1. Biological Valuation Map Short presentation of the Biological Valuation Map Evaluation criteria A few lessons from the BVM BVM and international instruments Desiré Paelinckx – Hans Bosch – Peter Adriaens

2. What is the BVM ?

3. A uniform survey of land cover and a biological evaluation of the Flemish Region An ecological description of the Flemish Region A fixed set of legend units for: land cover (woods, arable land, pasture, urban areas….) vegetation (wet grassland, wet heath.…) landscape elements (tree rows, ponds, sunken roads.…) What is the BVM ?

4. BVM version 2 field survey Data from literary study: - municipal nature development schemes - land consolidation studies - scientific journals -... Digital data: - topographical map NGI - aerial photos OC-Gis Vl. - soil map NGI - bvm version 1 - thematic studies - species databases -... External data: - nature societies - nature reserve managers - foresters - volunteers -...

5. BVM versions 1978 - 1996: BVM, version 1 Global landscape ecological situation 1997 - 2006: BVM, version 2 More accurate and detailed instrument that can be used at parcel level

6. Biological Valuation Map Short presentation of the Biological Valuation Map Evaluation criteria A few lessons from the BVM BVM and international instruments

7. best professional judgements, with the following criteria: Rareness of the habitat General biological quality –flora (and fauna) diversity –Potential occurrence of rare flora (and fauna) –Importance of the habitat as a refuge for species Global vulnerability to overfertilization, acidification,.... Replaceability: time required to create the habitat and to evolve to a certain “ecological balance” Evaluation criteria

8. Evaluation:each habitat has its own fixed valuation Mixed valuations for complexes. E.g. hp* (w) + kn (z) becomes: (wz) With well-reasoned arguments it is allowed to deviate from these fixed valuations biologically –very valuable (z) –valuable (w) –less valuable (m) mixed valuations : –mw –wz –mz –mwz red shading : important fauna elements

9. Shading because of fauna

10. Fauna: Fauna (red shading), systematic method, good frame of reference Red List species of mammals, breeding birds, amphibia and reptiles, fishes, dragonflies and butterflies Wintering waterfowl: 5% standard Spined loach BadgerWater rail gadwalls, wigeons etc

11. Biological Valuation Map Short presentation of the Biological Valuation Map Evaluation criteria A few lessons from the BVM BVM and international instruments

12. The purpose requires a very strict method What is the target exactly? What is the best method for gathering information? How to process, interpret, and present data? What basic information must be gathered? Outlining the different steps accurately

14. Shortcomings of the BVM version 1

15. Problems with the BVM originate from uncertainties in legend units uniform mapping remains a critical issue  several joint excursions per year evaluation period of time

16. Shortcomings of the BVM lack of description of the horizontal relations between units and areas lack of a clear connection between the abiotic environment and the mapping units

17. Ecological relations or vulnerabilities cannot be inferred directly

18. Time frame: crucial for grasslands and forests with springtime flora if the mapping units become more detailed but the survey cannot be performed in an optimal fashion (e.g. at the right moment), the accuracy that seems to be created is misleading detail mapping / scale mapping / period and time available balance

19. Biological Valuation Map Short presentation of the Biological Valuation Map Evaluation criteria A few lessons from the BVM BVM and international instruments

20. BVM & Natura2000 Ideal for defining and making a first assessment of habitat types Difficulties: –Restrictions typical of the BVM –Restrictions typical of the conversion of the BVM into habitats

21. Restrictions typical of the conversion of the BVM into habitats –A number of BVM mapping units are used both for habitat and non-habitat  possible habitat –A number of BVM mapping units are used for different habitats  habitat 1, habitat 2, … –Some habitats cannot be inferred from the BVM  not in the derived database –Others are difficult to infer as they are only a minor part of the mapping unit they belong to  habitat to be checked

22. Manual checking of the automatic conversion of existing BVM

23. Habitat key for Flanders What: further development of habitat sheets for field surveys, with clearer demarcation of habitat, less-developed habitat (new in 2004), and absence of habitat Target: identifying the correct N2000 habitat type and estimating its percentage in the field during BVM mapping