Protection of cultural and natural heritage in the State Cultural Reserve of Kernave (Lithuania)

In 1987, the State Cultural Reserve of Kernave (Lithuania) was established to preserve a complex of cultural heritage objects in the area, organize scientific research, manage, exhibit and promote them. This territory presents an exceptional testimony to the evolution of human settlements in the Baltic Region over the period of some 10 millennia. At present the State Cultural Reserve of Kernave (194,4 ha) displays 18 archaeological, historical and cultural values included into the Cultural Heritage Register of Lithuania. The reserve was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2004. In 2006, the cultural heritage and biodiversity research data enabled to work out the scheme of the reserve management. Not only the priorities of the cultural heritage, but also the ways of the protection, maintenance and management of the whole landscape are set in the scheme. The biological diversity of the reserve depends upon the geomorphological and hydrological peculiarities, variety of soils and human activity. Biological diversity assessment enabled to mark out the environmental activity priorities: protection, restoration, reconstruction and exhibition of plant communities. To determine territorial zones of these priorities, we considered the principal purposes of the whole reserve, the regime of protection and management of the immovable cultural values in separate parts of the territory, the state of plant communities, their habitats and successions. It was suggested to distinguish 9 zones, map them and determine the regime of management. This way would enable to preserve cultural and natural properties and restore violated elements of the landscape and biodiversity.