Biodiversity, species, habitats and landscapes

Introduction

5.1. Biodiversity concepts and policies

Trends – lossCBD – MEA-MalahideEU and RF policies

MP idea1. Red list approach?2. Landscape approach

GB approach to ChapterTo extract information from EU and UN policy documents that show the reasons behind loss of biodiversity, and which show what needs to be done to halt the decline of biodiversity.

i.e. there is a drastic insufficiency of integration of biodiversity needs in agriculture and forestry sector policy, mainly because of a lack of implementation of policy-making tools that operate on a landscape level.

5.2.1. Biodiversity and forestry

MCPFENaturalness of forests and coverage of natural forests

Missing key element after shifts- Forest policy not regulated by EU but via Protection of habitats and species, and via EU rural development policy

5.2.2 Biodiversity and agriculture

Biodiversity action plan for agriculture

IRENA report – reports declining trends of biodiversity and stresses a need for improved targetting of agri-environment schemes

Reports of insufficient or poorly targeted monitoring of effectiveness of agri-environment measures.

5.2.3. A focus on landscapes

European Landscape Convention

Guidance on maintenance of landscape connectivity features of major importance for wild flora and fauna

Guidance on the implementation of Article 3 of the Birds Directive (79/409/EEC) and Article 10 of the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) ( Kettunen et al., 2007). IUCN, Institute for European Environment Policy

BUT

1. MCPFE SFM indicator 4.7 Landscape patternWho knows what that is and how to describe it, let alone

make comparisons or determine what is good pattern or bad pattern??????

2. 2010 biodiversity target to stop the decline in biodiversity.

How can we determine the landscape targets to meet this?For example, Target area of HNV FarmlandTarget amount of dead woodTarget spatial distribution of forest stands with a sufficient

amount of dead wood

Step in the development

Strategic level Tactical level Operational level

Principles International and International and National policy

   

Criteria Forest and agriculture policy

Regional management institutions

 

Indicators Coarse biodiversity monitoring tools

Detailed biodiversity monitoring tools

 

Performance targets

Long-term targets Regional targets Management targets

Evaluation methods

eg. Gap analysis Habitat modelling Protection, management and restoration

Steps of implementation of strong sustainability in SFM on a landscape level

Case study. Use of habitat modelling to predict songbird diversity

BIRD COUNTS

GRID

76 landscape variables used in species-habitat model building:

• proportions of the vegetation classes in the grid squares,

•mean distances in the cells to different sized core areas of agricultural or forest land use,

•mean distance to waterbody, road and railway, density of farms of different size,

•density of edges of different type,

•number of classes in the grid squares.

Nonparametric multiplicative regression (NPMR; McCune 2006)

Hyperniche software

Species-habitat models

Forest specialist species richness models

Farmland specialist species richness models

Total richness models – low variation explained and not very informative

Figure 4. Response surface of Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis to predictor variables average distance to farmland” (Di-lauk) and density of farmsteads in 1-km radius (De_vie1)

Figure 6. Response surfaces of Scarlet Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus to proportion of grasslands and shrub land.

Species show individual habitat needs – niches.

i.e. of 76 landscape factors, 42 used in building species-habitat models

Forestspecialists

Farmlandspecialists

Etool approach –

Does the option have and effect on:Loss of speciesEndangered speciesfragmentation

Fantasy

1. Are all necessary stakeholders (biologists, scientists) involved in forestry and agriculture sector policy making?

2. Are species-habitat models developed for focal species?

3. Are performance targets (population sizes, habitat area, spatial distribution, etc.) implemented?

If no, impossible to assess option

We have targets for pollutants, but not for habitats and habitat quality