Effects of wet meadows management in Lake Mikri Prespa: monitoring methodology and expected results

Under the LIFE-Nature Project: ‘Conservation of priority bird species in Lake Mikri Prespa, Greece’ management of the littoral vegetation and the water level of Lake Mikri Prespa are taking place aiming at the restoration of wet meadows Society for the Protection of Prespa, 2002). Wet meadows, seasonally inundated shallow areas with low vegetation, are beneficial for a variety of wildlife, including fish, amphibian and waterbird species. In order to assess the effects that such management has on the bird fauna and in particular on the two priority bird species, Dalmatian pelican (Pelecanus crispus) and Pygmy cormorant (Phalacrocorax pygmaeus), a bird monitoring scheme was necessary. This monitoring scheme includes monitoring of bird use of the managed littoral sites, colony censuses and vegetation monitoring. The first year of monitoring was considered a pilot year. Certain adjustments and additions were made to improve the data collection and the subsequent analysis. This work attempts to present the methodologies used and the limitations encountered and gives a descriptive report on the preliminary data of the first year of monitoring.