Arhiva monitoring - Drava Life

Monitor Visit

Ana Kuzmanić — Tue, 27 Aug 2019 09:12:06 +0000

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Dwarf Cattail Monitor

Ana Kuzmanić — Mon, 26 Aug 2019 10:09:49 +0000

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Repopulation of German Tamarisk Along the Drava River

Ana Kuzmanić — Tue, 06 Aug 2019 12:20:03 +0000

Donja Dubrava, Legrad – Along the drainage channel of hydropower plant Dubrava more than twenty German tamarisk (Myricaria germanica) plants can be found. Although German tamarisk, as well as dwarf cattail could be found until recently on sandbanks and riverbanks of the Drava in Croatia, nowadays this is no longer the case. They are extinct from the area due to river regulation activities from the past; the remaining German tamarisks no longer survive in their natural habitat.

To reverse that process, within DRAVA LIFE project, the activity of repopulating German tamarisk was carried out. Of course, to do that it was needed to collect seeds as well as cuttings of the plant. On the 2^nd of August, the DRAVA LIFE team collected seeds from 15 plants living along the drainage channel of hydropower plant Dubrava and 10 cuttings from the same plants.

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The seeds were then immediately taken to selected sites on the Drava and Mura-Drava confluence, to repopulate the Drava River’s habitats with them. These sites are the same that were selected for German tamarisk repopulation with plants extracted from three gravel pits in Varaždin and Koprivnica-Križevči County as well as for dwarf cattails (Typha minima) taken from the Upper Drava in Austria.

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The repopulation activity served at the same time as an opportunity for a check of the survival rates of the dwarf cattails planted in spring 2018 and 2019. Unfortunately, no dwarf cattails planted in 2018 could be found probably due to the unfavourable weather conditions during the past year, however, those planted in March 2019 were found in all locations. Even better, on few locations seedlings of dwarf cattail were found, which raises hope that at least some of the plants will survive until the next monitoring.

The repopulation and monitoring activity was organized by the DRAVA LIFE team under scientific advice by Dr. Dragica Purger of the University of Pécs.

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Successful first phase of re-introduction and repopulation of riverine plants along the Drava

bspanicek — Thu, 05 Jul 2018 16:11:12 +0000

Legrad – The first process of reintroduction and repopulation of extinct riverine plants in Croatia was carried out on 3 sites along the Drava River in Koprivnica-Križevci County earlier this year. First monitoring of this action`s results had been planned for May this year but had to be postponed until end of June due to the high water levels that persisted a little longer than two months.

As a part of the re-introduction activity, german tamarisk was moved from the gravel pit near Varaždin and Prelog to the pre-selected locations, while dwarf cattail was transported from Austria, where its population along Drava river is in good condition due to the reintroduction that was carried out throughout several projects.

Patuljasti rogoz na lokaciji Forjanov siget/Dwarf cattail at location Forjanov siget

German tamarisk at location Libanovec/Kebrač na lokaciji Libanovec

“Despite the unfavorable conditions and fear that high water levels will adversely affect plants, we are extremely happy that our first monitoring results showed that the first phase of repopulation and reintroduction was successful. Our expert associate, Dr. Dragica Purger has found separate seedlings on almost all sites where the activities were carried out. Unfortunately, not all plants have survived high water levels but we believe that the species that survived will continue to grow. The first year is crucial in such cases and we will closely monitor plants in the upcoming months. The ultimate success of reintroduction and repopulation can only be ascertained when seedlings are fully adapted to the new habitat conditions and are beginning to reproduce”, said Branka Španiček from WWF Adria.

Both the german tamarisk and dwarf cattail are indicators of healthy and natural rivers. German tamarisk was last recorded in 2013 at the gravel bars near Legrad, while dwarf cattail disappeared from this area more than 20 years ago, to be more precise, last time it was recorded on the gravel bars near Varaždin was in the year 1994.

Both plants are pioneer species that grow on new habitats such as sandbanks and river banks in freshwater ecosystems. They could be found on this kind of habitats along the Drava river in Croatia until the recent past but have become almost extinct from the area with the gradual decrease of such habitats and loss of river dynamics along with rapid and frequent changes in water levels due to hydropower operation. Factors that have contributed to the disappearance of these habitats are lack of sediment as well as decreases of natural river dynamics due to river regulation and hydropeaking.

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