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Wooden Shield Carriageways have been Set up for Lawn Restoration Works

JSC “Latvia's State Forests” (LVM) has started the construction of the “Kangaru pļavu” wooden shield carriageway to ensure access to the territory where it is planned to restore grasslands of the importance of the European Union.

Wooden shield carriageways are a specific solution for increasing the bearing capacity of the soil, which has been used by LVM since 2011. These structures are intended for temporary use and are laid on pre-levelled soil even in off-road conditions. The carriageways are constructed of wooden shields made of softwood lumber, which is 3.5 metres wide and a metre long.

“The existing road in the nature reserve was narrow, wet, clayey and could no longer be used. Previously, the road was used to access the area with forestry machinery. To prepare the base, which was full of large stones and various pieces of wood, it was decided to apply soil to the ground, thus levelling the base under the wooden shields. The added soil will also serve as a basis for the construction of a permanent road in the future. As the work takes place during the winter, it was difficult to rearrange the shields. Since the shields had become wet in the autumn rains and frozen in the winter cold, the removal of the frozen shields required additional work,” says Jānis Upens, Vidzeme Region Forest Infrastructure Manager at LVM.

LVM will carry out extensive restoration work on the grasslands of European Union importance within the framework of the European Union Cohesion Fund co-financed project “Implementation of Management Measures in Specially Protected Areas and Micro-Reserves to Improve the Conservation of Habitats and Species”.

Within the framework of the project, it is planned to restore rare types of grasslands in the territory of the nature reserve “Ziemeļu purvi”, which is also a nature territory of EU significance or Natura2000: moderately moist meadows and wet grasslands in periodically drying soils with a total area of 26.8 hectares.

The large, now overgrown lawn is located on a flat peninsula between two bogs, and at the beginning of the 20th century there were at least two farmsteads on the peninsula. Initial access to the site is required to clear the currently overgrown grassland and remove it, after which access will allow a milling area to be introduced into the target area to mill the stumps, thus contributing to the regeneration of the grassland plant communities. To ensure regular mowing after the restoration of the lawn, it is planned to build an access road. During the works, all the trees and their groups growing in the yards of the former homesteads will be preserved. This way, the grasslands, the cultural and historical landscape characteristic of Latvia will be restored, and a contribution will be made to the preservation of the traditional landscape and natural values.

You can find out more about the project “Implementation of Management Measures in Specially Protected Areas and Micro-Reserves to Improve the Conservation of Habitats and Species” here.