMOSPHERE INTO THE SEDIMENT 4HE RHIZOSPHERE MADE UP OF THEREED AND ITS RHIZOME AND ITS SURROUNDINGS INVOLVE PROCESSESTHAT ARE TYPICAL OF OXYGENFREE ENVIRONMENTS 4HE REED STEMSARE AN IMPORTANT ESCAPE ROUTE FOR THE CARBON DIOXIDE THAT ISGENERATED THROUGH RESPIRATION -ETHANE WHICH IS PRODUCEDBY THE MICROBES THAT OPERATE IN THE SEDIMENT IS RELEASED DIRECTLY FROM THE ANAEROBIC SEDIMENT )N WINTERTIME THE DEADSTEMS OF REED FORM A SIGNIFICANT PIPE SYSTEM THROUGH WHICHTHE GASES THAT RESULT FROM METABOLISM ARE CARRIED IN BOTH DIRECTIONS FROM THE SEDIMENT INTO THE ATMOSPHERE AND IN THECASE OF OXYGEN FROM THE ATMOSPHERE THROUGH THE STEM BACKINTO THE SEDIMENT "RIX 2EMOVING THE REED IN WINTERTIME INCREASES THE ABOVESURFACEBIOMASS IN THE NEXT GROWING SEASON )T ALSO INCREASES THE DENSITY OF SHOOTS IN THE NEXT SUMMER /XYGEN TRANSPORT TO ROOTSAND RHIZOMES IN WINTER IS OBVIOUSLY AN IMPORTANT FUNCTION OFDEAD SHOOTS (ASLAM RECOGNISED THAT WINTER CUTTINGINCREASES THE DENSITY OF SHOOTS NOT THEIR SPEED OF GROWTH INNEXT SUMMER )N NARROW REED BEDS ICE OFTEN CUTS THE REEDS BUTTHIS HAS NO IMPACT ON THE FOLLOWING SEASONS GROWTH 4HE POSITIVE IMPACT OF WINTER CUTTING ON THE FITNESS OF REED BEDS WASOBVIOUSLY THE RESULT OF A DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF HIBERNATINGINSECTS AND AN INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF LIGHT AVAILABLE TO THEEMERGING SHOOTS 4HE REED STEMS WHICH WERE CUT FROM THE ICEHAVE OFTEN DENSE POPULATION OF WINTERING INSECTS 4HUS THESEINSECTS WILL NOT GRAZE THE REED AND THE OTHER AQUATIC MACROPHYTES IN NEXT GROWING SEASON IF THE REED IS CUT 'RANLI /N THE OTHER HAND THIS WEAKENS THE BIODIVERSITY INVERTEBRATE POPULATIONS IN REED BED AND WILL ALSO HAVE A NEGATIVEIMPACT ON THE BIRD POPULATIONS IN REED BED $ITLHOGO ET AL )T SEEMS THAT WINTER CUTTING HAS A POSITIVE IMPACT ONTHE VITALITY OF THE REED BED WHICH IN TURN MAY IMPROVE THEREED BEDS ABILITY TO RETAIN NUTRIENT LOAD FROM CATCHMENT AREA

7INTER CUTTING WILL MAKE SUMMER CUTTING EASIER PARTICULARLYIN SHALLOWWATER AREAS AND MAY BE A COSTEFFECTIVE WAY TO STARTREED CUTTING

#HANNEL CUTTING IN LARGE REED AREAS IS BENEFICIAL FOR BIODIVERSITY %NHANCED MOSAIC VARIATION IN REED BEDS IS KNOWN TOINCREASE NUMBERS OF FISH PLANTS AND OTHER ORGANISMS LIVINGREED BED 'OC ET AL !BLE (AGAN 0OULIN ,EFEBVRE #HANNEL CUTTING CLOSE TO THE LANDWATER INTERFACE SHOULD BE AVOIDED BECAUSE IT COULD INCREASE THERUNOFF OF NUTRIENTRICH WATERS FROM THE CATCHMENT AREA INTOTHE WATER ECOSYSTEM 2EED CUTTING WILL OFTEN INCREASE LIVINGSPACE FOR OTHER AQUATIC MACROPHYTES SUCH AS RUSH AND SUBMERGED PLANTS EG +OJO AND SUBMERGED MACROPHYTESWHICH CAN BE MORE EFFECTIVE IN RETAINING NUTRIENTS THAN REED%RIKSSON 7EISNER /N THE OTHER HAND REEDIS NOT ALWAYS SUCH A SIGNIFICANT SOURCE FOR METHANE EMISSIONAS FOR INSTANCE 7ATER ,ILY .UPHAR LUTEA OR 7ATER (ORSETAIL%QUISETUM FLUVIATILE "ERGSTRM ET AL #HANNEL MOVING CAN ENHANCE THE GROWTH OF PHYTOPLANKTONAND THE EFFECTS OF CHANNEL CUTTING ON THE NUTRIENT LEVELS INWATER ECOSYSTEMS MUST BE EVALUATED CAREFULLY )T IS NOT ADVISABLE TO PLAN CHANNEL OR MOSAIC MOVING NEAR AGRICULTURAL AREASDITCHES OR RIVER ESTUARIES )T IS ALSO NOT CLEVER TO MOVE NARROWREED ZONES BETWEEN FIELDS AND WETLAND AREAS 4HESE REED ZONESARE KNOWN TO RETAIN NUTRIENTS OF RUNOFF WATERS ORIGINATINGFROM TERRESTRIAL AREAS IN THE SUMMER IE THE BIOMASS OF AQUATIC MACROPHYTES CORRELATES POSITIVELY WITH THE NUTRIENT LOAD OFTHE AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM -ARISTO 4OIVONEN (UTTUNEN 3ALTONSTALL #HANNEL CUTTING IN LARGE REEDBEDS MAY BE USEFUL IF IT DIVERSIFIES FISH HABITATS AND IF CUTTEDCHANNELS ARE COLONIZED BY SUBMERGED MACROPHYTES )N THISWAY BIODIVERSITY IMPROVES AND THE DIVERSIFIED VEGETATION HASPOSITIVE IMPACT ON THE FISH POPULATION AND THE AMOUNT OF ZOOPLANKTON WHICH WILL CONTROL THE BIOMASS OF PHYTOPLANKTON

)N -ARCH AND !PRIL WHEN THE PREVIOUS YEARS REED BIOMASSIS DRIEST IT IS POSSIBLE TO REMOVE REED BEDS FROM THE ICE BYBURNING IT 3HOOTS WILL NOT GET DAMAGED IF THE BURNING IS CARRIED OUT EARLY IN THE SPRING FOR EXAMPLE IN -ARCH BUT SOMEDAMAGE WILL OCCUR IF THE REED IS BURNED IN THE MID !PRIL WHEN

4HERE ARE TWO BENEFITS TO WINTER HARVESTING THE DECOMPOSING OXYGENCONSUMING BIOMASS IS REMOVED WHICH IMPROVES WATER QUALITY AND THE REED ITSELF CAN SERVE AS A RAW MATERIAL FOR THATCHING OTHER TYPESOF CONSTRUCTION BIOENERGY AND AS MULCH IN GARDENS 7ITHOUT WINTERHARVESTING REED RAFTS DRIFT ASHORE 0HOTO %IJA (AGELBERG

3TUDENTS MAKING WATERQUALITY MEASUREMENTS IN A CHANNEL IN THEREED BED AT ,AUKANLAHTI "AY 0ERNI &INLAND 0HOTO %IJA (AGELBERG

GROWTH HAS STARTED "URNING SEEMS TO BE AN EFFECTIVE METHOD FORREMOVING THE REED IN LATE SUMMER BUT IN WINTER AND IN SPRING ITSEEMS TO INCREASE THE DENSITY OF REED SHOOTS IN NEXT GROWING SEASON #ROSS &LEMING 2EED BURNING IN THE LATE SUMMERIN NORTHERN AREAS IS NOT EASY BECAUSE THE WATER CONTENT OF REEDIS HIGH 4HE IMPACT OF THE REED BURNING ON THE WATER QUALITY HASNOT BEEN STUDIED 4HE ASH OF REED IS VERY RICH IN SILICON )SOTALOET AL 4HE FIRE HAS SEVERE IMPACT ON THE NEXT SEASONS GROWTH OF REEDONLY IF IT IMPACTS THE SOIL DEEPLY VAN DER 4OORN -OOK 2EED BURNING REDUCES THE AMOUNT OF OXYGEN AND THUS WEAKENSTHE VIABILITY OF REED IF THE WATER LEVEL IS HIGH 4HE DECLINE OFREED BED WILL OCCUR AFTER BURNING IF THERE IS A FLOOD AFTERWARDSWHICH WEAKENS THE OXYGEN TRANSPORTATION CAPABILITY OF REED2OLLETSCHEK ET AL 2EED BURNING IS AN EFFECTIVE MEAN TODESTROY REED MASS )T DOES NOT PRODUCE HARMFUL METHANE EMISSIONS WHICH WILL HAPPEN IF REED BIOMASS DECOMPOSES IN OXYGENPOOR CONDITIONS

4HE REMOVAL OF REED MUST ALWAYS BE CARRIED OUT WITH CARE ANDTHE POSSIBLE EFFECTS OF BURNING ON NUTRIENT LEVELS IN WATER ECOSYSTEMS AND ON WATER ORGANISMS MUST BE STUDIED ON A CASEBYCASEBASIS 4HE OVERALL EFFECTS OF REED ON WATER QUALITY CANNOT ALWAYSBE PREDICTED BECAUSE MANY OF ITS IMPACTS ARE INDIRECT AND THECUTTING OF REED CAN FOR INSTANCE INCREASE THE GROWTH OF OTHERAQUATIC MACROPHYTE SPECIES AND THUS DIVERSIFY THE HABITATS OFZOOPLANKTON AND FISH -OSAIC AND CHANNEL CUTTING OF LARGE REEDBEDS IS USEFUL IN GENERAL AND PROBABLY DOESNT INCREASE THE NUTRIENT RELEASE FROM THE SEDIMENT )F OTHER AQUATIC MACROPHYTE SPECIES COLONIZE CUTTED CHANNELS IT MAY BE BENEFICIAL FOR THE WATERECOSYSTEM /THER METHODS OF REMOVAL MAY ALSO BE USED IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES )F IT BECOMES NECESSARY TO REMOVE ENTIRE REEDBEDS IT SHOULD BE DONE CAREFULLY 2EED MAY RECOVER FROM EVENPERSISTENT ATTEMPTS TO REMOVE IT BECAUSE IT HAS REMARKABLE STORESOF NUTRIENTS IN ITS UNDERGROUND ROOT SYSTEMS 3HOOT CUTTINGSHOULD ALWAYS BE DONE BELOW THE WATER LEVEL IF THE AIM IS TO STOPREED GROWTH COMPLETELY )T IS ADVISABLE NOT TO REMOVE REED BEDSBETWEEN FIELDS AND WETLANDS OR ALONG DITCHES OR RIVER ESTUARIES2EMOVING REED FROM THESE HABITATS CAN HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACTON WATER ECOSYSTEMS BECAUSE IT CAN INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF NUTRIENT FLOW INTO WATER ECOSYSTEM AND THUS ENHANCE EUTROPHICATION /N IMPORTANT ISSUE IN THE MANAGEMENT OF REED BEDS IS THATMOVING OF REED CAN HAVE SUBSTANTIAL EFFECTS ON GREENHOUSE GASEMISSIONS &ALSE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES MAY INCREASE THE EMIS

SIONS OF GREENHOUSE GASES INTO THE ATMOSPHERE %XTENSIVECUTTING OF REED BEDS MAY ALSO INCREASE LIVING SPACE FOR OTHERAQUATIC MACROPHYTES WHICH CAN INCREASE EMISSIONS MORETHAN REED 2EED CUTTING IN LARGE AREAS ENHANCES THE GROWTHOF PHYTOPLANKTON BECAUSE OF THE INCREASED OPEN WATERAREAS WHICH ARE BENEFICIAL FOR PHYTOPLANKTON AND OF THEDECREASED COMPETITION WITH AQUATIC MACROPHYTES

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0HOTO &INNISH NATIVE CATTLE IN (IRVENSALO 4URKU /UTI 4UOMELA

2EED BEDS ARE AN IMPORTANT HABITAT FOR MANY BIRD SPECIES4HE EXPANSION OF REED BEDS RESULTING FROM EUTROPHICATIONCAUSED BY MANS EFFLUENT LAND UPLIFT AND IN PART CLIMATECHANGE HAS GENERATED NEW HABITATS FOR REEDBEDDEPENDENTBIRD SPECIES 4HE DISTRIBUTION OF MANY TYPES OF REEDBED BIRDSHAS EXPANDED IN THE COURSE OF THE LAST CENTURY AND THE EXISTINGSPECIES HAVE INCREASED IN NUMBERS )N #ENTRAL %UROPE BUILDING AND THE DRAINAGE OF LAND FOR AGRICULTURAL USE HAS RESULTEDIN REED BEDS BECOMING MORE SCARCE OF LATE 3EVERAL #ENTRALAND 3OUTHERN %UROPEAN BIRD SPECIES TYPICAL OF REED BEDS HAVEALMOST BECOME EXTINCT )N MANY COUNTRIES SUCH AS %NGLANDAND 'ERMANY NEW REED BEDS HAVE BEEN PLANTED TO PROTECT THETHREATENED BIRD SPECIES OF THE REED BEDS

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4HE MOSAIC SHAPE OF REED BED IS IMPORTANT FOR MANY BIRD SPECIES 0ERNAJA 'AMMELBYVIKEN0HOTO 4ERO 4APONEN

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!T THEIR BEST REED BEDS ARE SHELTERED AND NUTRIENTRICH NESTING HABITATS FOR MANY BIRD SPECIES ,USH GRASSY INLETS SUPPORTVARIED AND ABUNDANT INSECT POPULATIONS AND ARE THEREFORE ANIMPORTANT BREEDING GROUND FOR MANY SPECIES OF FISH !T ITSBEST A REED BED INCLUDES A VARIETY OF STRUCTURES INTERSPERSEDWITH WATERWAYS OF DIFFERENT DEPTHS 4HESE CONDITIONS WILLGUARANTEE A DENSE DIVERSE BIRD POPULATION )F THERE ARE EXTENSIVE COASTAL MEADOWS CONNECTED TO THE REED BEDS THE VALUE OFTHE WETLANDS INCREASES EVEN FURTHER $ABBLING $UCKS LIKE TOFEED IN COASTAL MEADOWS WHICH ALSO ATTRACT NESTING WADERS$IFFERENT BIRD SPECIES PREFER DIFFERENTLY STRUCTURED REED BEDS

3OME SPECIES SUCH AS THE"ITTERN "OTAURUS STELLARISREQUIRE EXTENSIVE REED BEDS INORDER TO NEST 3TUDIES SHOWTHAT BITTERN WILL ONLY NEST INA REED BED OF MORE THAN HECTARES IN SIZE WITH AN OPENZONE CLOSE TO THE WATERS EDGEWHERE THE BIRD CAN CATCH FISH4HE MOSAIC SHAPE OF THE REEDBED IS IMPORTANT FOR MANYOTHER BIRD SPECIES WITH THEMAJORITY OF BIRDS PREFERRINGTHE EDGES OF THE VEGETATIONSUCH AS THE BORDERS BETWEENTHE REED BED AND OPEN WATER%UTROPHICATION REDUCES THENUMBER OF BIRDS IN AN AREAAND EVEN DRIVES CERTAIN SPECIES AWAY 3OME SPECIES SUCHAS THE -ARSH (ARRIER #IRCUSAERUGINOSUS AND "ITTERN LIKETO LIVE IN DAMP AND INACCESSIBLE PARTS OF THE REED BED

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7HEN TOO MUCH ROTTING REEDMATERIAL COLLECTS AT THE BOTTOMOF THE REED BED AND THE AREA BECOMES EASY FOR PREDATORY MAMMALS TO ACCESS THE BIRDS WILLFIND OTHER NESTING PLACES 2AILSAND COOTS SUCH AS THE 7ATER2AIL 2ALLUS AQUATICUS AND 3POTTED #RAKE 0ORZANA PORZANARESPOND IN A SIMILAR WAY TO THEDRYING OF REED BEDS 2EED "UNTINGS %MBERIZA SCHOENICLUS ONTHE OTHER HAND CAN NEST EVEN INDRY REED BEDS BUT THE NUMBEROF NESTS WOULD THEN REMAIN CONSIDERABLY LOWER THAN IN DAMPINDENTED REED BEDS-ANY BIRD SPECIES NEST CLOSETO OPEN WATER AT THE OUTER EDGESOF REED BEDS %XAMPLES OF THESEKINDS OF BIRDS ARE 'REAT #RESTED'REBE 0ODICEPS CRISTATUS 3LAVONIAN 'REBE 0ODICEPS AURITUSAND #OOT &ULICA ATRA WHICH BUILD THEIR LOW HEAPSHAPEDNESTS OF REED AT THE EDGE OF THE REED BED OR IN A SPARSE REED BED)F THE REED BAYS HAVE SUITABLE NESTING AREAS THE "LACKHEADED'ULL ,ARUS RIDIBUNDUS WHICH IS RELATIVELY NEW AMONG &INLANDS BIRD SPECIES MAY ALSO SET UP A NEST THERE 4HE SPECIESEXPERIENCED DRAMATIC GROWTH IN THE S BUT THE NUMBERSHAVE SINCE DROPPED #OLONIES OF "LACKHEADED 'ULLS OFTENNEST IN EUTROPHICATED WETLANDS AND OFFER OTHER BIRDS PROTECTION AGAINST PREDATORS !T THEIR BEST THERE MAY BE THOUSANDSOF PAIRS OF EYES TO KEEP WATCH FOR THE MOVEMENTS OF PREDATORSTHAT ALSO THREATEN THE NESTS OF OTHER SPECIES NESTING AMIDSTTHEIR COLONY SUCH AS 4UFTED $UCKS !YTHYA FULIGULA #OMMON 2EDSHANKS 4RINGA TOTANUS AND MANY OTHER SPECIES,ITTLE 'ULLS ,ARUS MINUTUS MAY SETTLE DOWN TO NEST AMIDSTCOLONIES OF "LACKHEADED 'ULLS IN INLAND REED BAYS BUT MAYALSO FORM THEIR OWN NESTING COLONIES )N &INLAND THIS SPECIESRARELY NESTS IN COASTAL BAYS7HEN THE WATER LEVEL DROPS AND THE EUTROPHICATION OF REEDBEDS REACHES A CERTAIN POINT THE NUMBER OF BIRD SPECIES FALLSQUICKLY )N EXTENSIVE HOMOGENEOUS AND PALUDIFICATED REEDBEDS THE NUMBER OF SPECIES DECREASES AND THE MOST VALUABLESPECIES DISAPPEAR ALTOGETHER 4HE MOST DEMANDING OF THE SPECIES NESTING IN REED BEDS ARE THE "ITTERN AND THE -ARSH (AR

4HE 7ATER 2AIL IS RARELY SEEN BUT ITS BELLOWING WHICH RESEMBLES PIGLIKE SQUEALING IS HEARD AT NIGHTS IN DENSEREED BEDS 0HOTO !NTTI "ELOW

RIER /F THE WATER BIRDS THE FIRST TO DISAPPEAR ARE THE $IVING$UCKS #OMMON 0OCHARDS !YTHYA FERINA AND 4UFTED $UCKSCAN MANAGE IN LUSH SHALLOW WATERWAYS BUT WITH THE WATERLEVEL DECREASING FURTHER THEY TOO FIND OTHER PLACES TO NEST /FTHE $ABBLING $UCKS THE -ALLARD AND 4EAL WILL WITHSTAND THECLOSURE OF OPEN WATERWAYS THE LONGEST 4EALS CAN SOMETIMES BEFOUND IN TINY PATCHES OF OPEN WATER IN THE MIDDLE OF A REEDBED4HE MAJORITY OF SPECIES REQUIRE AN EXTENSIVE REED BED FORNESTING 3OME SPECIES CAN MANAGE IN A MORE RESTRICTED SECTIONOF THE REED BED !MONG THESE SPECIES ARE THE #OMMON 2EED"UNTING AND 3EDGE 7ARBLER !CROCEPHALUS SCHOENOBAENUSWHICH CAN NEST IN A SHRUB OUTSIDE THE REED BED !MONG THENEWCOMERS OF THE LAST CENTURY ARE THE 'REAT 2EED 7ARBLER!CROCEPHALUS ARUNDINACEUS AND 2EED 7ARBLER !CROCEPHALUSSCIRPACEUS WHICH REQUIRE REED BEDS THAT ARE MORE EXTENSIVEAND SUBSTANTIAL 4HE "EARDED 4IT 0ANURUS BIARMICUS WHICHLANDED IN &INLAND SOME TWENTY YEARS AGO SEEMS TO HAVE SETTLED IN EXTENSIVE REED BEDS IN &INLAND BUT IN #ENTRAL %UROPEIT CAN NEST EVEN IN SMALLER REED BEDS AS LONG AS THERE ARE NESTING PLACES AVAILABLE (OWEVER IN &INLAND "EARDED 4ITS DID NOTSETTLE IN THE INLAND REED BEDS BUT INSTEAD ALL THE REED BEDS THEYUSE AS REGULAR NESTING SITES ARE LOCATED IN COASTAL BAYS

2EED BEDS ARE ALSO AN IMPORTANT HABITAT FOR MANY OTHERNEWCOMERS TO &INLAND SUCH AS ,ITTLE 'REBE 4ACHYBAPTUSRUFICOLLIS 'ADWALL !NAS STREPERA -ONTAGUS (ARRIER #IRCUSPYGARGUS AND ,ITTLE #RAKE 0ORZANA PARVA #ITRINE 7AGTAIL-OTACILLA CITREOLA NESTS AT THE EDGES OF WETLAND MEADOWS ANDREED BEDS WITH THE NEST OFTEN FOUND INSIDE THE REED BED

2EED BAYS ARE SIGNIFICANT RESTING AND FEEDING AREAS DURING MIGRATION PERIODS $URING MIGRATION THOUSANDS OF WATER BIRDSCAN GATHER IN A REED BED ON THEIR WAY TO THE NORTHERN NESTING GROUNDS 4HEY EITHER STOP IN THE REED BAYS TO WAIT FOR THEWEATHER TO IMPROVE OR TO OBTAIN EXTRA NOURISHMENT FOR THENEXT STAGE OF THEIR MIGRATORY JOURNEY -OST WATER BIRDS REQUIREEXTENSIVE SHALLOW OR SEMISHALLOW OPEN WATER AREAS AND HETEROGENEOUS VEGETATION )N PARTICULAR $ABBLING $UCKS LIKE TOSLEEP HIDDEN INSIDE THE REED BED WHILST $IVING $UCKS REMAININ THE OPEN WATER SLEEPING IN A DENSE FLOCK7ADERS DO NOT LIKE DENSE REED BEDS 4HEY ARE ONLY FOUNDIN THE OPEN FRINGE AREAS OF REED BEDS ON SHALLOW SPARSELYVEGETATED SHORES OR IN COASTAL MEADOWS 3NIPE 'ALLINAGO GALLINAGO IS THE ONLY WADER THAT MAY STOP IN REED BEDS IN GREATERNUMBERS0LENTY OF 0ASSERIFORMES REST IN REED BEDS DURING MIGRATORYJOURNEYS 4HE POPULATION MAINLY CONSISTS OF SPECIES NESTING INTHE REED BED BUT SPECIES LIVING IN OTHER TYPES OF HABITAT ALSO

/NLY IN RECENT DECADES HAS THE "EARDED4IT SPREAD OUT TO NEST IN THE MOSTREPRESENTATIVE REED BED AREAS OF .ORTH %UROPE 0HOTO !NTTI "ELOW

STOP BY TEMPTED BY THE RICH NOURISHMENT AND PROTECTION OFFERED BY THE REED BED !MONG THE MOST COMMON VISITORS ARE7ARBLERS SUCH AS 7ILLOW7ARBLERS 0HYLLOSCOPUS TROCHILUS AND"LUETHROATS ,USCINIA SVECICA

)NSECTS AND OTHER INVERTEBRATES WHICH LIVE IN THE WATER ANDON SEA BEDS OR LAKE BOTTOMS ARE AN IMPORTANT FOOD SOURCE FORBOTH WATER BIRDS AND WADERS )N PARTICULAR THE BIOMASS OFMOSQUITO LARVAE IS VERY LARGE AND SIMILARLY THE LARVAE OF DRAGONFLIES AND CADDISFLIES CAN BE VERY PLENTIFUL7ATER FLEAS WHICHARE CRUSTACEANS ARE AN IMPORTANT FOOD SOURCE 7ATER BEETLESARE ALSO SUITABLE FOOD FOR BIRDS)N THE SAME WAY INVERTEBRATES ARE IMPORTANT FOOD SOURCESFOR FISHES 7ITHOUT AN ABUNDANCE OF INVERTEBRATE ANIMALS ASUBSTANTIAL BIRD POPULATION COULD NOT DEVELOP IN REED BEDAREAS %QUALLY IMPORTANT ARE DRAGONFLIES AND MOSQUITOES THATHAVE EMERGED FROM THE WATER AND SIMILARLY MANY OTHER FLYINGINSECTS ARE IMPORTANT ESPECIALLY AS FOOD FOR 0ASSERINES2EED BEDS ATTRACT PLENTY OF FEEDERS FROM THE SURROUNDINGAREA DURING NESTING TIMES 4HE REED BEDS ABUNDANT INSECTPOPULATION ATTRACTS HUNDREDS OF SWALLOWS PARTICULARLY DURING PERIODS OF BAD WEATHER %VEN 3WIFTS !PUS APUS WHICHMORE REGULARLY FEED IN HIGH ALTITUDES MAY ALIGHT CLOSE TO AREED BED IN SEARCH OF FOOD DURING RAINY AND WINDY CONDITIONS.ORTHERN (OBBIES &ALCO SUBBUTEO WHICH NEST CLOSE TO THEREED BAYS CAN BE SEEN ABOVE THE REED BEDS CHASING DRAGONFLIESDURING THE SUMMER MONTHS7ATER BIRDS CHANGE ALL THEIR WING FEATHERS AT ONE TIME WHENTHEY ARE COMPLETELY UNABLE TO FLY FOR A SHORT TIME ,USH REEDBED AREAS ARE IMPORTANT WATER BIRD MOULTING AREAS BECAUSETHERE IS ABUNDANT FOOD IN A SMALL AREA AND THE REED BED OFFERSSHELTER FROM PREDATORS 3EVERAL HUNDREDS OR EVEN THOUSANDS OFMOULTING WATER BIRDS GATHER IN THE BEST REED BED AREAS'REY (ERONS !RDEA CINEREA FROM NEARBY COLONIES STAY AT THEFRINGES OF THE REED BED THEY LIKE TO FISH IN THE AREA BETWEENTHE REED BED AND THE OPEN WATER !LSO FEEDING ON THE FISH INTHE REED BAY ARE /SPREYS 0ANDION HALIAETUS WHICH CAN COMETO FISH FROM SOME DISTANCE AWAY #OMMON 4ERNS 3TERNAHIRUNDO AND !RCTIC 4ERNS 3TERNA PARADISAEA AND SOMETIMESEVEN #ASPIAN 4ERNS 3TERNA CASPIA FISH IN THE OPEN SECTIONSOF THE REED BEDS)N WINTER TIME MANY DIFFERENT SPECIES FEED ON THE SEEDS ANDINSECTS OF THE REED BED "LUE 4ITS 0ARUS CAERULEUS "EARDED4ITS AND 2EED "UNTINGS ARE SOME OF THE MOST COMMON SPE

CIES IN THE REED BED 4HE 'REAT 'REY 3HRIKE ,ANIUS EXCUBITORLOOKS FOR PREY FROM A SUITABLE OBSERVATION POINT AND THE ,ESSER3POTTED7OODPECKER $ENDROCOPOS MINOR TAPS FOR INSECTS THATWINTER INSIDE THE REEDS

)N &INLAND THERE ARE FEW REEDNESTING BIRDS THAT ARE UNDER THETHREAT OF EXTINCTION !MONG THE THREATENED SPECIES NESTINGIN THE RICH BIRD WATERS OF &INLAND ARE -OORHEN 'ALLINULACHLOROPUS "LACK 4ERN #HLIDONIAS NIGER 'REAT 2EED 7ARBLERAND "LACKHEADED 'ULL /F THESE NEWCOMERS ONLY THE "LACKHEADED 'ULL HAS DECREASED IN NUMBERS IN RECENT TIMES THEOTHER SPECIES ARE CONSIDERED THREATENED BECAUSE OF THE SMALLSIZE OF THEIR POPULATIONS!NNEX OF THE %UROPEAN "IRDS $IRECTIVE WHICH LISTS THESPECIES FOR WHICH THE MEMBER COUNTRIES MUST ALLOCATE SPECIFICPROTECTION AREAS CONTAINS MORE SPECIES RESIDING IN REED BEDS4HIS IS LARGELY DUE TO THE POOR CONDITION OF REED BEDS IN SOUTHERN %UROPE THE "IRDS $IRECTIVE WAS DRAFTED IN WHEN THE%5S MEMBER COUNTRIES ONLY CONSISTED OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN

4HE -ARSH (ARRIER NEEDS EXTENSIVE AND WATERY REED BEDS FOR NESTING 0HOTO !NTTI "ELOW

%UROPEAN COUNTRIES3EVERAL LARGE REED BEDS HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THE INTERNATIONAL WETLANDS PROTECTION AGREEMENT THE SOCALLED 2!-3!2AGREEMENT &INNISH PROTECTION SITES HAVE BEEN INCLUDED INTHE 2!-3!2 PROJECT ONE THIRD OF WHICH ARE COASTAL BAYS ORLAKES THAT HAVE BEEN OVERTAKEN BY REED )N %STONIA THERE ARE 2!-3!2 SITES INCLUDING MOSTLY COASTAL WETLANDS BUT ALSOSEVERAL EXTENSIVE MIRE AREAS

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4HE NUMBER OF REED BEDS HAS INCREASED MAINLY DUE TO EUTROPHICATION 4HEY HAVE FORMED DENSE REED BEDS AND OVERTAKEN PREVIOUSLY OPEN COASTAL MEADOWS $UE TO EUTROPHICATIONTHE REED BEDS ARE DRYING UP AND SHRUBS AND TREES ARE BEGINNINGTO GROW 4HE WETLAND SPECIES ARE GRADUALLY DISAPPERING 3TUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT THE NUMBER OF WETLAND BIRD SPECIES WILLREMAIN HIGHER IN REED BEDS THAT ARE CUT REGULARLY THAN IN REEDBEDS THAT ARE NEGLECTED "URNING A REED BED ALSO HAS AN IMPACTON ITS STRUCTURE AND THEREFORE ON ITS BIRD POPULATION4HE BIODIVERSITY OF COASTAL REED BEDS MUST BE RETAINED INSUCH A WAY THAT AS WELL AS MAINTAINING ORNITHOLOGICALLY IMPORTANT REED BEDS COASTAL MEADOWS AND WATERWAYS ARE ALSOKEPT OPEN )T IS POSSIBLE TO UTILISE A REED BED IN A WAY THAT ALSO

BENEFITS ITS BIRD POPULATION #UTTING A REED BED IN A STEPPEDFASHION IN ALTERNATE YEARS DECREASES THE AMOUNT OF PLANT MASSIN THE AREA AND THEREFORE SLOWS DOWN ITS EUTROPHICATION )NORDER TO ENSURE THE DIVERSITY OF THE BIRD POPULATION IT IS ESSENTIAL TO STOP THE EXPANSION OF THE REED BEDS ONTO THE COASTALMEADOWS /N THE OTHER HAND CUTTING THE REED BEDS COMPLETELY REDUCES THE NUMBER OF BIRD SPECIES THAT ARE DEPENDENTON REED BEDS BY PREVENTING THEM FROM SETTLING IN THEIR USUALAREA IN THE SPRING %VEN THOUGH THE REED BEDS GROW BACK IN THESUMMER THE BIRDS WILL HAVE ALREADY MOVED ELSEWHERE IN THEREMAINING REED BEDS!CKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE STRUCTURAL DIFFERENCES OF REED BEDSIN THEIR MAINTENANCE BRINGS DIVERSITY TO BIRD POPULATIONS &ORINSTANCE THE 2EED 7ARBLER AND 3EDGE 7ARBLER LIKE TALL REEDBEDS AND "EARDED 4ITS PREFER TALL AND THICK REED BEDS 4HE2EED "UNTING LIKES OPEN ASPECTS PREFERRING TO STAY AT THE EDGE

!FTER SUMMER CUTTING OF THE REED BED !NSERIFORMES DUCKS GEESE AND SWANS AND 3WALLOWS COME TO FEED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY TO THE AREA WHICH HAS BEENCUT 0HOTO %IJA (AGELBERG

OF REED BEDS NEAR OPEN WATER 4HE "ITTERN NEEDS WATERY ANDSHALLOW EDGES AND PLENTY OF FISH FOR NOURISHMENT !CCORDINGTO STUDIES CONDUCTED IN %NGLAND THE SIZE OF THE REED BED MUSTBE AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED A MINIMUM OF HECTARES OFWHICH MORE THAN MUST BE OPEN WATER 4HERE MUST BE ATLEAST METRES OF REED BED EDGE PER HECTARE! KEY FOR ENSURING A HEALTHY BIRD POPULATION IS TO CHANGEUNIFORM REED BEDS INTO STRUCTURALLY MORE DIVERSE REED BEDS )NASSESSING THE NEED FOR MAINTENANCE THE PRESENCE OF THREATENEDAND DEMANDING BIRD SPECIES MUST BE CONSIDERED SO THAT THEIRHABITATS ARE NOT DAMAGED BY THE MAINTENANCE MEASURES SELECTED 4HE FRINGE AREAS SUCH AS COASTAL MEADOWS AND SHRUBSMUST ALSO BE CONSIDERED WHEN MAINTAINING REED BEDS THEY CANBE USED BY REEDBASED BIRDS FOR NESTING OR FEEDING4HE DIGGING OF PONDS IS AN EFFICIENT METHOD OF INCREASING THEAREA OF OPEN WATER SUITABLE FOR WATER BIRDS 0ONDS OFFER BOTHADULTS AND YOUNG BIRDS FEEDING AND MOULTING AREAS WHICH ARESHELTERED FROM PREDATORS 4HE PRODUCTION OF WATER INSECTS INTHEM IS HIGH AT LEAST AT THE START BECAUSE THE PROPORTION OFPONDSIDE VEGETATION IS INCREASED 0ONDS INCREASE THE INDENTEDSHAPE AND MARGINAL EFFECTS OF THE REED BEDS WHICH INCREASESTHE DIVERSITY OF THE POPULATIONS OF BOTH WATER BIRDS AND OTHERWETLAND BIRDS 5NDERWATER AND FLOATING LEAFY VEGETATION DEVELOPS IN PONDS4HE MOSAIC SHAPE OF HOMOGENOUS REED BED AREAS CAN ALSOBE INCREASED BY CUTTING ! REED BED CAN BE MADE TO REGRESSQUITE QUICKLY BY CUTTING *UST CUTTING FOR TWO TO THREE YEARSWEAKENS REED BEDS EFFECTIVELY IF THE SHOOTS ARE CUT UNDERNEATHTHE WATER SURFACE 4HE REMOVAL OF ROOTSTOCKS COMBINED WITHCUTTING SUBSTANTIALLY IMPROVES THE EFFECTS OF MAINTENANCE ANDIS A SUITABLE METHOD IN PLACES WHERE GRAZING CANNOT BE USED ASAN EFFECTIVE FORM OF MAINTENANCE 4HE MUDDY POOLS PREFERREDBY WADERS ARE ALSO FORMED IN THIS WAY

,INTULAHDET ,IFE "IRD "AYS ,IFE IS A WETLAND RESTORATIONPROJECT FUNDED BY THE %5 ,IFE .ATURE &UND WHICH INCLUDEDTHE MANAGEMENT OF WETLANDS IN 5USIMAA AND 3OUTHWEST&INLAND 4HESE WETLANDS ARE LOCATED ALONG THE 'ULF OF &INLANDMIGRATORY FLYWAY AND ARE PART OF THE .ATURA NETWORK0ICTURE 4HE KEY AIM OF THE PROJECT WAS TO STRENGTHEN THEIMPORTANCE OF THE .ATURA AREAS AS STAGING AREAS PARTICULARLY DURING MIGRATORY PERIODS AND TO IMPROVE THE HABITATS OFTHE WETLAND SPECIES MENTIONED IN THE "IRDS $IRECTIVE AND THE(ABITATS $IRECTIVE)N A TOTAL OF HECTARES OF PALUDIFICATED COASTAL MEADOWS WERE RESTORED BY THE ,INTULAHDET ,IFE PROJECT !TTHE START OF THE PROJECT MANY OF THE RESTORATION SITES WERE COVERED BY AN ALMOST CONTINUOUS REED BED AND WERE SILTED UP TO ASIGNIFICANT DEGREE 0ICTURE )N PLACES THE PALUDIFICATION HADADVANCED TO SUCH AN EXTENT THAT A LOT OF WILLOWS AND DECIDUOUSCOPSES HAD STARTED TO GROW )N SOME AREAS THE RESTORATION SITESWERE INITIALLY FLOODPLAIN REED BEDS OF THE TRANSITION MIRES ANDQUAKING BOGS BIOTYPE ELSEWHERE THEY WERE "ALTIC BOREAL COASTALMEADOWS !T ITS BEST THE VEGETATION CONSISTED OF JUST A THINSTRIP OF LOWGROWING MEADOW PLANTS AT THE TOP OF A MEADOW)N THE MAJORITY OF THE RESTORED SITES GRAZING HAD STOPPED DECADES AGO AND THERE WERE HARDLY ANY SIGNS OF IT IN EITHER THEVEGETATION OR THE FLORA *UDGING BY THE VEGETATION AND DITCHESSOME OF THE LAND HAD ONCE BEEN CULTIVATED4HEIR POTENTIAL AS A STAGING AND NESTING AREA FOR MIGRATORYBIRDS WAS CONSIDERED TO BE THE MAIN FACTOR IN THE SELECTION OFRESTORATION SITES 4HE MOST IMPORTANT SELECTION CRITERIA WERETHE FEASIBILITY OF OPENING UP A SUFFICIENTLY EXTENSIVE OPENMEADOW THE SURVIVAL OF MEADOW SPECIES IN THE AREA INFORMATION ABOUT THE FORMER GRAZING HISTORY OF AN AREA AND ITS LOCATION IN RELATION TO CURRENTLY MAINTAINED GRAZING MEADOWS OROTHER OPEN HABITATS AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO MOW THE MEADOWALL THE W