Activities of Young Researches of Serbia regarding Natura 2000
Work on Ramsar sites
Obedska bara wetland
Obedska bara, is a vast swamp-forest area, an oxbow lake formed from the meanders of the River Sava in southern Srem (Vojvodina, Serbia). It is one of three Serbia’s Ramsar sites since 1977, and one of the oldest legally protected areas in the world since 1874. This
Special Nature Reserve has a status of an Important Bird Area, as a famous ornithological reserve. It represents a natural complex of stagnant tributaries, marshes, pits, water meadows and forests habitats, with an exceptionally rich diversity of ecosystems and species, especially endangered ones. Obedska bara is nominated for world reserves of biosphere (Program MAB
– Man and Biosphere).
The negative impact on wetlands habitats and its disappearance is intensified greatly by use of chemicals in the forestry and agricultural sectors, and change of the water regime of
Sava River. Lack of water in Obedska bara has caused overgrowing of meadow areas by herbaceous and woody vegetation, eutrophication of waterways and the final results is shrinkage of open water surfaces and loss of the marsh or swamp character of whole area, what seriously endangered the colony of birds unique for this area, consisted of more than 220 species.
Activities of Young Researches of Serbia for the rescue of this famous wildlife are realized throughout the project called “Return of the Ibis”. The project began in 1992, continued as longer-term strategy that was from 1997 till nowadays organized through realization of nine international environmental workcamps, with the goal: solving environmental problems of this protected area and revitalization of Obedska bara natural habitats. The aim was to monitor, restore and extend an area of 350 ha of wet meadows, pastures and lakes by improving the hydrological regimes. The work is conducted with enterprise “Vojvodinasume”, which governs this Special Nature Reserve and in cooperation with local community. It consists of clearing vegetation combined with large quantities of dry leaves, dead branches from the depression in the eastern part of Obedska bara called “Horseshoe”, cutting the bushes and removing the tree trunks of willow, silver-leaf poplar and ash from the wet meadows , forming an open water surfaces and providing conditions for birds that lived in this swampy area to return.
Every year in a large campaign on a World Wetlands Day we gather local stakeholders from the field of nature conservation including state institutions, experts, protected areas authorities and local schoolchildren to present current achievements and plans related to conservation of wetland areas in Serbia. On that occasion we present and define the best way to tackle environmental problems in this vulnerable area and important wetland area.
By this continuous work during 1997-2006, so far we have came to some results:
 about 40ha of wet meadows were formed in the Horseshoe, with additional surfaces partially cleared of woody vegetation
 about 130t of organic matter was taken out of the Horseshoe area by direct replacing or by burning
 the decrease in number of herons and egrets in the colony of Obedska bara was halted
 the new wet meadows are again a good place for reproduction of fish, amphibians and reptiles and herbaceous plant
 the cleared area became one of the most important feeding places for: Black Stork,
Grey Heron, Little Egret, White Stork and Spoonbill, and birds of pray: white-tailed
Eagle, Black Kite, Honey Buzzard and Marsh Harrier

 the local community are animated and activated in the battle for sanitation and revitalization of Obedska bara
 the water regime is improved by increasing the mean water level for 0.5m during dry period, and with the help of the dam near Macvanska Mitrovica the water level is raised from 200 cm to 320 cm in the summer period

Several bird species have returned, among them Plegadis falcinellus .
Future plans:
 providing an adequate water regime, reviving the permanent contact between Sava
River and Obedska bara, removing the mud from the bottom of the Horseshoe and building specially designed dams on the channels Vok and Revenica.

Ludaš Lake
Beside Obedska bara, Young Researches of Serbia have been devoted to the research and protection of Special Nature Reserve Ludaš Lake (Ludaško jezero), b ecause of its natural values, but also because it has been endangered. The Special Nature Reserve “Lake Ludas” is a complex of wetland habitats around a steppe aeolian lake consisting of marsh vegetation, aquatic, swamp, wet and saline meadow habitats, as well as steppe habitats on its banks.
This lake-marshy ecosystem has rich and diverse wildlife of plant and animal species and their life communities. It was designated as one of the Ramsar sites in 1977 and as IBA area, a site where rare birds breeds and nest, as well as the ornithological resting site for a large number of migratory species.
This shallow steppe lake is placed 12 km to the east of Subotica (north Vojvodina,
Serbia). It covers a 4 km-long depression which is located between the dunes, on sand terrain and loess slopes that rise up to 5-6 m above the lake level, being refugium for specific steppe xero-mesopfil vegetation, and rare, relict and endemic species. It supports a rich bird fauna characterized by the presence of 214 recorded species, 140 of them being protected as natural rarities, such as: white-headed duck ( Oxyura leucocephala ), Ferruginous duck ( Aythya nyroca ), ( Acrocephalus melanopogon ) and ( Panurus biarmicus ). Many migratory bird species from the large group of "waterfowl" gather here.
Teriofauna is represented by nearly twenty aquatic and terrestrial species, with natural rarity of Ludas Lake, otter ( Lutra lutr a) .
By the regulation on protection in March 2006, the boundaries of this protected area decided by regulation of Government in 1994, have been widened, from 390 to 850 ha and the protection zone of 2000 ha was agreed. That will be a motivation for Young Researches of
Serbia to continue measures for active protection of this area, carried out trough organizing voluntary workcamp activities since 2003 in cooperation with enterprise “Palic-Ludaš” and local community.
In these ecological conditions, changed water regime, accumulation of organic silt, intensified process of eutrophication of this lake ecosystem, reduction of habitat complexity and loss of species diversity occur. The reeds spread over the steppe habitats located on the loess slopes of the eastern bank of Ludaš Lake, "suffocating" the populations of rare species of the Red List of Serbia, and changing the structure of relict xerothermic plant communities. The aim of the year-round project of Young Researches of Serbia is revitalization of dry grassland by cutting bushes and weeds and removing young shoots of alien weed species. Also the work is done on converting some molders arable of the land near the lake into quilts by collecting seeds from the quilts vegetation. Preservation of diverse aquatic life communities, improving the status of the lake and steppe ecosystems on land, is ecologically important since they are nesting areas or resting sites for migratory waterfowl.
Future goals would be
:
• improving the biodiversity of wetland habitats of national and international interest, promoting the protection of rare/endangered species
• making a base for developing management techniques for effective protection and sustainable utilization of the wetland area in harmony with the needs of local people.
Obedska bara and Ludaš Lake are among areas that will be considered in Natura 2000 project.
Activity of Young Researches of Serbia on Obedska bara and Ludaš Lake in protection of wetland ecosystems can be used as a model for managing many other smaller but sensitive wetlands, newly designated as a Ramsar sites: the Special Nature Reserve Slano Kopovo,
Labudovo okno, Gornje Podunavlje, Karajukica bunari, Vlasinsko jezero, Koviljskopetrovaradinski rit, Zasavica, Dubovac-Ram, supporting rare and endangered species and communities.