Draft:Beka Nature Reserve
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Beka Nature Reserve is a faunal nature reserve located on the Kashubian Coast, on the shores of Puck Bay at the mouth of the Reda River into the Baltic Sea, in northern Poland. The reserve is situated near the former village of Beka, which was gradually claimed by the sea. The only visible remains of the settlement are several tall trees, stone foundations, and a wooden cross standing on the shore of Puck Bay.
The reserve was established in 1988 with an area of 193.18 hectares (477.4 acres). In 1989, its area was officially corrected to 193.01 hectares.[1] In 2018, the reserve was expanded to include the internal marine waters of the Gulf of Gdańsk, increasing its total area to 355.60 hectares. A buffer zone covering 795.50 hectares was also established.[2]
The reserve is located within the boundaries of the Nadmorski Landscape Park and forms part of two Natura 2000 protected areas: the Puck Bay Special Protection Area (PLB 220005) and the Puck Bay and Hel Peninsula Special Area of Conservation (PLH 220032).[3]
Habitats
[edit]The reserve protects a diverse range of habitats, including saline (halophytic) meadows, seasonally wet meadows, sedge fens, reed beds, and coastal dune formations.
The saline meadows support numerous rare, protected, and threatened halophytic plant species, including Gerard's rush (Juncus gerardii), sea milkwort (Glaux maritima), sea arrowgrass (Triglochin maritima), seaside plantain (Plantago maritima), sea club-rush (Bolboschoenus maritimus), Tabernaemontanus bulrush (Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani), red fescue (Festuca rubra), reflexed manna grass (Glyceria distans), and sea aster (Tripolium pannonicum).
A freshwater meadow in the northern part of the reserve provides habitat for several orchid species, including marsh orchids (Dactylorhiza spp.) and the fen orchid (Liparis loeselii). Other protected plant species include marsh lousewort (Pedicularis palustris) and the insectivorous common butterwort (Pinguicula vulgaris).
Fauna
[edit]Beka Nature Reserve provides habitat for numerous rare bird species. Until the late twentieth century, it supported one of Poland's largest breeding populations of the Atlantic subspecies of the dunlin (Calidris alpina schinzii), with up to fifty breeding pairs.
Following the cessation of cattle grazing, extensive areas of salt meadow became overgrown with dense reed beds, resulting in the near disappearance of breeding dunlins. By 1999, only one or two breeding pairs remained, and today the species is observed mainly during migration.
The ruff (Calidris pugnax) has also disappeared as a breeding species within the reserve.
Other bird species recorded as breeding in the reserve include the Eurasian bittern (Botaurus stellaris), greylag goose (Anser anser), common shelduck (Tadorna tadorna), smew (Mergellus albellus), western marsh harrier (Circus aeruginosus), hen harrier (Circus cyaneus), Montagu's harrier (Circus pygargus), spotted crake (Porzana porzana), little crake (Zapornia parva), common crane (Grus grus), Eurasian oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus), common ringed plover (Charadrius hiaticula), common redshank (Tringa totanus), northern lapwing (Vanellus vanellus), common snipe (Gallinago gallinago), little tern (Sternula albifrons), common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis), short-eared owl (Asio flammeus), and citrine wagtail (Motacilla citreola).
The little tern ceased breeding in the reserve after 1997 because of increasing human disturbance on the beaches.
Conservation
[edit]The reserve is managed through active conservation measures.[4] The Polish Society for the Protection of Birds (OTOP) currently conducts a long-term conservation programme involving controlled cattle grazing and reed mowing to restore open meadows, which provide essential habitat for rare halophytic plants and breeding waders.[5]
Location
[edit]The nearest villages are Mrzezino', Rewa, and Osłonino.
References
[edit]- ↑ Regulation of the Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of 10 May 1989 amending the regulation on the designation of nature reserves. Monitor Polski, 1989, No. 17, Item 119.
- ↑ Regional Directorate for Environmental Protection in Gdańsk. List of Nature Reserves in the Pomeranian Voivodeship.
- ↑ General Directorate for Environmental Protection. Central Register of Forms of Nature Protection.
- ↑ General Directorate for Environmental Protection. Central Register of Forms of Nature Protection.
- ↑ Polish Society for the Protection of Birds (OTOP). Beka Nature Reserve.
- ↑ Regulation of the Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of 10 May 1989 amending the regulation on the designation of nature reserves (Report) (in Polish). Monitor Polski. 1989-05-10. pp. Item 119, §24.
- ↑ "List of Nature Reserves in the Pomeranian Voivodeship" (in Polish). Regional Directorate for Environmental Protection in Gdańsk. Retrieved 2018-12-13.
- ↑ "Beka Nature Reserve" (in Polish). Polish Society for the Protection of Birds (OTOP). Retrieved 2018-05-30.
- ↑ "Beka Nature Reserve". Central Register of Forms of Nature Protection (in Polish). General Directorate for Environmental Protection. Retrieved 2018-12-14.
External links
[edit]- Beka at the Nadmorski Landscape Park website (Pomeranian Landscape Parks Complex)