LIFE Platform Meeting Restoration of Sand Dune Habitats 15
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LIFE Platform Meeting Restoration of sand dune habitats 15th-17th June 2016, Zandvoort, The Netherlands Summary Report Draft Hosted by Organised by: - 1 - LIFE Platform on restoration of coastal and inland dune habitats, Zandvoort, The Netherlands, 15-17 June 2016 Table of Contents Introduction.............................................................................................................................................. 3 EU State of Nature Report ............................................................................................................... 3 Links between LIFE programme and Natura 2000 biogeographical process.................................. 4 State of Nature: Coastal Dunes .............................................................................................................. 5 Distribution of coastal sand dunes in Europe..................................................................................................... 5 EU habitat types ................................................................................................................................................. 5 Article 17 2007-2012 reporting round ................................................................................................................ 6 2120 Shifting (mobile) dunes ........................................................................................................... 6 2130* Fixed coastal dunes .............................................................................................................. 6 2190 Humid dune slacks ................................................................................................................. 7 Overall comment on the Article 17 reports-coastal dunes ............................................................... 8 LIFE programme and coastal dunes .................................................................................................................. 8 State of Nature: Inland Dunes ............................................................................................................... 12 EU Habitat types .............................................................................................................................................. 12 State of Nature: 2007-2012 reporting .............................................................................................................. 14 2330 Inland dunes with open Corynephorus and Agrostis grasslands ......................................... 14 2310 Dry sand heaths with Calluna and Genista .......................................................................... 16 LIFE programme and inland dunes .................................................................................................................. 17 The Platform Programme ...................................................................................................................... 19 Report of the programme ................................................................................................................................. 19 Session 1: The Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process ................................................................. 19 Session 2: Experience from the projects ....................................................................................... 22 Session 3 Linking science and management ................................................................................ 23 Session 4: Workshops ................................................................................................................... 24 Field Trips ...................................................................................................................................... 31 Session 5: Ways to proceed .......................................................................................................... 35 Session 6: Discussion and Conclusions ....................................................................................... 36 ANNEX 1 Programme .................................................................................................................... 40 Annex 2: Participants List .............................................................................................................. 42 Report prepared by John Houston, Neemo External Monitoring Team [email protected] Acknowledgements: The platform meeting was coordinated by John Houston, Karen Lunan and Jean-Paul Herremans of the Neemo External Monitoring Team together with Neil McIntosh and Frank Gorissen of the European Centre for Nature Conservation (ECNC). It was hosted by PWN, Waternet and Natuurmonumenten with support from the Flemish Agency for Nature and Forests. The organisers would like to thank Sjakel van Wesemael (PWN), Angelo Salsi (European Commission) and Ed Cousin (Waternet) for chairing the event, Luc Geelen (Waternet) and Marieke Kuipers (PWN) for the local organisation and the speakers, workshop leaders and excursion leaders for their contributions. Organisers’ thanks are also given to Bent Jepsen (NEEMO Central Team), João Silva and Justin Toland (LIFE Communication Team), Linda Mooij (Waternet) for publicity and Hanne Atema (Waternet) for support. - 2 - INTRODUCTION ©Jan Dirk Bol A LIFE Platform Meeting on the restoration of coastal and inland dune habitats was held in the Dutch seaside town of Zandvoort from 15th to 17th June 2016. Over 40 open and recently closed LIFE projects were invited by the European Commission to meet and exchange their experience. The close link between the Habitats Directive and LIFE Nature projects was enhanced by combining the platform meeting with an Atlantic thematic networking meeting as part of the Natura 2000 Biogeographic Process1. The Biogeographic Process is a framework for knowledge building, cooperation and networking to support the aims of the Natura 2000 network. It involves Member States, expert stakeholders, practitioners and the European Commission working together in a spirit of collaboration and cooperation. The meeting was a natural follow on from the LIFE project conference Dynamic Dunes 20152 held by the platform hosts Waternet, PWN and Natuurmonumenten. Whilst the audience for the Dynamic Dunes conference was mainly Dutch the platform meeting ensured that the best practices develop by these projects were disseminated to a European audience The event was advertised through the LIFE events pages3, through the Natura 2000 Communication Platform4 and through direct contact between the European Commission’s Nature Unit and Atlantic Region Member State representatives. Participants and speakers were also contacted directly by the organisers and hosts. Over 80 people, representing 25 projects from 14 Member States attended the three day event. Other participants represented the research sector, national nature conservation agencies, project developers and NGOs. This report brings together the background notes, workshop briefings and the summary of discussions. It presents some conclusions and sets out the opportunities for networking and knowledge transfer within the framework of a European Dune Network. EU State of Nature Report The platform meeting gave practitioners an opportunity to consider the response to the 2015 EU State of Nature Report5, which highlighted the critical status of dune habitats in Europe, and the mid-term review of 1 http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/natura2000/seminars_en.htm 2 https://www.waternet.nl/media/795393/rapport_conference_dynamic_dunes_2015.pdf 3 http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/news/events/events2016/june.htm#dune_habitats 4 http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/natura2000/platform/index_en.htm 5 Summary leaflet at http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/pdf/state_of_nature_en.pdf and full report at http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/state-of-nature-in-the-eu - 3 - the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2020 which shows that more needs to be done in general to make progress against Target 1 ‘full implementation of the nature directives to protect biodiversity’6. Threats to coastal and inland dunes in northwest Europe include loss and fragmentation of habitats, reduction in area of open sand, succession to scrub and woodland and impact of invasive alien species. Problems are exacerbated in many areas due to Nitrogen deposition. For coastal dunes net coastal erosion along many coasts and potential impacts of climate change add to concerns. A common theme running through the platform presentations, from both coastal and inland examples, was the objective of restoring areas of bare sand and dune forming processes. Links between LIFE programme and Natura 2000 biogeographical process The meeting gave opportunities to discuss strengthening links between Atlantic, Boreal and Continental initiatives, to promote cross-border projects or exchanges between Member States, to consider further exchange of coastal and inland experience, to identify research themes, and to propose how stronger, and better supported, European dune networking could be established. The meeting demonstrated the value in linking the Natura 2000 biogeographical process and LIFE projects for the dissemination of best practice. The second round of biogeographical seminars is moving its focus from policy aspects to practical aspects and LIFE projects are well placed to provide this experience individually and collectively. Connecting Natura 2000 policy and projects are Prioritised Action Frameworks (PAFs) developed by each Member State,