nature reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologic ...
situated in eastern Latvia, spread across
Madona
Madona (; ) is a town with town rights in the Vidzeme region of Latvia and is the center of the Madona municipality.
History
The surrounding area of Madona had been populated in earlier times, which is confirmed by discoveries of old buria ...
The nature reserve was created in 1982. Its purpose is to protect the eponymous
bog
A bog or bogland is a wetland that accumulates peat as a deposit of dead plant materials often mosses, typically sphagnum moss. It is one of the four main types of wetlands. Other names for bogs include mire, mosses, quagmire, and musk ...
, one of the largest in Latvia and the
Baltic states
The Baltic states or the Baltic countries is a geopolitical term encompassing Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. All three countries are members of NATO, the European Union, the Eurozone, and the OECD. The three sovereign states on the eastern co ...
. The nature reserve covers an area of , of which is composed of Teiči bog. In this wet area, veritable little lakes have formed in places and there are in total 18 such lakes within the area, but in other places raised patches of firmer ground form little islands in the bog.
Forest occupies around of the nature reserve. Teiči Nature Reserve forms one of the largest
ecosystem
An ecosystem (or ecological system) is a system formed by Organism, organisms in interaction with their Biophysical environment, environment. The Biotic material, biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and en ...
s of its kind in the Baltic area, and the bog itself is one of the largest in the Baltic states; according to information from Madona Municipality, the largest one.
Geography
The area enjoys an unusually high degree of protection, being a "strict nature reserve" as defined by Latvian authorities. It is one of only four such nature reserves in Latvia (from a total of 683 specially protected nature areas). This is a designation reserved for areas with little or no human activity and rare or typical ecosystems. The bogs have been designated as a protected
Ramsar site
A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention,8 ha (O)
*** Permanent 8 ha (P)
*** Seasonal Intermittent < 8 ha(Ts)
**
Natura 2000
Natura 2000 is a network of nature protection areas in the territory of the European Union. It is made up of Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas designated under the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive, respectiv ...
-network.
Being a strict nature reserve, access to the area is regulated. It is divided into two parts, a regulated access area and a restricted access area. The access to the restricted access area is normally forbidden; only visits for scientific purposes may be conducted and requires a permit from the relevant authority. Access to the regulated access area is possible during a limited time of the year (1 June to 31 October), provided visitors are accompanied by a guide with the proper credentials. There is also an observation tower accessible without a guide located in the part of the nature reserve located in Krustpils Municipality.
Flora and fauna
The reserve is home to a number of rare or threatened species, including 38 protected species of flowering plants and
fern
The ferns (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta) are a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. They differ from mosses by being vascular, i.e., having specialized tissue ...
s and 24 protected species of
moss
Mosses are small, non-vascular plant, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic phylum, division Bryophyta (, ) ''sensu stricto''. Bryophyta (''sensu lato'', Wilhelm Philippe Schimper, Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryo ...
. It is an important habitat also for animals, including invertebrates. It is an internationally important locale for both migratory and sedentary birds. Specimen of most of the birds known to inhabit Latvian wetlands can be found here, some in large numbers — for example cranes and
geese
A goose (: geese) is a bird of any of several waterfowl species in the family Anatidae. This group comprises the genera '' Anser'' (grey geese and white geese) and ''Branta'' (black geese). Some members of the Tadorninae subfamily (e.g., Egyp ...
.
On one of the islands in the nature reserve, Siksala, a small group of
Old Believers
Old Believers or Old Ritualists ( Russian: староверы, ''starovery'' or старообрядцы, ''staroobryadtsy'') is the common term for several religious groups, which maintain the old liturgical and ritual practices of the Russian ...
live. Ethnic Russians, they arrived on Siksala island in the 17th century, escaping religious persecution, and still maintain their village.