European Conservation Research Articles

Conservation potential of semi-natural habitats for birds in intensively-used agricultural landscapes

Agricultural intensification resulted in substantial loss of farmland biodiversity. Semi-natural habitats may be viewed as potential buffers of these adverse impacts, but a rigorous assessment of their capacity for supporting farmland biodiversity is lacking. In this study, we explored conservation potential of two different types of semi-natural habitats for birds in intensively-used agricultural landscapes – farmland hedges (i.e., linear strips of shrubby and tree vegetation) and open scrubland (i.e., scattered shrubs and abandoned orchards). Specifically, we tested whether the abundance and species richness of birds differ between these habitats considering various species traits, such as habitat affinity (i.e., forest, farmland and urban species), diet specialization (i.e., animal eaters, plant eaters, and omnivores) and conservation status (Species of European Conservation Concern). We found that open scrubland hosted on average 37.9 bird species and 122.6 individuals per 1 km2 of the transect, whereas farmland hedges hosted only 19 species and 61.8 individuals per 1 km2 of the transect. However, results have substantially changed if we considered the area of suitable habitat into account. More specifically, open scrubland hosted more bird species and individuals when we considered open habitat species and the area of open habitats, whereas farmland hedges had higher species diversity and individuals of woodland bird species when we considered the area of woodland habitats. Similarly, analyses of habitat affiliations of individual species corresponded to the whole-community patterns; and revealed that several woodland bird species were mainly associated with farmland hedges (e.g., Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs, Common Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos and Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla), whereas the open scrubland was preferred by open habitat bird species (e.g., Corn Bunting Emberiza calandra, Quail Coturnix coturnix and Skylark Alauda arvensis). These results demonstrate that semi-natural habitats, both open scrubland and farmland hedges, have large potential for promotion and conservation of bird communities within intensively used agricultural landscapes, as both may have represented suitable habitats for species with different ecological requirements. Therefore, management measures focused on the enlargement of the area of these habitats, in combination with suitable management (e.g., regulating the progress of natural succession in open scrubland; increasing structural diversity of existing farmland hedges), may substantially contribute to bird conservation within agricultural landscapes.

Effects of restoration and management of Mediterranean traditional water systems on Odonata alpha diversity: a long-term monitoring survey

The progressive abandonment and disappearance of traditional water uses and management of wetlands during the twentieth century has led not only to a loss of identity, heritage, and landscape values, but also to significant declines in the diversity and abundance of many organisms. Here, we take advantage of an existing project for the restoration and management of traditional irrigation infrastructures in the wetland of El Prado (Pinoso, south-eastern Spain) to evaluate the spatio-temporal effect of this action on the alpha diversity and abundance of Odonata. The wetland was organized in different sectors according to the coverage of riparian and aquatic vegetation, width and depth of watercourses, ditches and ponds, water flow, and restoration and management. Odonates were sampled every month for ten years. We used alpha diversity to measure biodiversity using Hill’s number diversity. To analyse how alpha diversity measures varied across all sectors sampled over the years, we determined diversity-time relationships. To assess the effects of the different variables on odonate biodiversity we used partial least squares regressions. Our results showed that restoration of traditional water infrastructures, encouraging the increase of aquatic vegetation cover, an adequate and regular management of riparian vegetation naturalizing the margins, as well as reducing speed of water flow have a positive effect on odonate diversity and abundance. Our study provides useful information for conservation and management of semi-arid wetlands and its associated water infrastructures by showing which actions are most successful to enhance biodiversity in one of the priority habitats for conservation in Europe.

The Potential Role of Drove Roads as Connecting Corridors for Birds between Natura 2000 Sites

Ecological connectivity among protected Natura 2000 sites is a priority for conservation in Europe due to the increasing pressure on biodiversity from human activities and climate change. Drove roads, the traditional paths used to move livestock through the territory, have been proposed as potential ecological corridors due to their large extent, continuous nature and centennial protection from ploughing and urbanization, which allows the persistence of some tree cover and natural habitats in them. Bird communities were sampled during the reproductive season along 19 drove road transects in agrarian landscapes between Natura 2000 sites, all of them around the conurbation of Madrid (Madrid Region, Spain). Bird community nestedness was assessed by NODF computation followed by significance estimation by aleatorization, and factors explaining species richness and bird abundance were analyzed through General Linear Models fitted with environmental variables measured on official vegetation maps and orthophotos. Bird communities in drove roads were significantly nested, showing high predictability in the order of species loss from better preserved sites to those under stronger environmental pressures. Accordingly, Poisson regression showed bird richness to decrease strongly with distance from the closest Natura 2000 site and to increase with forest cover at the landscape and at the drove road scales. Bird abundance increased strongly with distance from urban areas and motorways, and it was slightly higher in areas with more forest cover and in transects with less bare ground. These results, and the higher relevance detected for landscape scale variables (500 m around transects) than for those at the drove road (50 m) scale, show that (i) they can only play a secondary role as habitat for nesting birds but (ii) they may add to the Green Infrastructure strategy as facilitators or stepping stones for bird communities if the surrounding landscape is favorable for them.

Fine-scale variation in projected climate change presents opportunities for biodiversity conservation in Europe

Climate change is a major threat to global biodiversity, although projected changes show remarkable geographical and temporal variability. Understanding this variability allows for the identification of regions where the present-day conservation objectives may be at risk or where opportunities for biodiversity conservation emerge. We use a multi-model ensemble of regional climate models to identify areas with significantly high and low climate stability persistent throughout the twenty-first century in Europe. We then confront our predictions with the land coverage of three prominent biodiversity conservation initiatives at two scales. The continental-scale assessment shows that areas with the least stable future climate in Europe are likely to occur at low and high latitudes, with the Iberian Peninsula and the Boreal zones identified as prominent areas of low climatic stability. A follow-up regional scale investigation shows that robust climatic refugia exist even within the highly exposed southern and northern macro-regions. About 23–31% of assessed biodiversity conservation sites in Europe coincide with areas of high future climate stability, we contend that these sites should be prioritised in the formulation of future conservation priorities as the stability of future climate is one of the key factors determining their conservation prospects. Although such focus on climate refugia cannot halt the ongoing biodiversity loss, along with measures such as resilience-based stewardship, it may improve the effectiveness of biodiversity conservation under climate change.

Prunus lusitanica L.: An Endangered Plant Species Relict in the Central Region of Mainland Portugal

Prunus lusitanica L. is a paleotropical relic species with an Ibero-Maghrebian distribution, which is presently considered as an endangered species, recognized by the Natura 2000 Network (92/43/EEC) as a priority habitat for conservation in Europe. The mountains in the Portuguese mainland central region offer the best location for this species to occur. The main objective of this study is to measure the current conservation status of the communities of P. lusitanica, through the collection of field data, such as the number of existing individuals of each population and their location, which will then be comparatively analyzed based on the previous literature, published at least 15 years ago. Soil characterization analysis was carried out and the main threats to conservation were identified. As a result, a decline of approximately 40% was observed in the number of individuals and in the quality of their habitat. The main threats to their conservation were found to be the seasonal occurrence of rural fires and the expansion of invasive species, such as Acacia dealbata Link and Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle. Finally, we present the main management methodologies that should be considered for the valorization of this important vegetational relic in the central region of mainland Portugal.

Habitat use of Bechstein’s Bat (Myotis bechsteinii) and woodpeckers reveals the importance of old-growth features in European beech forests

Old-growth forests provide valuable habitats for bat and woodpecker species worldwide. However, the abundance of old-growth related habitat features is frequently reduced in managed forests. Bechstein’s Bat (Myotis bechsteinii, Kuhl 1817) is globally restricted to old-growth deciduous forests in Europe and therefore a species of high European conservation priority. Since the species prefers woodpecker cavities for roosting, woodpeckers are keystone species for Bechstein’s Bat. We surveyed woodpecker activity and forest structural features within 16 roost sites of Bechsteińs Bat and a random sample from the surrounding managed forest within the centre of the global distribution of Bechsteińs Bat. We found above-average quantity of old-growth related habitat features in the roost sites of Bechstein’s Bat. Five of six occurring woodpecker species revealed significantly higher densities in the roost sites of Bechstein’s Bat, demonstrating a distinct preference of the woodpeckers and the bat in managed forests for old, deciduous stands with high basal areas of large living trees (DBH > 50 cm), bearing deadwood structures and highest available tree cavity densities. Furthermore, when comparing the direct surroundings of roost trees to their wider surroundings (16 ha), cavity density and other old-growth features reached their maxima in the direct surroundings of roost trees (mean = 19.3 cavities ha−1), demonstrating a distinct habitat selection of Bechsteińs Bat for patches with maximum available cavity density on large and fine spatial scale. We found a close relation between the basal area of trees with limb break offs (>20 cm base diameter) and tree cavity density, which leads us to the conclusion that specifically injured but still vital, large trees play a major role for the development and long-term persistence of tree cavities. Finally, our analyses revealed a threshold of 20 (DBH > 50 cm) or 10 (DBH > 70 cm) large deciduous trees bearing deadwood structures per ha to fulfil the minimum habitat requirements of the woodpeckers and Bechstein’s Bat. Obviously, Bechsteińs Bat and the associated woodpeckers explicitly selected forest patches, which most closely resembled primeval forest benchmarks, emphasising the importance of maintaining and developing forest patches, providing the mentioned habitat features within managed forests.

The role of Natura 2000 in relation to breeding birds decline on multiple land cover types and policy implications

The Natura 2000 network of protected sites is the pillar of biodiversity conservation in Europe. Although the Natura 2000 network directly addresses birds, these have shown worrying declining trends. It is therefore crucial to assess the potential contribution of Natura 2000 conservation measures. In this paper, we use a replicable method to model bird trends in the period 2000–2015 and the effects of Natura 2000 protection, across land cover classes, on regional abundances and local species richness and diversity. We model bird trends in Veneto, a North-Eastern Italian Region with areas among the richest in bird species in Italy. Bird data were derived from the national breeding bird monitoring scheme. Breeding birds showed declining trends at the regional level, confirming national and continental trends, particularly on agricultural and natural areas. The land cover class, rather than Natura 2000, mostly influenced population trends; however, it was possible to observe slightly higher estimates of species richness and diversity in Natura 2000 sites. Despite the absolute higher estimates of richness and diversity over the investigated period, farmland and woodland bird species had steeper declining trends inside Natura 2000 than outside, matching the values of the areas outside the network at the end of the survey period. We conclude that the Natura 2000 network capacity to buffer biodiversity loss and act as a species-pool for non-protected areas is decreasing over time, mainly with regards to farmland and woodland birds. Natura 2000 implementation must be improved: conservation objectives and measures, management, and monitoring should be better integrated into existing plans and funding should be made more efficiently available for Natura 2000.

The wild boar Sus scrofa as a threat to ground‐nesting bird species: an artificial nest experiment

AbstractNest predation is reported as a cause of reproductive failure of ground‐nesting bird species whose populations in Europe are declining. Conversely, European populations of the wild boar Sus scrofa have been expanding, leading to increasing threats to habitats and ecological communities. The impacts of wild boar on ground‐nesting bird species are poorly known and have never been explicitly assessed. We conducted an artificial ground‐nest experiment in Mediterranean habitats of central Italy using camera traps to assess predator identities. Deployed nests contained quail or chicken eggs, and predation occurred within one week for 47/48 deployments carried out during March‐July 2020. The wild boar was the most common predator (36% deployments), followed by the magpie Pica pica (18%), the red fox Vulpes vulpes (10%) and the pine marten Martes martes (10%). Predation by other species was occasionally observed. Egg type and deployment habitat did not significantly influence time to predation or the likelihood that a nest was preyed upon by wild boar, respectively. The presence of a stuffed gull close to the nests significantly delayed predation. Nests preyed by birds and mammals other than wild boar were often subsequently scavenged by wild boar, which consumed the remaining eggs or eggshells. Time to predation increased from spring to summer, suggesting a reduction of predation intensity during periods when the availability of natural eggs is lowest. The likelihood of a nest being preyed upon by the wild boar compared to other predators increased when wild boar frequency of occurrence in 1‐week camera trap shootings was the highest, suggesting that higher abundance/activity of this species triggered increased egg predation. The wild boar might act as major predators of ground‐nesting bird species in Mediterranean habitats and the large‐scale population increase of this ungulate should be considered a significant threat to ground‐nesting species of European conservation concern.

ConservePlants: An integrated approach to conservation of threatened plants for the 21st Century

Even though plants represent an essential part of our lives offering exploitational, supporting and cultural services, we know very little about the biology of the rarest and most threatened plant species, and even less about their conservation status. Rapid changes in the environment and climate, today more pronounced than ever, affect their fitness and distribution causing rapid species declines, sometimes even before they had been discovered. Despite the high goals set by conservationists to protect native plants from further degradation and extinction, the initiatives for the conservation of threatened species in Europe are scattered and have not yielded the desired results. The main aim of this Action is to improve plant conservation in Europe through the establishment of a network of scientists and other stakeholders who deal with different aspects of plant conservation, from plant taxonomy, ecology, conservation genetics, conservation physiology and reproductive biology to protected area's managers, not forgetting social scientists, who are crucial when dealing with the general public.

Seeking legitimacy in European biodiversity conservation policies: The case of French national parks

Over the course of the twentieth century, nature conservation gradually became both a broadly accepted and highly contentious field of public policy. In particular, national parks (NPs), a major and one of the oldest conservation tools in the European Union, have been contested, and their promoters must justify their existence. We aim to document and analyse how NP managers have sought to make NPs legitimate in the case of France. We first define the notion of legitimacy and present its various sources and types, notably in the case of conservation policies. We then retrace the evolution of the ways legitimacy has been attributed to French NPs. In line with the strong national tradition, legitimacy under the 1960 law on NPs was very much state- and science-based, i.e., essentially substantive. The 2006 reform gave more weight to procedural legitimacy, reflecting the participatory turn of French NPs, which was strongly supported by European guidelines. We finally analyse the tensions between these ways of producing legitimacy and show that the attempts to overcome these tensions have varied from one park to the next. The need to combine sources of legitimacy has generated innovative and contextualized but also fragile ways of creating legitimacy for NPs and implementing European conservation policies.

Are All Conservation Measures for Endangered Species Legitimate? Lines of Thinking With the European Hamster

When dealing with the protection of an endangered species, it appears more and more important to address the ethical limits and the societal perception of the implemented conservation measures. This will be illustrated here through the example of conservation programs of the European hamster (Cricetus cricetus) in France. The main threats for this critically endangered rodent are the impoverishment and fragmentation of its habitat due to recent changes in agricultural practices and urbanization. Thus, the status of this species changed from harmful to endangered in only a few decades. This must lead to acceptance of the species by citizens and especially farmers paid to destroy this species until the 1990s while nowadays to protect it. To stem the decline, several measures have been taken through the last 20 years including population reinforcement, wild animal tracking, and implementation of suitable habitats. One can, therefore, discuss the efficiency of these measures and their integration in the entire socio-ecosystem. Population reinforcement and the questions that can arise from it will first be addressed. Secondly, in situ animal monitoring and implications of the methods used will be discussed. Third, we will deal with agricultural practices favorable to the species. Finally, we will highlight the links between European hamster conservation measures and wider problematics.

Land consolidation negatively affects farmland bird diversity and conservation value

Land consolidation can negatively affect biodiversity, as it is usually followed by the expansion of arable land, a decrease in crop and land cover diversity, and an increase in the application of agrochemicals. The aim of our study was to compare the species’ composition and abundance of farmland birds, as well as habitat structure, on consolidated and non-consolidated sites in Goričko, NE Slovenia. Habitat diversity was much lower on consolidated sites compared to non-consolidated ones, with arable fields and associated habitats (e.g. grass field margins, field tracks) prevailing on the former. Non-consolidated sites held higher proportions of different types of meadows, hedgerows, solitary trees, succession and traditional orchards. Farmland bird diversity and the abundance of a majority of farmland bird species were higher on non-consolidated sites. The only two exceptions to this were the Eurasian Skylark and the Common Stonechat, which were more abundant on consolidated sites. Both of the species suffered population declines at Goričko in the period 1997–2016, bringing into question the suitability of intensively managed arable fields as their breeding and foraging habitat. Individual species’ regression analysis revealed that the most influential positive explanatory variable for the presence of Red-backed Shrike, Tree Sparrow and Common Whitethroat was non-consolidated, extensively managed mosaic landscape, whereas for the Yellowhammer this explanatory variable was superseded only by forest islands without traditional orchards. Land consolidation, as performed in Slovenia, negatively affects farmland bird diversity and its European conservation value, which is why it should not be performed on Natura 2000 sites, designated for nature conservation.

“The giants’ feast”: predation of the large introduced European catfish on spawning migrating allis shads

European catfish Silurus glanis is a large non-native opportunistic predator able to develop hunting strategy in response to newly available prey where it has been introduced. Migrating spawning anadromous prey such as allis shad Alosa alosa could represent this available and energy-rich food resource. Here, we report an impressive catfish hunting behavior on shad spawning act in one of the main spawning grounds in Europe (Garonne River, Southwest France). Shad spawning act consists of at least one male and one female swimming side by side, trashing the water surface with their tail which, therefore, produces a splashing noise audible from the river bank. The catfish hunting behavior on shad spawning act was studied, at night, during spring months, using both auditory and video survey. Simultaneously, catfish individuals were fishing to analyze their stomach content. Catfish disturbed 12% of the 1024 nocturnal spawning acts we heard, and this proportion increased to 37% among the 129 spawning acts when estimated with low-light camera recording. Stomach content analyses on 251 large catfish individuals (body length > 128 cm) caught in the same river stretch revealed shad represented 88.5% of identified prey items in catfish diet. This work demonstrates that European catfish predation must be considered as a significant factor of mortality of allis shad. In a context of the extension of the European catfish range area in western and southern European freshwaters, this new trophic impact, with other ones previously described for salmon or lamprey, has to be considered in European conservation plans of anadromous species.

New Developments for the Sustainable Exploitation of Ornamental Stone in Carrara Basin

The use of natural stone has historical and environmental value that makes it strategically valuable for landscape conservation in Europe. Marble, among others, is widely spread on Earth, and it offers high-performance features in architectural applications. However, the complexity of these formations and the rock variability in different ore bodies require detailed studies of the natural and induced stress state, the fracturing degree, and the influence of external factor (such as temperature and/or chemical agents) on the mechanical properties in order to optimize the exploitation processes by reducing extractive waste. This article shows a series of studies conducted by the authors over the last 20 years aimed at making the exploitation of marble blocks in the Carrara basin safer, more efficient, and, therefore, more sustainable. In particular, studies for increasing our knowledge of the natural and the induced stress state through on-site measurements and numerical modeling, studies to improve the quality of the exploited material through improvements of cutting technologies, studies to improve the knowledge of the mechanical behavior of the material under varying loads and temperature conditions, and studies to improve the reuse of water materials and their reduction are reported.

Twelve Recommendations for Advancing Marine Conservation in European and Contiguous Seas

Like most ocean regions today, the European and contiguous seas experience cumulative impacts from local human activities and global pressures. They are largely in poor environmental condition with deteriorating trends. Despite several success stories, European policies for marine conservation fall short of being effective. Acknowledging the challenges for marine conservation, a 4-year multi-national network, MarCons, supported collaborative marine conservation efforts to bridge the gap between science, management and policy, aiming to contribute in reversing present negative trends. By consolidating a large network of more than 100 scientists from 26 countries, and conducting a series of workshops over 4 years (2016–2020), MarCons analyzed challenges, opportunities and obstacles for advancing marine conservation in the European and contiguous seas. Here, we synthesize the major issues that emerged from this analysis and make 12 key recommendations for policy makers, marine managers, and researchers. To increase the effectiveness of marine conservation planning, we recommend (1) designing coherent networks of marine protected areas (MPAs) in the framework of marine spatial planning (MSP) and applying systematic conservation planning principles, including re-evaluation of existing management zones, (2) designing MPA networks within a broader transboundary planning framework, and (3) implementing integrated land-freshwater-sea approaches. To address inadequate or poorly informed management, we recommend (4) developing and implementing adaptive management plans in all sites of the Natura 2000 European conservation network and revising the Natura 2000 framework, (5) embedding and implementing cumulative effects assessments into a risk management process and making them operational, and (6) promoting actions to reach ‘good environmental status’ in all European waters. To account for global change in conservation planning and management, we further recommend (7) developing conservation strategies to address the impacts of global change, for example identifying climate-change refugia as high priority conservation areas, and (8) incorporating biological invasions in conservation plans and prioritizing management actions to control invasive species. Finally, to improve current practices that may compromise the effectiveness of conservation actions, we recommend (9) reinforcing the collection of high-quality open-access data, (10) improving mechanisms for public participation in MPA planning and management, (11) prioritizing conservation goals in full collaboration with stakeholders, and (12) addressing gender inequality in marine sciences and conservation.

The Possibilities of Open-Cast Mining in Landscape Parks in Poland—A Case Study

Landscape parks are one of the most important tools for nature conservation in Europe. Cultural landscape protection, coupled in particular with rural tradition of land use plays a very important role. A common feature of these popular protected areas is the fact that they are established legally, in accordance with the principle of sustainable development. Activities carried out in the landscape parks are not entirely subservient to nature conservation. This makes them different from national parks and natural reserves. In Poland, landscape parks together with their buffer zones cover more than 13% of the country’s territory, which frequently causes conflicts among mining entrepreneurs and limits their activities. Mining in landscape parks in Poland is not forbidden by domestic law; however, detailed guidelines in this respect are determined by the assembly of a given province. Additionally, the process of applying for an extraction licence could be burdened with the threat of social protests, which may result in extending it by many years, and because of which a project may fail to be completed. Optimal solutions to these obstacles are already proposed by “Czatkowice” Limestone Mine (Małopolska Province). This case study presents an efficient practice of a smooth and effective decision-making process of obtaining a new mining licence in a landscape park. It also outlines certain aspects of the social licence to operate (SLO) as well as some appropriate methods of acting in complicated environments and spatial conditions.

Biases of Odonata in Habitats Directive: Trends, trend drivers, and conservation status of European threatened Odonata

Abstract Dragonflies and damselflies, within the order of Odonata, are important ecological indicators with widely recognised conservation value. They are generally better researched and protected than other invertebrates, yet, they have received limited protection from the European Union (EU)'s Habitats Directive, which serves as the major legislative tool for species conservation in Europe. We reviewed the conservation status and trends, legal protection status, and knowledge gaps of Odonates within the EU. Among the 22 threatened and 27 endemic species in EU, respectively 19 and 11 of them are not protected by the Directive. Out of the 35 species which are threatened and/or listed on the Annexes, 61.5% of them are declining. Nevertheless, threatened non‐Annex species are more likely to have a decreasing population trend than Annex species. There are also 26% of threatened non‐Annex species with unknown trends. Inaccuracies in evaluating Odonata trends are also revealed due to the lack of standardised methodology and incomplete surveys. Moreover, most conservation research focuses on climate change's effects on range shift, therefore knowledge gaps exist in understating how water and habitat qualities, the most important Odonate trend drivers, shape Odonata conservation status. There is an urgent need to revise the legal protection status of Odonata in Europe, for instance by revising the EU Habitats Directive Annexes to include threatened damselflies and dragonflies. There is also an urgent need for systematic, standardised, and regular survey to be able to investigate trends and drivers of change to identify priority conservation actions.

How to improve the distribution maps of habitat types at national scale

Annex I habitat types are a key factor for biodiversity conservation in Europe and distribution maps are essential for assessing their conservation status. We aim to increase the responsiveness to habitat knowledge needs and to propose the use of data collected at local scale for assessing a key indicator such as the Area of Occupancy (AOO) of habitats. In this paper, starting from the 4th Report of Habitats Directive data, we present a multi-source approach that allows national habitat distribution maps to be refined and their AOO estimated, by combining certified available information on habitat maps and vegetation databases. For the first time a comprehensive up-to-date knowledge on habitat distribution at national scale is now available; our approach will be an essential tool for the implementation of the Habitats Directive and to achieve the goals of EU biodiversity strategy in Italy.

Vegetation richness and rarity in habitats of European conservation value in Ireland

Abstract Species richness is widely used as a measure of biodiversity in quantifying the conservation value of sites or habitats and in researching ecological functioning, but it gives equal weighting to different species irrespective of their rarity. We developed a Rarity Co-efficient and related indices utilising plant species distribution records to investigate the significance of this limitation and applied these to quantitative vegetation plot data from Irish habitats of European importance. The conservation value of habitats and ecosystems differed markedly depending upon whether it was measured by species richness, species rarity or both richness and rarity. Application of abundance-weighting had noteworthy effects on index values at the community level; dominance of non-native or very common species reduced values, while abundance of rare species increased values. Index values varied along successional gradients occurring in coastal dune systems and saltmarsh. Almost no significant concordance was found between the rankings of habitats based on richness or rarity index values derived from vascular plant data and those based on index values derived from bryophyte data, therefore these taxonomic groups are poor surrogates for each other. Habitats were divided into three categories based on similar patterns in these rankings: (a) habitats with specialist vascular plants, (b) species-rich vascular plant habitats and (c) important bryophyte habitats. Habitat assessment criteria should reflect these broad differences in conservation value. Integration of rarity indices into site conservation value assessments is recommended.

The dark side of raptors’ distribution ranges under climate change

Artificial light at night (ALAN) represents a significant threat to biodiversity. Given that protected areas (PAs) are in relative darkness compared to the surrounding sites, they could be considered an effective tool towards eliminating the impacts of ALAN. However, the extent to which climate change-induced shifts would drive species out of PAs and thus, alter their exposure to ALAN remains an open question. We assessed the extent and protection coverage of dark areas across the current and future distributions of 39 raptor species of European conservation interest. We initially developed a set of distribution models using current and projected climatic variables. Next, we used a satellite dataset of nighttime lights composite to determine the spread of ALAN within the raptors’ ranges. Finally, we applied three indices of proportional changes in the expansion of suitable habitats and dark areas to quantify patterns in ALAN within the current and future raptors’ ranges across Europe. Our analyses revealed that potential future distribution shifts of raptors will lead to changes in the exposure of species to ALAN, with these patterns being rather unfavourable for most of them. Still, PAs in Europe were found to offer a relative high proportion of dark areas which overlap with the current and future raptors range. Our findings provided some first insights into the spatial conflict between species ranges and ALAN, considering potential distribution shifts driven by climate change. The proposed methodology offers the means to identify potential dark refugia towards prioritizing conservation actions.