Regional Park Labanoras – Lithuania

Background Regional Park Labanoras

On May 7, 2004, the regional park Labanoras in Lithuania became an associated member of the Living Lakes network of the Global Nature Fund. Ten staff members of the park administration supervise and maintain the park. The Labanoras Park is located 80 km northeast of the Lithuanian capital Vilnius.

Regional Park Labanoras – features and data 

The park covering a surface of 553 sq. km was established in 1992. About 70 lakes with a surface of 260 sq. km represent 41 % of the total surface. On 30 sq. km upland moors and other wetlands are found. 30 runnels and 3 rivers flow in / through the park. Forests (mainly consisting of pine) comprise 80 % (400 sq. km) of the total area.     

The park is home to 54 mammal, 172  bird, 5 reptile and 11 amphibian species. Spawning salmon in small rivers which due to warm water sources are not completely frozen in winter, even at thirty degree below zero, is a natural treasure of the park. 

Mammals are represented by beaver, otter, and elk. Beaver are ecologically particularly important as for example they dam up drainage ditches and thus create new wetlands. Among the nesting birds are (in pairs): 5 Arctic Loon, 10 Dunlin, 15 Osprey, 5 - 7 Bittern, 50 Crane, 1 - 2 Black Stork, 20 Common Kingfisher, 10 Spotted Crake  and 100 Black Grouse. Nowhere else in Europe more couples of White Stork per square kilometres are nesting than in Lithuania.

The plant species diversity in the regional park Labanoras is very high. Botanists counted 120 different bushes of swamp willow, 300 flower stalks of bog gentian, 80,000 common spotted orchid, 2,300 water lobelia and 200 water-lily blossoms.    

Problems Regional Park Labanoras

The biggest problem are the 300,000 vacationers who regularly spend their weekends and holidays in the area. A solution would be to direct holiday makers from the protected areas to the many lakes in the vicinity which are not under protection.

Climate change (less rain) causes the drying of upland moors in the regional park with the consequence of increased growth of pine and birch.

As many farmers abandon the cultivation of their fields and meadows, the fallow land area increases and finally is transformed to wood with the consequence that the population of White Stork and other species is diminishing. The problem could be solved by extensive pasture e.g. with robust year-round grazing cattle. 

Partner organisation Regional Park Labanoras

Labanoro regioninio parko direkcija

Labanoro mstl.

8235 Švenčionių raj., Luthuania

Phone: +370 - 8 - 387 47142

Fax: +370 - 8 - 387 47142

E-mail: info@labanoroparkas.lt

Website: www.labanoroparkas.lt