Workshop Document
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WORKSHOP DOCUMENT For the pilot Boreal Natura 2000 Workshop VERSION 11/01/2012 Prepared by N2K Group, namely Jan Dušek, Lenka Vokasová, Anja Finne, Helena Carská, Milan Janák, Pavel Marhoul & Kerstin Sundseth; (with further input and editing by Lawrence Jones-Walters and Mark Snethlage, ECNC and Lubos halada, ILE SAS). PILOT BOREAL NATURA 2000 SEMINAR Content Executive summary............................................................................................................................................3 1. Introduction and general information..........................................................................................................5 1.1 Objectives..................................................................................................................................................5 1.2 Introduction to the biogeographical process.......................................................................................5 1.3 Boreal biogeographical region...............................................................................................................8 1.4 Selection of habitat types and species ..............................................................................................12 2. Grasslands ....................................................................................................................................................14 Habitat type 6210 Semi-natural dry grasslands and scrubland facies on calcareous substrates (Festuco-Brometalia) (* important orchid sites) ......................................................................................15 Habitat type 6270 Fennoscandian lowland species-rich dry to mesic grasslands...........................23 Habitat type 6450 Northern boreal alluvial meadows............................................................................32 Habitat type 6510 Lowland hay meadows (Alopecurus pratensis, Sanguisorba officinalis)..........42 Habitat type 6530 Fennoscandian wooded meadows...........................................................................51 Habitat type 9070 Fennoscandian wooded pastures ............................................................................60 Habitat type 1630 Boreal Baltic coastal meadows.................................................................................69 3. Wetlands........................................................................................................................................................76 Habitat type 7110*Active raised bogs.......................................................................................................77 Habitat type 7120Degraded raised bogs still capable of natural regeneration.................................84 Habitat type 7160Fennoscandian mineral-rich springs and spring fens ............................................90 Habitat type 7230Alkaline fens...................................................................................................................96 Habitat type 91D0Bog woodland .............................................................................................................102 4. Forests .........................................................................................................................................................107 Habitat type 9010Western Taiga .............................................................................................................108 Habitat type 9050Fennoscandian herb-rich forests with Picea abies...............................................117 Habitat type 9060Coniferous forests on, or connected to, glaciofluvial eskers ..............................123 Habitat type 9080Fennoscandian deciduous swamp woods .............................................................130 Habitat type 91E0Alluvial forests with Alnus glutinosa and Fraxinus excelsior..............................136 5. Coastal habitats..........................................................................................................................................141 6. Freshwater habitats ...................................................................................................................................142 Habitat type 3260 Water courses of plain to montane levels with the Ranunculion fluitantis and Callitricho-Batrachion vegetation.............................................................................................................143 Annex I..............................................................................................................................................................151 WORKSHOP DOCUMENT – VERSION 11/01/2012 Page2 PILOT BOREAL NATURA 2000 SEMINAR Executive summary The purpose of the New Biogeographical Process is to help Member States to manage Natura 2000 as a coherent ecological network, whilst exchanging experience and best practice, addressing objectives and priorities and enhancing cooperation and synergies. The process should contribute to the achievement of Favourable Conservation Status-FCS for those habitats and species of community interest (listed in annex one of the Habitats Directive) that have been identified as having priority within the given biogeographic region, with a special focus on the contribution of the Natura 2000 network, but without ignoring horizontal measures were necessary. In the context of the viability of the Natura 2000 network it is important to know how to ensure that habitats also achieve a level of favourable conservation status outside Natura 2000 site boundaries, and also how to address the major threats that occur there. Within the framework of EU nature legislation all member states are committed to achieving favourable conservation status of species and habitat types of community interest and to improve the status of bird species naturally occurring in the EU. This objective is also fundamental to the attainment of the EU 2020 European biodiversity strategy. Designation of Natura 2000 sites requires that the necessary conservation measures are put in place, usually implying proactive management, sometimes including the restoration of sites. Substantial work remains necessary both within the network and in the wider countryside around it in order to improve the current level of only 17% of assessments of the conservation status of species and habitat being favourable. A large variety of approaches, experience and best practices already become available and will likely continue to emerge in the future. There is also a need for clarity in relation to conservation and restoration priorities for Natura 2000 sites and improve the ways for attracting the financing for the network adequate dissemination and learning from these practices will be crucial in ensuring that the targets for nature conservation are met. Initial assessment by the European Commission suggest that there are significant differences between member states in the level of progress and preparing us for the designation and management of Natura 2000 sites. The new process has been introduced in order to enhance cooperation and coherence in relation to the protection and management of Natura 2000 between member states which share the same biogeographic regions. It is a highly novel and innovative approach in that it involves all major actors involved in the management of Natura 2000 including the competent national authorities, the European Commission, the European Environmental Agency, the European Topic Centre on Biological Diversity, governmental and non-governmental experts, environmental NGOs and other stakeholder organistions from each of the countries involved. This cooperative approach offers a number of advantages in terms of ownership for outcomes and solutions amongst the stakeholders and across country and other administrative boundaries. It has already established new networks within which key players can share practical (empirical) and technical knowledge in relation to the management of key habitats. The active debate has identified existing and emerging issues to be addressed, including examples of best practice and case studies. The process itself involves the collection and compilation of information on management of selected habitat types, ad hoc expert meetings, workshops and culminates with seminars in which the outcomes of the workshop and its key recommendations can be debated and adopted. This Workshop document is the first major output of the New Biogeographical Process as applied to Boreal Biogeographical Region. It is aimed to establish the basis for the discussions during the preparatory workshop (25 and 26 January 2012 in Helsinki) and the preparation of the pilot biogeographical seminar for the Boreal region. The workshop document will serve as a technical background document for the discussions on the main issues which will start at the workshop and continue at the seminar where seminar conclusions and recommendations will be adopted. The workshop and the seminar will focus on possible WORKSHOP DOCUMENT – VERSION 11/01/2012 Page3 PILOT BOREAL NATURA 2000 SEMINAR conclusions, recommendations and proposals for action that can be drawn from that document. The document can still be improved between the workshop and the seminar while new information becomes available. At the seminar it will be available as the 'seminar back-ground document'. After the seminar, the document can still be further improved, extended and updated while progressively developing towards an