Eu Habitat Action Plan
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
EU HABITAT ACTION PLAN Action plan to maintain and restore to favourable conservation status the habitat type 4030 European dry heaths European Commission, 20 20 Compilers: Concha Olmeda 1 , Viera Šefferová 2 , Evelyn Underwood 3 , Lucía Millan 1 , Teresa Gil 1 , Sandra Naumann 4 . 1 The N2K Group / ATECMA . 2 The N2K Group / Daphne Institute of Applied Ecology . 3 Institute of European Environmental Policy (IEEP). 4 Ecologic Institute EU . Contributors: Alena Vydrova ( Nature Conservation Agency, Czech Republic); Anamaria Roman (Institute of Biological Research Cluj - NIRDBS, Romania ; Axel Ssymak (Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, Germany); Bruno E.L. Cerabolini (University of Insubria, Italy); Caitriona Douglas (National P arks and Wildlife Service, Ireland); Douglas Evans (EEA ETC Biodiversity); Fernando Ojeda (Cadiz University, Spain), Geert De Blust (University of Antwerp, Belgium); Geert Sterckx (Agency for Nature and Forest, Belgium): Gergely Király (University of Sopro n, Hungary); Götz Ellwanger (Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, Germany); Graham Sullivan (Scottish Natural Heritage, UK); Isabel Alonso (Natural England, UK), Ján Šeffer (Daphne Institute of Applied Ecology, Slovakia), Joost Dewyspelaere (Natuurpunt, Belgium); Jørgen Lissner (Danish Environmental Protection Agency); Leonor Calvo (León University, Spain); Martin Willing ( Conchological Society of Great Britain and Wales ), Mihail Mihailov ( Ministry of Environment, Bulgaria); Mike Edwards ( Bees, Wasps and Ants Recording Society, UK); Mike Smedley (Scottish Natural Heritage), Pawel Pawlaczyk ( Klub Przyrodnikow, Poland); Philip Perrin (Botanical, Environmental and Conservation Consultants, Ireland), Philippe Frankard ( Nature and Forest Department, Belgium). Milestones in the production of the Plan: First draft: 18 April 2019 Expert group Workshop: 26 April 2019 Second draft: 16 August 2019 Third Draft: 29 Octobe r 2019. Consulta tion with national authorities , experts and stakeholders : December 2019 - February 2020 . Final Draft: 20 March 2020. Recommended citation : Olmeda C., Šefferová V., Underwood E., Millan L., Gil T. and Naumann S. (compilers). 2020. EU Action plan to maintain and restore to favourable conservation status the habitat type 4030 Europ ean dry heaths. European Commission . Picture on the front cover: coastal dry heaths in Ireland. Philip Perrin . Disclaimer: this document is aimed at providing information and guidance for the implementation of conservation measures by relevant organisations and stakeholders but it is not of a binding nature. Produ ced under: Service contract for supporting the delivery of t he Action plan for nature, people and the economy in relation to actions 4, 5 & 7 ( European Commission ENV/D3/SER/2017/0023) . INDEX SUMMARY ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 1 FRAMEWORK FOR ACTION ................................ ................................ ................................ ............ 3 1. INTRODUCTION ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................... 13 1.1 Action plan geographical scope ................................ ................................ ............................. 14 2. DEFINITION, ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION AND DISTRIBUTION ................................ ........ 15 2.1 Habitat definition ................................ ................................ ................................ .................. 15 2.1.1 Habitat definition according to the Interpretation Manual of European Union Habitats ..... 15 2.1.2 Habitat definition according to the EUNIS habitat classification ................................ .......... 16 2.1.3 Habitat definition based on the European checklist of vegetation ................................ ....... 17 2.1.4 Habitat description from the Red list of European habitats ................................ ................. 18 2.2 Differences across countries and regions. Interpretation problems ................................ ....... 18 2.3 Ecological requirements and management needs ................................ ................................ .. 19 2.3.1 Lowland, upland and coastal dry heaths ................................ ................................ ............. 20 2.4 Related habitats ................................ ................................ ................................ .................... 21 2.5 Related species ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................... 24 2.5.1 Plants ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ 24 2.5.2 Birds ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ... 25 2.5.3 Amphibians and Reptiles ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 27 2.5.4 Invertebrates ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................... 27 2.5.5 Mammals ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................... 31 2.6 Ecosystem services and benefits ................................ ................................ ............................ 31 2.7 Geographic distribution ................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 34 3. CONSERVATION STATUS, THREATS AND PRESSURES ................................ ............................... 39 3.1 Conservation status and trends ................................ ................................ ............................. 39 3.2 Conservation status of the habitat in Natura 2000 sites ................................ ......................... 42 3.3 Methodologies for conservation status assessment ................................ ............................... 43 3.3.1 Favourable Reference Values ................................ ................................ ............................. 45 3.4 Threats and pressures ................................ ................................ ................................ ........... 46 3.4.1 Identification of main threats and pressures for the habitat ................................ ............... 46 3.4.2 Abandonment of traditional grazing and unsuitable grazing by livestock ............................ 46 3.4.3 Eutrophication and nitrogen deposition ................................ ................................ ............. 48 3.5 Climate change effects ................................ ................................ ................................ .......... 54 3.6 Conclusions and Recommendations ................................ ................................ ...................... 57 4. HABITAT CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES ................................ .................... 59 4.1 General framework and context ................................ ................................ ............................ 59 4.2 Overall objective of this action plan ................................ ................................ ....................... 59 4.3 Setting objectives at biogeographical and country level ................................ ......................... 60 4.4 Setting objectives at the national level ................................ ................................ .................. 61 4.5 Setting conservation objectives in Natura 2000 sites ................................ ............................. 63 4.6 Setting objectives outside Natura 2000 sites ................................ ................................ ......... 64 4.7 Determining objectives and management approaches in a particular area ............................ 65 5. CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION MEASURES ................................ ................................ ..... 67 5.1 Key management practices for maintenance of the habitat in good condition ....................... 67 5.1.1 Grazing ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................... 67 5.1.2 Cutting ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................... 69 5.1.3 Burning ................................ ................................ ................................ .............................. 70 5.1.4 Management of Nitrogen deposition impacts ................................ ................................ ..... 74 5.2 Heathland restoration and defragmentation ................................ ................................ ......... 75 5.3 Conservation management and restoration for wildlife ................................ ......................... 78 5.4 Planning for conservation management in a specific area ................................ ...................... 82 5.5 Criteria to prioritise measures and to identify priority areas for action ................................ .. 84 5.6 Main stakeholders to define and implement the measures ................................ ................... 84 5.7 Challenges, difficulties and possible solutions ................................ ................................ ........ 85 5.8 Conclusions