Fruitful discussions on the mid-time conference
Halfway through the project a mid-time conference was held in Warsaw 26-28 september. Representatives from all the countries involved participated and we had many fruitful discussions.
During the conference some of the participants presented the results so far within the three main topics:
- Drainage
- Riparian forests
- Beaver populations
Tools and guidelines
Blue targeting is a tool for planning buffer zones, a classification sheet, frequently used in Sweden within forest management. The tool is now to be adapted for the conditions in the rest of the countries within the project.
3D maps to discover wet areas is another another tool to create buffer zones and avoid vehicle damage, often used in Sweden. William Lidberg from SLU explained how to use this tool in an effective way.
The project has also come a long way developing a smart phone application for drainage. The application shall be used as support for foresters when it comes to drainage.
SLU also presented the work so far in studying whether the beaver populations have an impact on water quality or not. A tool to determine if beaver ponds shall be removed or not is now developed.
Field trip to Bialowieza
During the stay in Poland WAMBAF also paid a visit to the famous Bialowieza forest to study the habitats and faunas existing in the national park. The field trip was highly appreciated.