www.ieep.eu @IEEP_eu

Managing Annex I habitats forpollinatorsEU Habitat Action Plans for 6210 Semi-natural dry grasslands andscrubland facies on calcareous substrates (Festuco-Brometalia) and4030 dry heaths

Evelyn Underwood, Pollinators and conservation measures in Natura 2000 workshop, Brussels, 13 November 2019

With thanks to The N2K Group – Atecma, Daphne and others

www.ieep.eu @IEEP_eu

My talk today

• Why 6210 and 4030?

• Why EU Habitat Action Plans?

• What are the key management priorities for invertebrates?

• Conservation objectives and measures

• Knowledge, monitoring and evaluation

www.ieep.eu @IEEP_eu

Why 6210 and 4030?

• Large surface areas & wide presence in EU Member States

• Unfavourable conservation status

• High importance for invertebrates & pollinators in particular as well as other species of EU conservation concern

• Urgent need to address pressures from under-grazing and abandonment (over-grazing in some places)

• Need for action and cooperation at regional and EU levels

• Importance of EU funding for restoration and management

• Common challenges from eutrophication

www.ieep.eu @IEEP_eu

Annex II & IV species

Ophrys apifera etcColias myrmidone

Phengaris(Maculinea) sppParnassius apollo

etc

Habitat 6210

Semi-natural dry grasslands and scrubland facies on calcareous

substrates (Festuco-Brometalia) (* important orchid sites)

Pollinators

Wild bees Butterflies & moths

Bee-fliesHoverflies

Wasps

Habitat 4030

European dry heaths

Annex II & IV species

Arnica montana

Bryophytes & lichens

Euphydryas aurina

Pollinators

Andrena fuscipes & Colletessuccinctus & their cuckoo beesChrysotoxum octomaculatum

Plebejus argusSand wasps & digger wasps

www.ieep.eu @IEEP_eu

Why EU Habitat Action Plans?

HAP frameworks for action

• Set up working groups of managers and experts for closer cooperation and common approaches at EU and regional levels

• Agree conservation objectives at biogeographical level

• Set restoration targets and priorities at national and biogeographical level

• Adapt management for invertebrates

• Integrated approach to management of habitat mosaic within socio-ecological system

www.ieep.eu @IEEP_eu

What are the key management priorities for invertebrates?

6210• Mosaics of habitats (short turf, tall grass,

scrub) (shepherding, periodic rest from grazing, vary mowing – ideally mosaic of small scale cutting)

• Areas of bare soil & sand on south facing slopes (grazing - trampling & scrub cutting)

• Spring flowering shrubs (Prunus spinosa) and late summer flowers (Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Campanulaceae etc)

4030

• structural diversity with different sward heights and openness, including small areas of bare ground

• links with adjacent habitats, such as woodlands, wetlands and temporary pools

• patches of nectar-rich flowers and uncut/ungrazed tall vegetation

www.ieep.eu @IEEP_eu

Conservation objectives and measures

Well-defined conservation objectives

• Species conservation status and priority

• Ecological requirements of habitat

• Threats and pressures acting on site

• Conditions in surrounding areas

SMART conservation measures

What, how much, by when, by whom, how funded

www.ieep.eu @IEEP_eu

Knowledge, monitoring and evaluation

• Identify & catalogue important areas outside Natura 2000 that contribute to coherence of network for pollinators

• Integrate pollinator species into monitoring & status assessments

• Methods to assess impacts of pressures on pollinators

• Specifications for agri-env packages for pollinators

• Improve habitat mapping & ecosystem services mapping

www.ieep.eu @IEEP_eu

Evelyn Underwood eunderwood@ieep.eu

HAP lead authors: Concha Olmeda concha.olmeda@atecma.es

Viera Stanova stanova@daphne.sk

Distribution

- 25 MS, 7 Biogeographical regions (EU)- 16,700 km2

decreasing area- 57% in Natura 2000

Conservation status

Mostly unfavourable and deteriorating

European Red List of habitats: vulnerable

Reporting under Article 17 of the Habitats Directive (2007-2012)

EU Action Plan - 6210 Semi-natural dry grasslands and scrubland facies oncalcareous substrates (*important orchid sites)

22

2

14

7

6210 - Surface area trend(number of assessments)

Decreasing

Increasing

Stable

Unknown

Distribution and conservation status assessed in 24 MS, 7 Biogeographical regions (EU): >25,500 km2

- mostly unfavourable status-- 40% in Natura 2000

European Red List of habitats: vulnerable

EU HABITAT ACTION PLAN - 4030 European dry heaths

10

3

16

9

4030 - Trend of surface area (number of assessments)

Decreasing

Increasing

Balance

Unknown