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3.
Returning the habitats occupied by the plants and animals
Mire species that inhabitated natural mires are still there and
can spread to restored habitats. Still, the disappearance of one butterfly species has been registered from Estonian mires due to drainage. By restoring damaged mires, we can broaden the choice of habitat for plants and animals and thus ensure the survival of these species.
rough economic use, most mires have been lost in European countries. In many countries former widespread mire species have become very rare. In Estonian mires, the typical mire plant and animal species are still present, although their abundance has been greatly reduced.
Mire plants have adapted to the harsh living conditions that prevail in the mires – high water and low oxygen levels, and low availabi- lity of nutrients. e species of other habitats cannot survive in such growing conditions. However, mire plants are not able to survive in di erent growing conditions, they will be out- competed by other species.
Mires are habitats for frogs, a number of spi- ders, butter ies, snails, and other rare animal species. Of large animals, bears, wild boars, and elks can be found in mires – each of them has its own activities and interests, either food or hiding.
Mire birds are private and sensitive to dis- turbances. ey need a large open space, and there is not so many predators in the vast open areas. e most solitary are the waders (whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus), common curlew (Numenius phaeopus), black-tailed
godwit (Limosa limosa), and sandpiper (Tringa spp.). ese are also species that tend to not live elsewhere, just in mires. If the mires are drained, there are no more suitable places
to eat or to nest. In the vicinity of the tourist trails they do not survive, they can’t live suc- cessfully because of stress.
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TEN REASONS TO RESTORE ESTONIAN MIRES / 2019
Wood sandpiper (Tringa glareosa) is nesting in transitional mires and bogs. / A. Leivits