Life Wadden Sea Tender

Duration 01-SEP-2020 to 31-DEC -2026Total budget 9289740.00 EU contribution 5573843.00 Project descriptionBackgroundThe Wadden Sea area is of international importance for birds and at the same time is densely populated and vulnerable to elevated water levels due to climate change. Six main threats have been identified in Natura 2000 baseline studies and national surveys for bird species and their habitats in poor conservation status in the Danish and German Wadden Sea area. These are 1 Poor hydrology and severe drainage problems due to intensive agricultural activity which limits the occurrence of suitable breeding foraging and wintering habitats for the bird species 2 Lack of breeding feeding and wintering grounds due to intensive agriculture and overgrowth 3 Predation impacts on the birds breeding success 4 Eutrophication and poor soil structure which limits development of appropriate feeding grounds due to the dominance of nitrophilous plant species and algae at the expense of low-growing plant species 5 Lack of multifunctionality and the need for an approach that takes into account both densely-populated human settlements and seabird populations for example conserving bird habitat combined with stormwater storage to reduce flooding risk and 6 Lack of knowledge of the Natura 2000 and the ecosystem services it provides among local people.ObjectivesThe LIFE Wadden Sea Birds project aims to counteract six identified threats to birds and their habitats in the Danish and German Wadden Sea area. Actions will focus on two Natura 2000 sites in the Wadden Sea Marsh in the Atlantic biogeographical region with a focus on waders and meadow birds.The main objectives of teh project are to Significantly increase the number and conservation status of pied avocet Recurvirostra avosetta ruff Philomachus pugnax common tern Sterna hirundo Arctic tern Sterna paradisaea little tern Sternula albifrons short-eared owl Asio flammeus black-tailed godwit Limosa limosa bluethroat Luscinia svecica dunlin Calidris alpina schinzii and Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus by improving and restoring feeding and breeding habitats Significantly increase the number and conservation status of migratingwintering species including widgeon Anas Penelope pintail Anas acuta shoveler Anas clypeata redshank Tringa tetanus and curlew Numenius arquata as well a number of Annex II species such as lapwing Vanellus vanellus and oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus and to maintain a favourable conservation status of other Annex I species Reduce predation including from invasive alien species of the bird species Introduce a multifunctional approach including adaptation to climate change through stormwater storage. The project contributes to improving the conservation status of bird species listed in the annexes of the Birds Directive 2009147EEC an