Enhancing Biodiversity Monitoring in Swedish Nature

1. ~~~~~~~~~~ • Johan Abenius • Environmental Monitoring • Swedish Environmental Protection Agency • SE - 106 48 Stockholm • tel. +46 8 698 12 90 • fax. +46 8 698 15 85 • e-mail: johan.abenius@naturvardsverket.se

2. Overview • Swedish nature • Guiding principles • Examples

4. Swedish nature • Ministry • Environmental Protection Agency (responsible for coordinating Natura 2000) • 20 Regional boards • Species Information Centre

7. Swedish nature • We need better data on biodiversity in general and on the contribution of designated areas to species protection in particular • Reporting regulations of the habitat directive

8. Baseline assessment • Natura 2000 in Sweden • Initial confusion • Unsystematic data collection • (Very) preliminary assessments reported • Baseline survey to start next year

9. Swedish nature About 80 % overlap of Natura network and nationally designated areas

11. Swedish nature • National project 2002-2003 • Focus on strategy and methods for monitoring of Natura 2000 network • Should enable by January 2004 to start fullscale monitoring of swedish part of Natura 2000

12. Swedish nature Wide range of data providers: National BioDiv monitoring Species Info Centre Sectorial agencies County boards NGO’s

13. Guiding principles Interpretation of key terms Monitoring Surveillance (….)

14. Guiding principles 1. Survey 2. Set objectives 3. Monitor

15. Guiding principles • Base-line survey to establish state • Monitoring to detect changes

16. Conservation objective Action program Analysis, reporting Implementation Monitoring Guiding principles Objectives to drive the system FCS

17. Guiding principles Monitoring tuned to management intensity

18. Guiding principles • Minimum intervention management >> • Low frequency monitoring • Early warning systems

19. Guiding principles • Regular management or restoration management >> • High frequency monitoring integrated in management system

20. Guiding principles Spatial scale for assessment? Natura report on the status of total national (and biogeographic) populations

21. Guiding principles National and biogeographical assessment of FCS National landscape surveillance Site-based monitoring Other sources

22. Guiding principles Typical species (indicator value X abundans) <Redlisted/Annex II species <”Typical” (quality indicator species) <Characteristic/ defining sp

23. Guiding principles Late news - typical species to deliver! Field tests 2003 affirmed use of typical species as indicator for habitat quality

24. Guiding principles • Structure and function • Finding good indicators is the key to good economy

25. Preferred techniques • Remote sensing: • Satellite data (monitoring) • Infra-red airborne (base-line survey)

26. Satellite data for mapping and monitoring of habitats with high nature conservation values The County Administration of Kalmar The County Administration of Norrbotten Swedish EPA Metria Miljöanalys

27. Aapamires Threat - changes Sphagnum-dominated mire New road 1987 Increased field layer (Carex, etc) 2000

28. Habitat examples

29. Habitat examples 9010 Western taiga 9110 Luzula-Phagetum beech forests 7240 Alpine pioneer formations of the Caricion bicoloris-atrofuscae

30. 9010 Western Taiga Areal extent: 1 million ha in the network 1 million ha outside of network

31. 9010 Western Taiga • Subtypes: • Oldgrowth types by tree species • Recently burnt stands • Young post-fire successions

32. 9010 Western Taiga • National objectives for network sites: • No loss of habitat area • No loss of pine dominated stands • Not FCS area < 20% in next 30 years • National objective at landscape level: • Stands of ”key habitat” quality be kept at same areal

33. 9010 Western Taiga • Base-line survey should: • Map distribution of habitat and subtypes • Assess quality criteria (some subtypes) • Base-line survey techniques: • Airborne IR photo • Commercial land assessments, inventories

34. 9010 Western Taiga • Monitoring should: • Detect unwanted impact on network sites • Detect changes in habitat quality • Detect biodiversity losses

35. 9010 Western Taiga • Monitoring techniques: • Satellite data • Landscape surveillance programmes • Surveillance of nesting birds

36. 9010 Western Taiga • Site-based monitoring of managed and restoration sites: • Forest stand structure • Tree species composition, regrowth

37. 9110 Beech forest Areal extent: 5 000 ha in the network 60 000 ha outside of network

38. 9110 Beech forest • Subtypes: • Continental region (no spruce allowed) • Boreal region (spruce OK)

39. 9110 Beech forest • National objectives for network sites: • No loss of habitat area • Extension of too small sites to include adjacent young stands • National objective at landscape level: • Stands of ”key habitat” quality be kept at same areal

40. 9110 Beech forest • Base-line survey should: • Map distribution of habitat • Quantify quality criteria (dead wood etc) • Base-line survey techniques: • Airborne IR photo • Field based survey

41. 9110 Beech forest • Monitoring should: • Detect unwanted impact on network sites • Detect changes in habitat area / quality • Detect decrease in dead wood • Verify no (or few) spruce saplings present • Verify regeneration of beech present

42. 9110 Beech forest • Monitoring techniques: • Airborne IR photo • Field-based standard methods for forestry assession • Specific field-based methods

43. 7240 Alpine pioneer formations Areal extent: 3970 ha in the network, 234% of total areal in Sweden

44. 7240 Alpine pioneer formations • National objectives for network sites: • No loss of habitat area • Control of bush or tree encroachment • Control of erosion by vehicles/ paths • No loss of (number of) typical species

45. 7240 Alpine pioneer formations • Base-line survey should: • Map distribution of habitat • Assess quality criteria • Base-line survey techniques: • Field based (on reported sites for habitat defining Carex species) • Deliniation of habitat on ortogonal airborne photo

46. 7240 Alpine pioneer formations • Monitoring should: • Detect changes in habitat extent • Detect changes in habitat quality • Monitoring techniques: • Field based, semipermanent transect and plot sampling. • Methods as already tested for seminatural grasslands.