County: Alytus, Marijampolė Municipality: Alytus distr., Lazdijai distr., Marijampolė Latitude Longitude 54º 28' N 23º 35' E

*There are plans to establish biosphere reserve on the basis of Strict Nature Reserve, i.e. to attach the Bukta forest, the Amalvas mire, the Žaltytis Lake and to expand the territory up to 18 490 ha.

Physical - geographical features

The Žuvintas strict nature reserve lies in the south of the Middle Lithuania lowlands. It occupies part of the Žuvintas mire and the Žuvintas lake.

The symbol of the strict nature reserve - eutrophic, shallow (medium depth is 0,6 m, the deepest point - 2,2 m.) Žuvintas Lake, which takes up 975 ha. Bambena River, Kiaulycia River and some other smaller rivers flow into the Žuvintas lake and the Dovine River runs its waters out. In 1968 the dam built on the source of the Dovine River raised the level of the lake by 30-40 cm. The sluice, constructed there enables artificial regulation of water level in the Žuvintas lake.

The Žuvintas mire complex is the largest in the country. General area of it is 6847 ha (almost 60 % take raised bogs and intermediate mires, about 40 % - fens), medium thickness of the peat layer - 3,9 m, the thickest - 8,1 m. In some places under the peat there is the lake mud layer which can reach up to 2,9 m. In the west, old Bukta forest borders the mire.

Unfortunately, in the second half of the twentieth century nature of the Žuvintas suffered greatly from intensive drainage of the surrounding areas, introduced lake water level regulation and increased pollution. The neighbouring Amalvas mire suffered even more - 2/3 of its area was drained and transformed into farming land.

Biological diversity

The Žuvintas strict nature reserve is notable for its diverse plant communities. This is the only site in Lithuania where one can see widely stretching reed-beds, large raised-bog with plant species preserved since the glacial period, floating vegetation islands in the lake and very rich underwater vegetation. The lake bottom is covered with different algae species (Chara sp. is common there), water lilies (Nymhaea alba) and other plants. The floating vegetation covers about 60 % of the lake surface. The extensive area in the southern part of the Žuvintas lake is overgrown with water soldier (Stratiotes aloides). Peat-moss communities are widespread in the raised bog. The greatest part of the wetland is covered with scanty pines. There is also abundant heath, cotton grass, marsh tea, and cranberry. In the bordering Bukta woods remain areas of old broad-leaved forest of ash and oak, but there also grow mixed groves of alder, ash, asp, birch and spruce. Not a few disappearing and protected plants are found in the strict nature reserve, such as moor king (Pedicularis sceptrum-carolinum), ditch pansy (Viola stagnina) and many others.

The world of insects in the strict nature reserve is diverse and abundant. There are beetles characteristic for water and wetland habitats, plenty of dragonflies. The endangered butterfly Chariaspilates formosaria in Lithuania was found only in the Žuvintas strict nature reserve.

The Žuvintas reserve is also liked by amphibians and reptiles. The lake swarms with fish: pike (Esox lucius), tench (Tinca tinca), redeye (Scardinius eythrophthalmus) and others.

But mainly the birds made the Žuvintas famous. There are registered 256 species of birds, out of which 135 breed or used to breed there. Very abundant is great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus), mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), coot (Fulica atra), black tern (Chlidonias niger). This is one of quite a few sites in Europe where breed very rare and globally endangered species: aquatic warbler (Acrocephalus paludicola) and ferruginous duck (Aythya nyroca). Every year in the strict nature reserve of Žuvintas stop numerous flocks of migratory birds, like (wite-fronted goose (Anser albifrons), bean goose (Anser fabalis), gray-lag goose (Anser anser) and crane (Grus grus). 85% of all the wading bird species found in Lithuania are registered in the Žuvintas strict nature reserve.

There one can often see elk (Alces alces), plenty of beavers (Castor fiber), american mink (Mustela vison). Though not often there can be met wolves (Canis lupus).