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Johan Abenius

Environmental Monitoring

Swedish Environmental Protection Agency

SE - 106 48 Stockholm

tel. +46 8 698 12 90

fax. +46 8 698 15 85

e-mail: johan.abenius@naturvardsverket.se

1. Swedish nature2. Guiding principles3. Examples

Overview

•Ministry•Environmental Protection Agency (responsible for coordinating Natura 2000)•20 Regional boards•Species Information Centre

Swedish nature

Swedish nature

•We need better data on biodiversity in general and on the contribution of designated areas to species protection in particular

•Reporting regulations of the habitat directive

Natura 2000 in Sweden

• Initial confusion • Unsystematic data collection• (Very) preliminary assessments reported• Baseline survey to start next year

Baseline assessment

About 80 % overlap of Natura network and nationally designated areas

Swedish nature

National project 2002-2003

•Focus on strategy and methods for monitoring of Natura 2000 network

•Should enable by January 2004 to start fullscale monitoring of swedish part of Natura 2000

Swedish nature

Wide range of data providers:

National BioDiv monitoringSpecies Info CentreSectorial agenciesCounty boardsNGO’s

Swedish nature

Guiding principles

Interpretation of key terms

Monitoring

Surveillance

(….)

Guiding principles

1. Survey

2. Set objectives

3. Monitor

     

 

Guiding principles

•Base-line survey to establish state

•Monitoring to detect changes

Guiding principles

Conservation objective

Action program

Implementation

Monitoring

Analysis, reporting

 

  FCS

Objectives to drive the system

Guiding principles

Monitoring tuned to management intensity

Guiding principles

Minimum intervention management >>

•Low frequency monitoring•Early warning systems

Guiding principles

Regular management or restoration management >>

•High frequency monitoring integrated in management system

Guiding principles

Spatial scale for assessment?

Natura report on the status of total national (and biogeographic) populations

Guiding principles

National and biogeographical assessment of FCS

National landscape surveillance

Other sources

Site-based monitoring

  

 

Guiding principles

Typical species (indicator value X abundans)

<Redlisted/Annex II species

<”Typical” (quality indicator species)

<Characteristic/ defining sp

Guiding principles

Late news - typical species to deliver!

Field tests 2003 affirmed use of typical species as indicator for habitat quality

Guiding principles

Structure and function

•Finding good indicators is the key to good economy

Remote sensing:•Satellite data (monitoring)•Infra-red airborne (base-line survey)

Preferred techniques

Satellite data for mapping and monitoring of habitats with high

nature conservation values

The County Administration of Norrbotten

Swedish EPA

The County Administration of Kalmar

Metria Miljöanalys

Aapamires

Threat - changes

1987

2000

New road

Sphagnum-dominated mire

Increased field layer (Carex, etc)

Habitat examples

9010 Western taiga9110 Luzula-Phagetum beech forests7240 Alpine pioneer formations of the Caricion bicoloris-atrofuscae

Habitat examples

9010 Western Taiga

Areal extent:1 million ha in the network

1 million ha outside of network

9010 Western Taiga

Subtypes:•Oldgrowth types by tree species

•Recently burnt stands

•Young post-fire successions

9010 Western Taiga

National objectives for network sites:

•No loss of habitat area

•No loss of pine dominated stands

•Not FCS area < 20% in next 30 years

National objective at landscape level:

•Stands of ”key habitat” quality be kept at same areal

9010 Western Taiga

Base-line survey should:

•Map distribution of habitat and subtypes

•Assess quality criteria (some subtypes)

Base-line survey techniques:

•Airborne IR photo

•Commercial land assessments, inventories

9010 Western Taiga

Monitoring should:

•Detect unwanted impact on network sites

•Detect changes in habitat quality

•Detect biodiversity losses

9010 Western Taiga

Monitoring techniques:

•Satellite data

•Landscape surveillance programmes

•Surveillance of nesting birds

9010 Western Taiga

Site-based monitoring of managed and restoration sites:

•Forest stand structure

•Tree species composition, regrowth

9110 Beech forest

Areal extent:5 000 ha in the network

60 000 ha outside of network

9110 Beech forest

Subtypes:•Continental region (no spruce allowed)

•Boreal region (spruce OK)

9110 Beech forest

National objectives for network sites:

•No loss of habitat area

•Extension of too small sites to include adjacent young stands

National objective at landscape level:

•Stands of ”key habitat” quality be kept at same areal

9110 Beech forest

Base-line survey should:

•Map distribution of habitat

•Quantify quality criteria (dead wood etc)

Base-line survey techniques:

•Airborne IR photo

•Field based survey

9110 Beech forest

Monitoring should:

•Detect unwanted impact on network sites

•Detect changes in habitat area / quality

•Detect decrease in dead wood

•Verify no (or few) spruce saplings present

•Verify regeneration of beech present

9110 Beech forest

Monitoring techniques:

•Airborne IR photo

•Field-based standard methods for forestry assession

•Specific field-based methods

7240 Alpine pioneer formations

Areal extent:

3970 ha in the network,

234% of total areal in Sweden

7240 Alpine pioneer formations

National objectives for network sites:

•No loss of habitat area

•Control of bush or tree encroachment

•Control of erosion by vehicles/ paths

•No loss of (number of) typical species

7240 Alpine pioneer formations

Base-line survey should:

•Map distribution of habitat

•Assess quality criteria

Base-line survey techniques:

•Field based (on reported sites for habitat defining Carex species)

•Deliniation of habitat on ortogonal airborne photo

7240 Alpine pioneer formations

Monitoring should:

•Detect changes in habitat extent

•Detect changes in habitat quality

Monitoring techniques:

•Field based, semipermanent transect and plot sampling.

•Methods as already tested for seminatural grasslands.