📋 Tender Overview
Start Date: 01/09/2021
End Date: 31/12/2026
Total Budget: 5,351,723 €
EU Contribution: 4,013,790 €
Project Location: Slovenia
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
As in most parts in Europe, extensive high nature value (HNV) grasslands have rapidly declined in recent decades due to intensification or abandonment. Also in Slovenia, the surface of HNV grasslands in Natura 2000 sites is decreasing: the surface of semi-natural dry grasslands, habitat type 6210(*), decreased by 29% (62.3 ha) in the eastern part of SAC Goricko between 2004 and 2012; likewise, the surface of Molinia grasslands at the southern part of Planinsko polje (part of SAC Notranjski trikotnik) decreased by about 70% from 2010 to 2018, whereas alkaline fens only remained in traces (both are part of the qualifying habitat type 3180*). Moreover, some typical species of habitat type 3180* (Turloughs) have become extinct at Planinsko polje, mostly due to intensification. In parts of SAC Julijske Alpe, the habitat type 6210(*) is encroached by shrubs due to land abandonment, whereas species-rich Nardus grasslands (6230*) is locally degraded by tourism and forestry (erosion). Consequently, also plant genetic diversity is being lost and eroded. In that light, it is necessary to establish a seed bank of characteristic taxa from the most threaten habitat types, as they are declining in size and quality. They have either an unfavourable – inadequate status (U1; 3180* and 6230* in Alpine region) or unfavourable – bad status (U2; 6210(*) in Alpine and Continental region). The Botanical Garden of the University of Ljubljana stores a larger number of native angiosperms seeds, but their seeds stem from a limited number of locations, implying low genetic diversity. Thus, increasing the number of accessions of wild grassland angiosperms of priority habitat types in Slovenia (by 12 000), as well as establishing safety duplication of seeds, collected in nature is necessary. Moreover, in Slovenia, there are currently no agri-environmental or other measures to support the production of seeds of native grassland species or grassland restoration. Three measures are planned to be prepared and financially evaluated in the project, and endorsed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food to become part of national agricultural policy after 2027. They will be promoted among farmers, especially those who own HNV grasslands.
OBJECTIVES
The overall objective of LIFE FOR SEEDS is to improve the conservation status of the most threatened grassland habitat types in Slovenia.
More specifically, the project aims to:
Establish a seed bank of characteristic plant species of priority habitat types 3180*, 6210(*) and 6230* and its safety duplicate. The seed bank will hold 12 000 accessions of at least 300 different plant species, collected across 21 Natura 2000 sites in Slovenia, where the above mentioned habitats are listed as qualifying;
Test two different grassland restoration techniques
