Ādaži was established in 2004 as a protected landscape in Ādaži and Saulkrasti municipalities of

Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...

. Pieriga, Gauja is on the right bank of the lower reaches Ādaži military poligone and its adjacent territories. The area was created to preserve Latvia's rare habitats created during military training - dry heaths and open inland dunes with sand dune meadows, bluish meadow meadows and mesotrophic lakes, as well as a significant number of specially protected plant and animal species. The area also includes the Lieluika and Mazuika lakes nature reserve. Lake Mazuika is recognized as a benchmark for a clear water lake in the

Baltic region The terms Baltic Sea Region, Baltic Rim countries (or simply the Baltic Rim), and the Baltic Sea countries/states refer to slightly different combinations of countries in the general area surrounding the Baltic Sea, mainly in Northern Europe. ...

. Natura 2000 territory. Until 2019, economic activities in the area were governed by general rules on the use of specially protected areas, but special protection and use rules have been in force since 24 October 2019. Individual protection and use regulations of the protected landscape area “Ādaži” have entered into force
/ref> In total 51 species of flora (2) and fauna (49) are protected under EU Nature directives.

Flora

Two species of flowering plants - cutleaf anemone ('' Pulsatilla patens'') and sand pink ( ''Dianthus arenarius'' subsp. ''arenarius'') are protected under EU Nature directives.

Fauna

Protected

mammal Mammals () are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia (), characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding (nursing) their young, a neocortex (a region of the brain), fur or ...

s are the brown bear ('' Ursus arctos''), Eurasian otter ('' Lutra lutra''), western barbastelle ('' Barbastella barbastellus'') and pond bat ('' Myotis dasycneme''). Protected invertebrates are the marsh fritillary (''

Euphydryas aurinia The marsh fritillary (''Euphydryas aurinia'') is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. Commonly distributed in the Palearctic region, the marsh fritillary's common name derives from one of its several habitats, marshland. The prolonged larval ...

'') and large white-faced darter (''

Leucorrhinia pectoralis The large white-faced darter or yellow-spotted whiteface (''Leucorrhinia pectoralis'') is a small dragonfly belonging to the genus '' Leucorrhinia'' in the family Libellulidae. This species is long and is the largest member of its genus in Euro ...

''). Protected fishes are spined loach ('' Cobitis taenia''), brook lamprey (''

Lampetra planeri The brook lamprey (''Lampetra planeri'', also known as the European brook lamprey and the western brook lamprey) is a small European lamprey species that exclusively inhabits freshwater environments. The species is related to, but distinct from, ...

''), mud loach ('' Misgurnus fossilis'') and European bitterling (''

Rhodeus amarus The European bitterling (''Rhodeus amarus'') is a temperate freshwater fish belonging to the subfamily Acheilognathinae of the family Cyprinidae. It originates in Europe, ranging from the Rhone River basin in France to the Neva River in Russia. ...

''). Protected birds are the tawny pipit ('' Anthus campestris''), golden eagle ('' Aquila chrysaetos''), lesser spotted eagle (''

Aquila pomarina The lesser spotted eagle (''Clanga pomarina'') is a large Eastern European bird of prey. Like all typical eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. The typical eagles are often united with the buteos, sea eagles, and other more heavy-set Acc ...

''), short-eared owl ('' Asio flammeus''), hazel grouse ('' Bonasa bonasia''), bittern ('' Botaurus stellaris''), nightjar (''

Caprimulgus europaeus The European nightjar (''Caprimulgus europaeus''), common goatsucker, Eurasian nightjar or just nightjar, is a crepuscular and nocturnal bird in the nightjar family that breeds across most of Europe and the Palearctic to Mongolia and Northwest ...

''), white stork ('' Ciconia ciconia''), black stork ('' Ciconia nigra''), short-toed eagle (''

Circaetus gallicus The short-toed snake eagle (''Circaetus gallicus''), also known as the short-toed eagle, is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal Bird of prey, raptors such as kite (bird), kites, buzzards ...

''), marsh harrier (''

Circus aeruginosus The western marsh harrier (''Circus aeruginosus'') is a large harrier, a bird of prey from temperate and subtropical western Eurasia and adjacent Africa. It is also known as the Eurasian marsh harrier. Formerly, a number of relatives were includ ...

''), roller ('' Coracias garrulus''), corncrake (''

Crex crex The corn crake, corncrake or landrail (''Crex crex'') is a bird in the rail family. It breeds in Europe and Asia as far east as western China, and migrates to Africa for the Northern Hemisphere's winter. It is a medium-sized crake with buff- ...

''), whooper swan ('' Cygnus cygnus''), white-backed woodpecker ('' Dendrocopos leucotos''), middle spotted woodpecker ('' Dendrocopos medius''), black woodpecker ('' Dryocopus martius''), ortolan bunting ('' Emberiza hortulana''), merlin (''

Falco columbarius The merlin (''Falco columbarius'') is a small species of falcon from the Northern Hemisphere, with numerous subspecies throughout North America and Eurasia. A bird of prey once known colloquially as a pigeon hawk in North America, the merlin br ...

''), red-breasted flycatcher ('' Ficedula parva''), great snipe ('' Gallinago media''), pygmy owl (''

Glaucidium passerinum The Eurasian pygmy owl (''Glaucidium passerinum'') is the smallest owl in Europe. It is a dark reddish to greyish-brown, with spotted sides and half of a white ring around the back of the neck. This species is found in the boreal forests of Nort ...

''), crane (''

Grus grus The common crane (''Grus grus''), also known as the Eurasian crane, is a bird of the family Gruidae, the cranes. A medium-sized species, it is the only crane commonly found in Europe besides the demoiselle crane (''Grus virgo'') and the Siberia ...

''), little bittern ('' Ixobrychus minutus''), red-backed shrike ('' Lanius collurio''), woodlark ('' Lullula arborea''), bluethroat (''

Luscinia svecica The bluethroat (''Luscinia svecica'') is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae. It, and similar small Europea ...

''), osprey ('' Pandion haliaetus''), honey buzzard ('' Pernis apivorus''), three-toed woodpecker (''

Picoides tridactylus The Eurasian three-toed woodpecker (''Picoides tridactylus'') is a medium-sized woodpecker that is found from northern Europe across northern Asia to Japan. Taxonomy The Eurasian three-toed woodpecker was formally described in 1758 by the Swed ...

''), grey-headed woodpecker (''

Picus canus The grey-headed woodpecker (''Picus canus''), also known as the grey-faced woodpecker, is a Eurasian member of the woodpecker family, Picidae. Along with the more commonly found European green woodpecker and the Iberian green woodpecker, it is o ...

''), golden plover (''

Pluvialis apricaria The European golden plover (''Pluvialis apricaria''), also known as the European golden-plover, Eurasian golden plover, or just the golden plover within Europe, is a largish plover. This species is similar to two other golden plovers: the America ...

''), little crake ('' Porzana parva''), spotted crake (''

Porzana porzana The spotted crake (''Porzana porzana'') is a small waterbird of the family Rallidae. The scientific name is derived from Venetian terms for small rails. The spotted crake's breeding habitat is marshes and sedge beds across temperate Europe into ...

''), Ural owl ('' Strix uralensis''), barred warbler ('' Sylvia nisoria''), black grouse (continental subspecies) ('' Tetrao tetrix tetrix''), capercaillie (''

Tetrao urogallus The western capercaillie (''Tetrao urogallus''), also known as the Eurasian capercaillie, wood grouse, heather cock, cock-of-the-woods, or simply capercaillie , is a heavy member of the grouse family and the largest of all extant grouse species. ...

'') and wood sandpiper (''

Tringa glareola The wood sandpiper (''Tringa glareola'') is a small wader. This Eurasian species is the smallest of the shanks, which are mid-sized long-legged waders of the family Scolopacidae. The genus name ''Tringa'' is the New Latin name given to the green ...

''). In total: *39 species of birds are protected under EU Nature directives. *4 species of fish are protected under EU Nature directives. *2 species of invertebrates are protected under EU Nature directives. *4 species of mammals are protected under EU Nature directives.

References

Natura 2000 in Latvia Nature parks in Latvia Ādaži Municipality Saulkrasti Municipality Vidzeme {{Europe-protected-area-stub