Reserves

The following zones have been established in the Nemunas Loops Regional Park to protect its natural and cultural heritage values: 1 strict nature reserve and 20 reserves (8 landscape, 3 hydrographical, 2 geomorphological, 2 botanical, 2 genetical, 1 telmological, 1 archeological and 1 urban).

The Punia Pine Forest Strict Nature Reserve has been established to protect the nature landscape of Punia pine forest with the features of early Lithuanian pine forests as well as abundant species of protected animal, plant and fungi and their natural habitats.

The landscape reserves have been established to protect: Kalviai – the forested Kalviai erosional remnant landscape with typical dry slope and forest edge communities; Naravai village – the impressive Naravai loops landscape, with its unique urban and land use structure reflecting three historical periods, and its archaeological and memorial values; Nemajūnai – single-homestead village settlement system; archeological, architectural and memorial values; Prienai Pine Forest – reference landscape of forested post-glacial river plain landscape with remaining fragments of old forests, the natural Vadė Stream, the Revuona tributaries wetland complex, and habitats of protected plant species, especially Eriophorum gracile, Cladium mariscus and Hamatocaulis vernicosus; Punia Pine Forest – the expressive forested landscape of the steep banks of the Nemunas River, the Panemuninkai Cliff, the oaks of Punia heath, habitats of protected plant species, cultural heritage values; Punia – the impressive steep slopes of the Nemunas and Punelė Rivers with one of the most famous and largest castle mounds in Lithuania – Punia castle mound, and the Punia church architectural complex; Siponys village – the distinctive agrarian valley landscape that has retained a historical construction style, the traditional architecture of the Siponys and Šaltinėnai villages and the natural habitats of the steep slopes of the Nemunas River; Verknė – the distinctive valley landscape of the lower reaches of the Verknė River with its developed hydrographical structure, castle mounds, boulder exposures and erosional cirques.

The hydrographical reserves have been established to protect: Great Nemunas loops – the hydrographical structure of the Great Nemunas Loops (near Punia, Balbieriškiai, Prienai and Birštonas), unique in the whole glacial landformregion for both their size and character; Ošvenčia –the original dual hydrographical structure of the Ošvenčia Stream with its distinctive erosional gully; Vizdija – the natural Vidzija Stream and valley.

The geomorphological reserves have been established to protect: Daukantai – the geomorphologically unique Nibriai erosional remnant, the distinctive Daukantai erosional basin, the steep-sloped Jieznelė valley and the main slopes of the Nemunas River etched with ravines and gullies; Škėvonys – the unique Škėvonys mound created by valley erosion, and its surrounds, as well as the distinctive Birštonas erosional remnant.

The botanical reserves have been established to protect: Drubengiai – deep valey of the springy Drubengis River with natural habitats of the protected plant, animal and fungus species, especially Arthonia leucopellaea, Menegazzia terebrata, Orobanche reticulata; Degsnė – the unique mature and introduced Degsnė larch forest, and genetic tree fund of European larch in the Degsnė forest.

The Punia Pine Forest Pine Genetic Reserve has been established to protect the genetic diversity of the Pinus sylvestris population. The Punia Pine Forest Spruce Genetic Reserve is used to protect the genetic diversity of the Picea abise population.

The Tartokas Telmological Reserve has been established to protect natural alkaline fen.

The Pelekonys Archeological Reserve has been established to protect the Pelekonys mound complex and the surrounds.

The Birštonas Urban Reserve has been established to protect the characteristic historical part of a small resort town with its urban structure (layout, spatial, volumetric) with the buildings of old villas and other historical buildings, the traditional architectural expression of these buildings and the surrounds, Birštonas Vytautas Park and the mound with the settlement.