The EU priority habitat Fennoscandian wooded meadows is a highly endangered habitat which has an unfavourable-bad conservation status throughout its range. These wooded meadows have developed under conditions of traditional agriculture, with diverse management approaches, including sustainable use of timber, collecting branches and hay for winter fodder, providing pastures and using areas for beekeeping, and collecting berries and hazelnuts, amongst others. The diversity of management approaches provided for an extraordinary species richness – these wooded meadows are the most diverse habitat in the Boreal region and can host up to 76 vascular plant species per square metre. Estonia and Latvia together host 60% of all remaining wooded meadows in the Boreal biogeographical region. However, only some 28% of Estonian wooded meadows and 31% of Latvian wooded meadows are managed.
The objective of the WOODMEADOWLIFE project is to restore a significant proportion of the wooded meadows in Estonia and Latvia, to establish long-term arrangements and infrastructure on private land for their future management and to highlight their ecosystem services, ecological functions and unique heritage value.