European Red List of Habitats The first Red List assessment of all terrestrial, freshwater and benthic marine habitats in the EU28, EU28+ and neighbouring seas John Janssen Alterra (Wageningen Environmental Research)

European Red List of Habitats What it is: purpose and scope How it was done: logistics & methodology What it shows: the results of assessment What it can do: some applications of the work

Purpose & scope To provide a Red List assessment of all natural and semi-natural European habitats To help inform and underpin the EU2020 Biodiversity Strategy and the commitment to habitat sustainability, recovery and restoration To complement information reported on Annex 1 habitats of the Habitats Directive European Red List of Habitats

Purpose & scope Assessment carried out at two levels: EU28 & EU28+ countries (including Switzerland, Iceland, Norway & the Balkan countries) and Baltic Sea, NE Atlantic, Mediterranean (Northern) & Black Sea European Red List of Habitats

The Habitat Classification used Following a Feasibility Study, a habitat typology based on the hierarchical EUNIS classification was used, (level 3 for terrestrial and level 4 for marine) 233 terrestrial habitats 257 benthic marine habitats European Red List of Habitats

Assessment Criteria & Categories Categories and Criteria based on a modified version of the IUCN Red List Categories & Criteria of Ecosystems (2013) European Red List of Habitats

Assessment Criteria & Categories Categories and Criteria based on a modified version of the IUCN Red List Categories & Criteria of Ecosystems (2013) European Red List of Habitats

Organisation of the project For each habitat, data were provided by territorial experts in each country or regional sea and assessments coordinated by habitat/sea groups Coastal (30 habitats) Freshwaters (26) Mires & bogs (13) Grasslands (53) Heath & scrub (38) Forests (42) Sparsely vegetated (31) Baltic Sea (61 habitats) NE Atlantic (86) Mediterranean (47) Black Sea (63) European Red List of Habitats

Results for all terrestrial habitats Overall results reveal 37% habitats threatened (in top 3 threat categories) in EU28, 32% in EU28+ European Red List of Habitats

Which terrestrial habitats are most threatened? The most threatened terrestrial habitats are mires and bogs, grasslands, freshwaters and coastal habitats, in both the EU28 and EU28+ ■ Critically Endangered ■ Endangered ■ Vulnerable ■ Near Threatened ■ Least Concern ■ Data Deficient Mires (13) Grasslands (53) Freshwaters (26) Coastal (30) 84% threatened/54% EU28+ 53%/49% 46%/38% 45%/43% European Red List of Habitats

Pressures & threats for terrestrial habitats Many different pressures threaten terrestrial & freshwater habitats and their impacts vary in different habitats (Threat typology from Article 17) European Red List of Habitats

Results for all marine habitats Overall, 19% of marine habitats are threatened (in top 3 threat categories) in EU28, 18% in EU28+ European Red List of Habitats

Different seas show different levels of threat ■ Critically Endangered ■ Endangered ■ Vulnerable ■ Near Threatened ■ Least Concern ■ Data deficient Mediterranean (47) NE Atlantic (86) Black Sea (63) Baltic (61) 32% threatened/ 23%/23% 13%/10% 8%/8% 30% EU28+ European Red List of Habitats

Pressures & threats for marine habitats Main pressures on marine habitats are common across the regional seas European Red List of Habitats

Pressures & threats for marine habitats Main pressures on marine habitats are common across the regional seas but the impacts of the threats vary with different depths eg for the NE Atlantic European Red List of Habitats

Outputs of the Red List Terrestrial & marine publications (hard copy & pdfs), flyers & poster Assessment factsheets for 490 habitats (pdfs & database) Overall Red List assessment Habitat description Images Distribution maps Links to other classifications Occurrences & trends in range Pressures & threats Restoration potential Territorial data (Excel) European Red List of Habitats

Applications of the Red List To help visualise the impact of particular threats, the Red List can: indicate which habitats are most urgently threatened by a particular pressure provide distribution maps of the habitats provide background data on extent and condition in each country Eg. Traditionally managed wet meadows threatened by agricultural improvement and hydrological change T European Red List of Habitats

Applications of the Red List To help meet restoration goals under Target 2 in the EU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy, the Red List can: indicate which habitats most urgently need restoration highlight which threats must be alleviated estimate time frame for restoration list indicators of recovery Eg. Traditionally-grown arable crops with rich and colourful annuals assessed as Endangered across Europe as a whole. European Red List of Habitats

Applications of the Red List To help steer research and monitoring in support of habitat conservation, the Red List can: indicate habitats where there are insufficient data to determine conservation status reveal widespread & common threats which if addressed would benefit many habitats prioritise habitats most in need of monitoring the impact of threats Eg. invertebrate-dominated Pontic circalittoral rock is one of 83% Data Deficient Black Sea benthic habitats . European Red List of Habitats

Applications of the Red List Habitat code & name Relation to Annex 1 & other legal frames Text descriptor Full text description Constant plant species Preferential plant species Dominant plant species EuroVegChecklist alliances Image Synonymy with other typologies Overall Distribution Map Map of point-source relevé data Map of potential distribution EOO & AOO Extent by country Biogeographic zone(s) Necessary biotic interventions Pressures and threats Restorability Red List category & critical criteria Applications of the Red List   Convergence with EEA EUNIS revision programme to deliver standardised habitat profiles Red indicates Red List source Green indicates EUNIS Revision source European Red List of Habitats

Applications of the Red List Comparison with Annex I conservation status (186 terrestrial relations) European Red List of Habitats

Applications of the Red List Although different definitions, concepts and criteria... 40% similar results (threatened vs U1, U2 or not threatened vs FV) 29% CS “more severe” (not threatened vs U1, U2) 1% (2 cases) RL result “more severe” (criterion B, restricted geographic distribution) 28% Red List type not represented well by any Annex I type  threatened ones relevant 3 Annex I types not well related to RL types (landscape level); 1610, 1620, 3210 European Red List of Habitats

Applications of the Red List Important gaps in Annex I list (terrestrial)... European Red List of Habitats

Thank you for your interest in the state of European habitats For further information about the European Red List of Habitats in the two publications on terrestrial and marine habitats, go to: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/knowledge/index_en.htm European Red List of Habitats