YIR01BIO01 Dry and mesic grassland habitats - pressures and state A. Pressures Figure 1A Main impacts and activities in lowland areas with more than 30 % dry or mesic grassland habitat coverage in potential sites of Community interest Main impacts and actvities in lowland pSCI's with dry/mesic grassland habitats per Country Urbanization and 100% industrialization 90% Transportation and communication 80% Pollution 70% 60% Natural Processes (biotic and abiotic) 50% Mining and extraction 40% of materials 30% Leisure and tourism sites with dry/mesic grasslands dry/mesic with sites 20% Human induced 10% changes in hydraulic % of impacts and activities occurring in lowland lowland in occurring and activities impacts % of conditions 0% Hunting and collecting AT - 6 FI - 8 FR - GR - 11 IE - 6 IT - 391 PT - 11 ES - SE - 3,9 0,177 131 254 0,22 1 340 604 144 4 147 Agriculture, forestry 536 274 18 Country, number of sites and total surface areas in thounsands of hectares Note: Data as reported in NATURA2000 forms by end of 1999 by 9 countries. Figure 1B Main impacts and activities in mountain areas with more than 30% dry or mesic grassland habitat coverage in potential sites of Community interest Main impacts and actvities in mountain pSCI's with dry/mesic grassland habitats per Country 100% 90% Urbanization, industrialization and similar activities 80% Transportation and communication 70% Pollution and other human impacts/activities 60% Natural Processes (biotic and abiotic 50% Mining and extraction of grasslands materials 40% Leisure and tourism 30% Human induced changes in 20% hidraulic conditions Hunting and collecting 10% % of impacts and activities occurring in mountain sites with dry/mesic dry/mesic with sites in mountain occurring and activities impacts % of 0% Agriculture, forestry AT - 1 FI - 1 FR - 13 GR - 11 IR - 1 IT - 49 SP - 3 0,4 0,004 7,1 27,9 0,134 42,5 2,2 Country, number of sites and total surface areas in thounsands of hectares Note: Data as reported in NATURA2000 forms by End 1999 by 7 countries . 1 Notes: - The number after the country code indicates the number of pSCIs analysed per country, and the number below indicates the sum of the surfaces of those sites in thousands of hectares. - The EC Habitat Directive reflects the European share of global concern for habitat types for conservation. It includes dry and mesic grasslands listed in Annex I of the Habitat Directive. EU Member States propose candidate Sites of Community Interest (pSCIs), to be further designated as Special Areas of Conservation and be part of the NATURA2000 Network. Depending on the biogeographic context and countries, the pressures due to human activities that may influence the conservation status of such habitat vary in nature and intensity. The analysis is based on data by 1999 from 984 pSCI sites (91 mountain sites, 893 lowland sites) where dry or mesic grassland covered more than 30 % of the area. Data on impacts was available only from 9 countries for lowland areas and 7 countries for mountain areas. Source: ETC/NC, analysis based on data in European Commission database on pSCIs. Key messages K Except for very limited areas of special natural grassland types, all European grasslands are maintained through grazing or cutting, the continuation and intensity of which are crucial for the protection of the grasslands and the species they harbour. LÃPressure on grassland habitats is increasing steadily. Sixty percent of the newly afforested area in the EU was formerly permanent pasture or meadows, 37 % was arable land and only 3 % was permanent cropland. Ã B. Area of land Figure 2 Permanent grassland and pasture in EU15 in 1995 in percent of utilised arable area (UAA)Ã Ã Source: (XURSHDQÃ&RPPLVVLRQÃÃ$JULFXOWXUHÃHQYLURQPHQWÃUXUDOÃGHYHORSPHQWÃ)DFWVÃDQGÃ )LJXUHVÃ$Ã&KDOOHQJHÃIRUÃ$JULFXOWXUH Ã'DWDÃVRXUFHÃ(XURVWDWÃ Ã 2 Figure 3 Area of permanent grassland and pasture in EU9, 1975 to 1995 (million ha) PLOOLRQÃ Ã Source: (XURSHDQÃ&RPPLVVLRQÃÃ$JULFXOWXUHÃHQYLURQPHQWÃUXUDOÃGHYHORSPHQWÃ)DFWVÃDQGÃ )LJXUHVÃ$Ã&KDOOHQJHÃIRUÃ$JULFXOWXUH Ã'DWDÃVRXUFHÃ(XURVWDWÃ Ã Figure 4 Change in use of permanent pastures and meadows. Agricultural land afforested between 1993 and 1997 in EU15: previous use of the land (as percentage of the areas). Ã Source:Ã)RUHVWU\Ã0HDVXUHVÃXQGHUÃWKHÃ&RPPRQÃ$JULFXOWXUDOÃ3ROLF\ÃIn: (XURSHDQÃ&RPPLVVLRQÃ ÃÃ$JULFXOWXUHÃ(QYLURQPHQWÃUXUDOÃGHYHORSPHQWÃ)DFWVÃDQGÃ)LJXUHVÃ$Ã&KDOOHQJHÃIRUÃ $JULFXOWXUH Ã'DWDÃVRXUFHÃ(XURVWDWÃ ÃÃ 3 Ã Key messages L The total area of grassland in the average EU9 country fell by 12 % between 1975 and 1995, with only some areas of increase. The total area of permanent grassland will increase significantly with further enlargement of the EU. Ã &Ã6SHFLHVÃLQÃJUDVVODQGVÃ Figure 5 Importance of dry and mesic grassland habitat types for orchid species in selected countries. Species of orchids in selected countries. Number of species Netherlan Belgium Luxembour France ds g vulnerable extinc tot vulnerabl extin tot vulnerable extin tot vulnerabl extin tot t al e ct al ct al e ct al dry/mesic 9 3 17 14 1 18 8 3 16 46 0 72 grassland s other 14 4 27 24 6 35 11 5 23 46 0 75 habitats total 23 7 44 38 7 53 19 8 39 92 0 147 Note: Though only one orchid species is protected under NATURA2000 (Habitats Directive Annex II), the importance of grasslands for orchids is very high. In the four countries for which data were available, the proportion of orchids present in dry and mesic grasslands was high: 50 % in France and between 35 and 42 % in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. Source: ETC/NC, analysis based on literature and information for the EC Habitats Directive. Figure 6 Percentage of threatened butterflies occurring in broad habitat types, including dry and mesic grasslands in European countries. Woodland and Dry/Mesic scrub grasslands 29% 34% others 12% Alpine heath, bog and Humid grasslands fen grasslands 10% 8% 7% Note: The assessment covers all known Butterflies species in all Europe including Madeira, the Azores, the Canary islands, Cyprus, the whole of Turkey and Russia east of the Urals (no information was received from the Caucasian Republics). This is the first comprehensive assessment of European status of Butterflies since a first preliminary review by John Heath in 1981. 4 Source: ETC/NC, analysis based on Council of Europe, 1999. Red Data Book on European Butterflies (Rhopalocera) Key messages L Out of a total of 576 European butterfly species 71 are threatened. Of these around 50 % occur in grasslands with 34 % alone in dry/mesic grasslands. D. Protection measures Figure 7 Variation in surface area for sites with dry or mesic grassland habitat types, proposed for nature protection under the Flora, Fauna and Habitats Directive (pSCIs). Percentage per country of site numbers in 5 size categories. Lowland and mountain areas. Figure 7A Variation in surface area for pSCIs in EU lowland areas Surface area of lowland pSCIs with dry/mesic grassland habitats per country 100% 80% > 10 000 ha 60% 1000 to 9 999 ha 100 to 999 ha 10 to 99 ha 40% < 10 ha No data 20% 0% AT - 6 BE - 9 DE - 4 FI - 8 FR - 131 GR - 11 IE - 6 IT - 391 NE - 1 PT - 11 ES - 144 SE - 147 UK - 24 Figure 7B Variation in surface area for pSCIs in EU mountain areas Surface area of mountain pSCIs w ith dry/mesic grassland habitats per country 100% 80% > 10 000 ha 60% 1000 to 9 999 ha 100 to 999 ha 10 to 99 ha 40% < 10 ha 20% 0% AT - 1 B E - 1 F I - 1 F R - 13 GR - 11 IE - 1 IT - 49 ES - 3 S E - 4 UK - 3 5 Note: The analysis is based on data by the end of 1999 from 984 pSCI sites (91 mountain sites, 893 lowland sites) where dry or mesic grassland covered more than 30 % of the area. Source: ETC/NC, analysis based on data by End 1999 in European Commission database on pSCIs. Figure 8 Increase in European Community support to projects for restoration and management of habitats and species. Examples of use of EC LIFE funds 1992-1999 for dry/mesic grassland areas. Country Restoration and management projects including Projects Projects dry grassland habitat types and species 1992-1994 From 1995 Austria Pannonian sand dunes, Alluvial flood plain 2 Finland Grasslands and pastures in Archipelago 1 France Dry grasslands, chalk and limestone grasslands, 2 7 Xerotermic habitats, grassland species Germany Dune and meadow habitats, species 3 4 Greece Dry grasslands 1 Italy Various grassland habitat types and species 12 Portugal Grassland habitat types, Montados, steppic birds 2 1 Spain Steppic and dry grasslands and species 3 3 United Kingdom Chalk grassland habitat types 1 Source: ETC/NC, analysis based on European Commission LIFE-Nature Database http://europa.eu.int/comm/life/nature/databas.htm Key message K The number of projects that aim to ensure the conservation of dry and mesic grasslands and associated species is increasing. E. Results and assessment (level of the indicator) Relevance of the indicator for describing developments in the environment Permanent grasslands play a major, but not always well recognised or understood role for society (production, employment), the environment, and biodiversity. The grasslands are key habitats for many species: herbs, grazing animals such as deer and rodents, butterflies and reptiles, and many bird species. Dry grasslands contain some specialist species, for example orchids and butterflies, which can survive only in dry well-lit conditions. Grasslands, particularly calcareous grasslands, are an important habitat for orchids, and half of the orchid species in France, and between 35 and 42 % in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, occur in dry and mesic grasslands. A high proportion of these are either in a highly vulnerable state or close to becoming extinct.