Current state of the wetlands
Over the last 100 years, intensive agriculture, river regulation and drainage of large areas due to the acquisition of additional agricultural land have had a major impact on „our“ wetlands in the Morava river alluvium. During the last century, most streams in the Zahorska nizina (lowland) were regulated. This required the construction of dams and the elimination of all significant meanders, which resulted in a reduction in the area of naturally flooded floodplains, deepening riverbeds and the consequent faster outflow of water from the area.
Another important cause of the loss of wetlands in Zahorie is the conversion of alluvial meadows into arable land directly by plowing. Fertilizers and herbicides are regularly used on arable land. Not only does this result in a direct loss of meadows and in wetlands, but the intensive use of chemicals increases the supply of nutrients throughout the river and consequently reduces species richness and the predominance’ of nitrophilous and invasive plant and animal species. The plowing itself has also caused an increase in soil erosion.
Expected results
The main goal of the project is to restore at least 210,000 m2 of degraded land into wetlands by 04/2024, which belong to the Ramsar area of the Morava River in the cadastral territory of the village Male Levare.
The first sub-goal is to restore the degraded ecosystem of Morava river dead arm without intervention in the watercourse, with an area of min. 50,000 m2.
The second sub-goal is the restoration of agriculturally degraded wetlands to species-rich alluvial meadows with a min. area of 50,000 m2 and restoration of degraded and abandoned meadows up to 40,000 m2 and the implementation of stabilization measures to wetland ecosystems on another 70,000 m2.
The third sub-goal is that we also think of people with autism spectrum disorders, to whom the trail will be „friendly“.