1. European Commission – DG ENV
Guidelines on the management of farmland in Natura 2000
European Commission – DG ENV
with the support of
N2K Group & IEEP

2. Farmland & Natura 2000
Agriculture : 43% of the total EU area (Eurostat 2010,/LUCAS)
Natura 2000: 18% of EU surface (>26,000 sites)
Agro-ecosystems : 35% of Natura 2000 surface (10% grasslands, 25% cutivated areas – CLC 2006)
A significant proportion of habitats (>25%) and species from the Habitats and Birds Directives are linked to agriculture
Changes in agriculture have affected many protected species and habitats (e.g. birds, butterflies, grasslands…..)
Conservation status is
less favourable for habitats
and species linked to
agriculture

3. Guidance on management of farmland in Natura 2000
Objectives
contribute to the improvement of the conservation status of the habitats and species sensitive to, or dependent on, agricultural land management.
promote the integrated management of farmland in Natura 2000 areas, by strengthening partnership and involvement of the agricultural sector
Dialogue with key stakeholders to take into account their interests and know-how

4. Guidance on management of farmland in Natura 2000
Task 1
Description of the relationship between Natura 2000 sites and agriculture/farmland
 Identification of species and habitats of Community interest that are of particular importance in terms of their relationship with agricultural land and/or agricultural practices (special focus on priority habitat types & species).
 Quantify the importance of agricultural land and its geographical cover.

5. Guidance on management of farmland in Natura 2000
Task 2
Identification and analysis of the key issues and challenges related to agriculture and nature conservation in Natura 2000 areas.
Assessing main pressures and threats on the concerned species and habitats, and
their specific management requirements (in the different MS and Biogeographical regions), to achieve a Favourable Conservation Status.

6. Key agricultural habitats of Community interest
Habitats Directive Annex I habitats (231)
Habitats that are particularly associated with agriculture:
Ostermann (1998) list, 43 in EU-15
JRC (Paracchini et al, 2008) 53 in EU-25
ETC/BD (Halada et al, 2010) 63 habitats in EU

7. Key agricultural species of Community interest
Habitats Directive Annex II species
Birds Directive Annex I species
Species that are particularly associated with agriculture:
Birds (Tucker & Evans, 1997), 173 priority species
JRC HNV species indicators (Paracchini et al, 2008)
ETC/BD Habitats Directive spp associated with agriculture, EEA (2010) Biodiversity baseline.

8. Key agricultural habitats
Criteria
Annex I habitats that are according to Halada et al (2011):
dependent or partially dependent on agriculture; and
are partially dependent for some sub-types or over parts of their distribution, AND are listed as Priority habitats in Annex I.

9. Key agricultural habitats
Ranking of importance
Dependence of agricultural habitats
Priority status as indicated in Annex I of the Habitats Directive.
Proportion in the Natura 2000 network, as assessed by the ETC/BD
Proportion of the habitat’s area having an unfavourable conservation status
It is also proposed that the importance of key agricultural habitats, in terms of the development and implementation of appropriate farmland management measures in Natura 2000 sites
BUT ONLY A GUIDE because:
Dependence on agriculture based on Halada et al
Proportion in N2K ONLY a guide a data missing from some countries, including Romania and Bulgaria
UFC assessment from Artcle 17 reports, but excludes Romania and Bulgaria – so ONLY a guide

10. KEY & RANKING CRITERIA
SCORE
WEIGHTING
POTENTIAL MAX SCORE
DEPENDENCY ON AGRICULTURE (FROM HALADA ET AL (2011):
FULLY DEPENDENT ON AGRICULTURAL MANAGEMENT 3 1
PARTIALLY DEPENDENT 2
PARTIALLY DEPENDENT BUT ONLY FOR SOME SUB-TYPES OR OVER PART OF THE DISTRIBUTION
PRIORITY STATUS (FROM HABITATS DIRECTIVE)
PRIORITY HABITAT
NON-PRIORITY HABITAT
PROPORTION IN NATURA SITE (ETC/BD ART 17 TECHNICAL REPORT ( ) (IE % DIVIDED BY 100)
0 - 1
0-1
PROPORTION WITH AN UNFAVOURABLE CONSERVATION STATUS (IE % DIVIDED BY 100)
0 -1
0-2
POTENTIAL TOTAL SCORE 8

11. Key agricultural species
Ranking of importance – Habitats Directive species
Priority status as indicated in Annex I of the Habitats Directive.
 Proportion of the species’ range having an unfavourable conservation
Simple scoring, max of 2, each scoring 1.
Proportion in N2kn not used as data are too patchy and unreliable, and missing for Romania and Bulgaria

12. Key agricultural species
Ranking of importance – Birds
Proportions of populations using agricultural habitats
‘Priority status’ as assessed by the Ornis Commitee.
Degree of dispersion in the wider environment.
Latest assessment of conservation status of the whole EU population by Birdlife International (Birdlife International, 2004).
More detailed data available therefore
Not real Priority species
Dispersion – expert judgement, but will investigate data
Whole pop assessment – No Article 17 data for birds
Proportion in N2kn not used as data are too patchy and unreliable, and missing for Romania and Bulgaria

13. Key & ranking criteria
Score
Weighting
Potential max score
Agricultural habitat use; for each of 8 recognised sub-types
>75% of European breeding or wintering population uses the habitat 2 1 16
10-75% of European breeding or wintering population uses the habitat
Priority status (from Habitats Directive)
Priority species 3
Proportion in Natura sites
Dispersed species -1
Conservation status of the EU population (BirdLife International 2004)
Unfavourable
Potential total score 21

14. Habitat
Agri dep
Priority
% N2K
% UFC
Score
Fennoscandian wooded meadows 3 1
54%
100%
94%
Pannonic loess steppic grasslands
39%
92%
Pannonic sand steppes
33%
Fennoscandian lowland species-rich dry to mesic grasslands
22%
90%
Species-rich Nardus grasslands, on siliceous substrates in mountain areas (and sub-mountain areas, in continental Europe)
37%
81%
87%
Boreal Baltic coastal meadows 2
71%
84%
Coastal dunes with Juniperus spp.
67%
83%
Sub-pannonic steppic grassland
Nordic alvar and precambrian calcareous flatrocks
53%
82%
Inland salt meadows
51%

15. Agricultural dependency levels and priority status of key agricultural habitats
Dependency classes
Total in each dependency class
Total priority species in each dependency class
Fully 25 8
Partially 18 6
Partially for some sub-types or parts of distribution 9* 9
Total all habitats 52
Total Priority habitats 23

16. Agricultural dependency levels and priority status of key agricultural HD species
Group
Species listed on Annex II
All key agricultural species
Priority key agricultural species
Habitat use by key agricultural species
Grass
Agriculture
Plants
587
115 38
112 8
Invertebrates
136 51 1 48 9
Amphibians 25 5 3 2
Reptiles 24
Mammals 54 22 21 6
 Total
911
201 53
192

17. Total key agricultural species for each habitat type, priority, dispersal and status category
All
Moor
Med
AIG SG MG WG PC PW
Total key agricultural species 62 3 21 32 6 13 5 12
Habitat use
10-75% of population 43 11 22 10
>75% of population 36 1
Priority species 20 4 9 2
Dispersed species 15 8
Unfavourable status 55 19 28 27
Moor = grazed moorland and tundra; Med = grazed Mediterranean shrublands; AIG = arable and improved grasslands; SG = steppe grasslands; MG = montane grasslands; WG = wet grasslands; PC = permanent crops; PW = pastoral woodlands.
Moor = grazed moorland and tundra; Med = grazed Mediterranean shrublands; AIG = arable and improved grasslands; SG = steppe grasslands; MG = montane grasslands; WG = wet grasslands; PC = permanent crops; PW = pastoral woodlands.

18. Summary of key natural habitat types of Community interest that are affected by agricultural management
Habitat name
Description / distribution
Total extent (km2)*
Key countries present*
Inland salt meadows
This rare habitat occurs where the groundwater is saline and the vegetation is formed by salt tolerant plants. It is mostly found in the Continental region although there are a few sites in the Alpine, Atlantic and Pannonic regions. 28
CZ DE DK FR IT PL SK
Pannonic salt steppes and salt marshes
Salt steppes and marshes typical of the Pannonic region and further east are found in Hungary and Romania within the European Union. They result from hot, dry summers which bring salt to the soil surface. Within the EU25 the habitat is mostly in Hungary, with relatively small areas in Austria (Continental region) and Slovakia.
2015
Boreal Baltic coastal meadows
Coastal meadows around the Baltic on land formed by land upheaval and influenced by the brackish waters of the Baltic Sea. Traditionally managed by grazing or mowing but now often abandoned. They are widespread along the shores of the Baltic in both the
Boreal and Continental regions.
229

19. Thank you Comments please to:
Graham Tucker, Institute for European Environmental Policy
Tel. +44 (0)