County: Šiauliai, Telšiai Municipality: Akmenė distr., Mažeikiai distr. Latitude Longitude 56º 16' N 22º 39' E

Physical - geographical features

The Kamanos strict nature reserve is located in the northern part of Lithuania and is enclosed by agricultural areas. It occupies the Kamanos mire (2434 ha) and the surrounding forest.

At the period of retraction of the last glacier, it deposited concentric ridges of moraine deposits. Later on the fens that originated in the inter-ridges little by little transformed into the raised-bog, which overgrew crests and merged into integral massif. The bog islands and peninsulas now mark former ridges. Medium thickness of the peat layer in the mire is 3,8 m, but in some places it is as thick as 7,2 m. The most interesting formations in the raised bog are bog pools, surrounded by the sloughts, which are very difficult to enter. More than 120 bog pools stretch in 12 sloughts. In the northern part of the mire there is only one bigger lake - the Kamanos Lake (6,6 ha).

The Kamanos mire has formed in the watershed of Venta River and its tributary Vadakstis. From the south the mire is drained by the Pragalvis together with the small right tributaries of the Venta River. From the west the rivers Ašva and Purvas drain it. From the east the tribute is paid to Agluona tributaries.

Kamanos bog hydrology was heavily affected by humans. First drainage ditches were dug already in the XIX c. In the beginning of the XX c. one canal was dug to the very Kamanos Lake, and water level in it decreased significantly. Many new forest draining canals were excavated and the old ones renovated in the eighties and nineties. The overall length of drainage ditches now is more than 12 km. Recently the concern has been expressed about the great negative impact of drainage canals on the bog system, thus, in some places they have been dammed up in order to restore former water level.

Biological diversity

The largest area in the raised bog of the Kamanos strict nature reserve is covered with thin pinewood and humpy overgrowth of marsh-tea, heather, cloudberry, while in the open tree-less areas peat-moss forms the continuous moss cover with cranberries, heather, and cotton grass prevailing in the thin shrubbery. In the surrounding forests there grow coniferous and deciduous groves, but most often mixed woods. In the open raised bog there can be found interesting formations - bog rips. Rare plant communities like (Sphagno tenelli-Rhynchosporetum albae) are being found there with prevailing white beak-sedge Rhynchospora alba and english sundew Drosera anglica. In the raised bogs there can be found rare spoonleaf sundew (Drosera intermedia), in the transitional mires- rapidly disappearing bog orchid (Hammarbya paludosa), in small wet meadows - military orchid (Orchis militaris) and many others.

The world of insects in the strict nature reserve is represented by such rare species of butterflies as: globally protected large copper (Lycaena dispar), clouded apollo (Parnassius mnemosyne) and swallowtail (Papilio machaon).

There is high diversity of birds in the Kamanos. During migration period there stop flocks of gray-lag goose (Anser anser) and crane (Grus grus). When the breeding time comes in the raised bog there can be seen very rare golden plovers (Pluvialis apricaria) for which Kamanos raised bog is one of few suitable breeding grounds in the country. There can also be seen quite common in the reserve black grouse (Lyrurus tetrix), corncrake (Crex crex). Black stork (Ciconia nigra), lesser spotted eagle (Aquila pomarina), honey buzzard (Pernis apivorus) breed in the forests.

Many mammals find a safe shelter in the strict nature reserve. Red deer (Cervus elaphus) and moose (Alces alces) are characteristic residents of the Kamanos. There also breeds quite rare mountain hare (Lepus timinus). The reserve is a permanent residence for 1-2 wolf families (Canis lupus), one can also meet the lynx (Lynx lynx).