European Nature Information System Research Articles

Alien plant invasions in European woodlands

AbstractAimWoodlands make up a third of European territory and carry out important ecosystem functions, yet a comprehensive overview of their invasion by alien plants has never been undertaken across this continent.LocationEurope.MethodsWe extracted data from 251,740 vegetation plots stored in the recently compiled European Vegetation Archive. After filtering (resulting in 83,396 plots; 39 regions; 1970–2015 time period), we analysed the species pool and frequency of alien vascular plants with respect to geographic origin and life‐forms, and the levels of invasion across the European Nature Information System (EUNIS) woodland habitats.ResultsWe found a total of 386 alien plant species (comprising 7% of all recorded vascular plants). Aliens originating from outside of and from within Europe were almost equally represented in the species pool (192 vs. 181 species) but relative frequency was skewed towards the former group (77% vs. 22%) due, to some extent, to the frequent occurrence of Impatiens parviflora (21% frequency among alien plants). Phanerophytes were the most species‐rich life‐form (148 species) and had the highest representation in terms of relative frequency (39%) among aliens in the dataset. Apart from Europe (181 species), North America was the most important source of alien plants (109 species). At the local scale, temperate and boreal softwood riparian woodland (5%) and mire and mountain coniferous woodland (<1%) had the highest and lowest mean relative alien species richness (percentage of alien species per plot), respectively.Main conclusionsOur results indicate that European woodlands are prone to alien plant invasions especially when exposed to disturbance, fragmentation, alien propagule pressure and high soil nutrient levels. Given the persistence of these factors in the landscape, competitive alien plant species with a broad niche, including alien trees and shrubs, are likely to persist and spread further into European woodlands.

An ecological framework for the development of a national MPA network

Isolated marine protected areas (MPAs) may not be enough to sustain viable populations of marine species, particularly the many small coastal MPAs which resulted due to social, economic and political constraints. Properly designed MPA networks can circumvent such limitations due to their potential synergistic positive effects, but this crucial step is frequently obstructed by lack of baseline ecological information. In this paper, we use systematic conservation planning on European Nature Information System coastal habitat information available for Portugal to demonstrate how an ecologically coherent nation-wide MPA network can be designed. We used the software Marxan to obtain near optimal solutions for each of three pre-determined conservation targets (10%, 30% and 50% protection) while maintaining the cost of including conservation units as low as possible. Marxan solutions were subsequently optimized with MinPatch by keeping each MPA above a minimum size that reflects the existing information on habitat use by some key marine fishes. Results show that 10% protection for all habitats would only require a relatively small increase in the number (from 6 to 10) and area (from 479 km2 to 509 km2 ) of already existing MPAs in mainland Portugal whereas substantial increases would be required to achieve the 50% target. This rather simple approach offers the added benefit of allowing design improvement as more relevant ecological information becomes available, including deeper habitat mapping across the whole continental shelf, allowing a coherent, adaptive and inclusive optimal MPA network to be designed.

Mapping benthic communities: An indispensable tool for the preservation and management of the eco-socio-system in the Bay of Seine

The establishment of benthic marine habitat maps plays an important role in the conservation and management of coastal ecosystems faced with the increasing impacts of human activities. The Bay of Seine, bordering the eastern part of the English Channel, is an area undergoing considerable cumulative impacts, and which consequently requires a synthesis of our knowledge of the ecological status of its benthic habitats. Fortunately, numerous benthic sampling campaigns have been carried out over the last two decades, mainly in the eastern and western shallow parts of the bay. These campaigns have led to the construction of a database, allowing statistical analyses at the scale of the whole area which are then used to produce maps. Nevertheless, it appears that maps constructed using existing Natura 2000, EUNIS (European Nature Information System), and French MNHN (Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle) typologies are not enough detailed to distinguish the mosaic of habitats of the Seine estuary. It is indispensable to add expert judgements concerning local areas to updated maps of the benthic communities in the Bay of Seine. Several Natural Zones of Interest for Ecology in terms of Flora and Fauna named ‘ZNIEFF-Marine’ areas have been identified, which could be useful in the future in the context of marine Natura 2000 sites for the management and conservation of endangered marine habitats in this maritime zone subject to highly conflicting interests.

Patterns in megabenthic assemblages on a seamount summit (Ormonde Peak, Gorringe Bank, Northeast Atlantic)

AbstractGettysburg and Ormonde are two shallow peaks located on the Gorringe seamount about 200 and 240 km WSW off Cape St. Vincent (Portugal, NE Atlantic), within the Portuguese Economic Exclusive Zone. Despite the ecological importance of the biological assemblages on these peaks and the need to preserve seamounts as valuable habitats, no management plans have been yet implemented at this site, which only recently has been included in the list of Sites of Community Importance of Portugal. Video imagery collected using a ROV during the 2011 Oceana campaigns was used here to analyse qualitative and quantitative patterns of benthic assemblage composition at the summit of the seamount (between 30 and 230 m depth). The results suggest that Ormonde is a biologically important area made up of vulnerable marine ecosystem elements that change significantly with depth. These include: kelp beds, in the euphotic zone; encrusting coralline algal communities and solitary colonies or mixed associations of suspension‐feeders (scleractinians, gorgonians, antipatharians, encrusting demosponges and ascidians), at the lower limit of the euphotic zone; mixed coral gardens and erect sponges, in the disphotic zone; and dense sponge aggregations, on the upper slope. These results were further used to propose amendments to the European Nature Information System habitat classification as a tool to work towards resolving the seamounts management issue. The results also provide information on taxa and habitats with high ecological value and classified as threatened or vulnerable, which is essential for the implementation of the cornerstones of Europe's biodiversity conservation policy, namely the OSPAR Convention and the EU Habitats Directive.

Marine biodiversity mapping versus human activities at sea

Event Abstract Back to Event Marine biodiversity mapping versus human activities at sea Jorge M. Gonçalves1* 1 CCMAR, Centre of Marine Sciences - Universidade do Algarve, Portugal Marine habitat mapping, namely the mapping of priority habitats and species, is crucial for biodiversity conservation. Marine cartography is old and has a long tradition in Europe. The first maps were for navigation and fisheries, but nowadays other purposes have emerged such as the will to conserve marine biodiversity and the need to accommodate new activities at sea, such as offshore aquaculture and renewable energy. In Europe, marine habitat mapping follows a standardized habitat classification designated as the European Nature Information System (EUNIS) and there are harmonized maps for the majority of the seas that surround this continent. However, these maps are mainly based on physical and chemical parameters such as depth, bottom type and salinity, with the biological layers being much more incomplete. Marine habitat maps are complex and of difficult extrapolation given the heterogeneity found in the distributions of many marine species and communities. Methods for marine biodiversity assessment are very demanding in terms of using all the logistics associated with direct sampling methods at sea, followed by a prolonged lab processing (taxonomy). Nevertheless, these maps are valuable in terms of basic knowledge of life on our planet, in the definition of Marine Protected Areas (MPA), for the expansion of the NATURA 2000 network to the sea and for fisheries management and maritime spatial planning. The human activities at sea, particularly the most dynamic in spatial terms, such as fishing, are also difficult to map, but with the most advanced geolocation technologies and general access feature such as Automatic Identification System (AIS) it is possible to define the fishing operations with sufficient accuracy. With these tools, and additional biological and economic information, maps can be produced not only about fishing grounds, but also on catch and economic yield per unit of fishing effort and by sea area. Having in mind the aim of implementing a marine biodiversity conservation strategy and promoting the sustainability of the human activities at sea, a good path to follow is the one that encourages the spatial compatibility of those activities, through the use of strict spatial knowledge as a solid base for discussion between stakeholders. Based on the Algarve case study (South of Portugal) the mapping of marine made significant advances with the identification of priority habitats and species under the Habitat Directive and the OSPAR Convention. This knowledge has also been enhanced by the integration of a spatial definition of biodiversity hotspots based on an innovative approach that associated marine ecology metrics with geostatistical tools. In a subsequent phase, human activities were also incorporated into the maps (e.g. fishing, tourism, shipping and energy) and based on optimization algorithms of the cost-benefit ratio some marine areas were proposed to be included in a future network of marine protected areas on the Algarve coast. Keywords: habitat mapping, Fisheries Management, marine spatial planning, biodiversity conservation, Marine Protected Areas (MPA) Conference: XIX Iberian Symposium on Marine Biology Studies, Porto, Portugal, 5 Sep - 9 Sep, 2016. Presentation Type: Plenary Presentation Topic: 1. ECOLOGY, BIODIVERSITY AND VULNERABLE ECOSYSTEMS Citation: Gonçalves JM (2016). Marine biodiversity mapping versus human activities at sea. Front. Mar. Sci. Conference Abstract: XIX Iberian Symposium on Marine Biology Studies. doi: 10.3389/conf.FMARS.2016.05.00091 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 21 Jun 2016; Published Online: 02 Sep 2016. * Correspondence: Dr. Jorge M Gonçalves, CCMAR, Centre of Marine Sciences - Universidade do Algarve, Faro, 8005-139, Portugal, jgoncal@ualg.pt Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Jorge M Gonçalves Google Jorge M Gonçalves Google Scholar Jorge M Gonçalves PubMed Jorge M Gonçalves Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

New Methods in Acquisition, Update and Dissemination of Nature Conservation Geodata - Implementation of an Integrated Framework

Abstract. Within the framework of this project methods are being tested and implemented a) to introduce remote sensing based approaches into the existing process of biotope mapping and b) to develop a framework serving the multiple requirements arising from different users’ backgrounds and thus the need for comprehensive data interoperability. Therefore state-wide high resolution land cover vector-data have been generated in an automated object oriented workflow based on aerial imagery and a normalised digital surface models.These data have been enriched by an extensive characterisation of the individual objects by e.g. site specific, contextual or spectral parameters utilising multitemporal satellite images, DEM-derivatives and multiple relevant geo-data. Parameters are tested on relevance in regard to the classification process using different data mining approaches and have been used to formalise categories of the European nature information system (EUNIS) in a semantic framework. The Classification will be realised by ontology-based reasoning. Dissemination and storage of data is developed fully INSPIRE-compatible and facilitated via a web portal. Main objectives of the project are a) maximum exploitation of existing “standard” data provided by state authorities, b) combination of these data with satellite imagery (Copernicus), c) create land cover objects and achieve data interoperability through low number of classes but comprehensive characterisation and d) implement algorithms and methods suitable for automated processing on large scales.

Tuz Lake Special Environment Protection Area, Central Anatolia, Turkey: The EUNIS Habitat Classification and Habitat Change Detection between 1987 and 2007

Tuz Lake is one of the most important natural areas in the world with its distinguished flora and fauna. It is the second largest lake in Turkey. The lake is located within the boundaries of three cities, Aksaray, Konya, and Ankara. With-in the study area, there are 64 residential areas. Tuz Lake is located in a closed basin and has a geologically tectonic origin. The Lake and the surrounding areas were declared as an area of natural importance in 1992 and consequently as a Special Environmental Protection Area(SEPA), in 2000 was designated as the largest in the country with 7,414 km². The aim of this study was to determine the habitat types in the study area according to the European Nature Information System (EUNIS) and identify the changes in these habitat types for the last 20 years using the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) techniques. As a result, 12 EUNIS habitat types and the changes in these habitats for the year 1987 and 2007 were determined. Habitat types for 1987 and 2007 remained the same (12) but, the Surface Running Waters (C2) habitats in 1987 were transformed into small–scale ornamental and domestic garden areas (I2.2) in 2007. This finding shows the effect of anthropogenic pressure on the Tuz Lake Special Environmental Protection Area (SEPA). The results of this study have implications for the management practices of Tuz Lake SEPA.

An evaluation of supervised and unsupervised classification techniques for marine benthic habitat mapping using multibeam echosounder data

Abstract Marine habitat mapping provides information on seabed substrata and faunal community structure to users including research scientists, conservation organizations, and policy makers. Full-coverage acoustic data are frequently used for habitat mapping in combination with video ground-truth data in either a supervised or unsupervised classification. In this investigation, video ground-truth data with a camera footprint of 1 m2 were classified to level 4 of the European Nature Information System habitat classification scheme. Acoustic data with a horizontal resolution of 1 m2 were collected over an area of 130 km2 using a multibeam echosounder, and processed to provide bathymetry and backscatter data. Bathymetric derivatives including eastness, northness, slope, topographic roughness index, vector rugosity measure, and two measures of curvature were created. A feature selection process based on Kruskal–Wallis and post hoc pairwise testing was used to select environmental variables able to discriminate ground-truth classes. Subsequently, three datasets were formed: backscatter alone (BS), backscatter combined with bathymetry and derivatives (BSDER), and bathymetry and derivatives alone (DER). Two classifications were performed on each of the datasets to produce habitat maps: maximum likelihood supervised classification (MLC) and ISO Cluster unsupervised classification. Accuracy of the supervised habitat maps was assessed using total agreement, quantity disagreement, and allocation disagreement. Agreement in the unsupervised maps was assessed using the Cramer's V coefficient. Choice of input data produced large differences in the accuracy of the supervised maps, but did not have the same effect on the unsupervised maps. Accuracies were 46, 56, and 49% when calculated using the sample and 52, 65, and 51% when using an unbiased estimate of the population for the BS, BSDER, and DER maps, respectively. Cramer's V was 0.371, 0.417, and 0.366 for the BS, BSDER, and DER maps, respectively.

EUNIS habitat's thresholds for the Western coast of the Iberian Peninsula — A Portuguese case study

The European Nature Information System (EUNIS) has been implemented for the establishment of a marine European habitats inventory. Its hierarchical classification is defined and relies on environmental variables which primarily constrain biological communities (e.g. substrate types, sea energy level, depth and light penetration). The EUNIS habitat classification scheme relies on thresholds (e.g. fraction of light and energy) which are based on expert judgment or on the empirical analysis of the above environmental data. The present paper proposes to establish and validate an appropriate threshold for energy classes (high, moderate and low) and for subtidal biological zonation (infralittoral and circalittoral) suitable for EUNIS habitat classification of the Western Iberian coast. Kinetic wave-induced energy and the fraction of photosynthetically available light exerted on the marine bottom were respectively assigned to the presence of kelp (Saccorhiza polyschides, Laminaria hyperborea and Laminaria ochroleuca) and seaweed species in general. Both data were statistically described, ordered from the largest to the smallest and percentile analyses were independently performed. The threshold between infralittoral and circalittoral was based on the first quartile while the ‘moderate energy’ class was established between the 12.5 and 87.5 percentiles. To avoid data dependence on sampling locations and assess the confidence interval a bootstrap technique was applied. According to this analysis, more than 75% of seaweeds are present at locations where more than 3.65% of the surface light reaches the sea bottom. The range of energy levels estimated using S. polyschides data, indicate that on the Iberian West coast the ‘moderate energy’ areas are between 0.00303 and 0.04385N/m2 of wave-induced energy. The lack of agreement between different studies in different regions of Europe suggests the need for more standardization in the future. However, the obtained thresholds in the present study will be very useful in the near future to implement and establish the Iberian EUNIS habitats inventory.

Marine habitat mapping of the Milford Haven Waterway, Wales, UK: Comparison of facies mapping and EUNIS classification for monitoring sediment habitats in an industrialized estuary

A detailed map and dataset of sedimentary habitats of the Milford Haven Waterway (MHW) was compiled for the Milford Haven Waterway Environmental Surveillance Group (MHWESG) from seafloor images collected in May, 2012 using sediment-profile and plan-view imaging (SPI/PV) survey techniques. This is the most comprehensive synoptic assessment of sediment distribution and benthic habitat composition available for the MHW, with 559 stations covering over 40km2 of subtidal habitats. In the context of the MHW, an interpretative framework was developed that classified each station within a ‘facies’ that included information on the location within the waterway and inferred sedimentary and biological processes. The facies approach provides critical information on landscape-scale habitats including relative location and inferred sediment transport processes and can be used to direct future monitoring activities within the MHW and to predict areas of greatest potential risk from contaminant transport.Intertidal sediment ‘facies’ maps have been compiled in the past for MHW; this approach was expanded to map the subtidal portions of the waterway. Because sediment facies can be projected over larger areas than individual samples (due to assumptions based on physiography, or landforms) they represent an observational model of the distribution of sediments in an estuary. This model can be tested over time and space through comparison with additional past or future sample results. This approach provides a means to evaluate stability or change in the physical and biological conditions of the estuarine system. Initial comparison with past results for intertidal facies mapping and grain size analysis from grab samples showed remarkable stability over time for the MHW.The results of the SPI/PV mapping effort were cross-walked to the European Nature Information System (EUNIS) classification to provide a comparison of locally derived habitat mapping with European-standard habitat mapping. Cross-walk was conducted by assigning each facies (or group of facies) to a EUNIS habitat (Levels 3 or 5) and compiling maps comparing facies distribution with EUNIS habitat distribution. The facies approach provides critical information on landscape-scale habitats including relative location and inferred sediment transport processes. The SPI/PV approach cannot consistently identify key species contained within the EUNIS Level 5 Habitats. For regional planning and monitoring efforts, a combination of EUNIS classification and facies description provides the greatest flexibility for management of dynamic soft-bottom habitats in coastal estuaries. The combined approach can be used to generate and test hypotheses of linkages between biological characteristics (EUNIS) and physical characteristics (facies). This approach is practical if a robust cross-walk methodology is developed to utilize both classification approaches. SPI/PV technology can be an effective rapid ground truth method for refining marine habitat maps based on predictive models.

Object-based class modelling for multi-scale riparian forest habitat mapping

Object-based class modelling allows for mapping complex, hierarchical habitat systems. The riparian zone, including forests, represents such a complex ecosystem. Forests within riparian zones are biologically high productive and characterized by a rich biodiversity; thus considered of high community interest with an imperative to be protected and regularly monitored. Satellite earth observation (EO) provides tools for capturing the current state of forest habitats such as forest composition including intermixture of non-native tree species. Here we present a semi-automated object based image analysis (OBIA) approach for the mapping of riparian forests by applying class modelling of habitats based on the European Nature Information System (EUNIS) habitat classifications and the European Habitats Directive (HabDir) Annex 1. A very high resolution (VHR) WorldView-2 satellite image provided the required spatial and spectral details for a multi-scale image segmentation and rule-base composition to generate a six-level hierarchical representation of riparian forest habitats. Thereby habitats were hierarchically represented within an image object hierarchy as forest stands, stands of homogenous tree species and single trees represented by sunlit tree crowns. 522 EUNIS level 3 (EUNIS-3) habitat patches with a mean patch size (MPS) of 12,349.64m2 were modelled from 938 forest stand patches (MPS=6868.20m2) and 43,742 tree stand patches (MPS=140.79m2). The delineation quality of the modelled EUNIS-3 habitats (focal level) was quantitatively assessed to an expert-based visual interpretation showing a mean deviation of 11.71%.

Benthic habitat mapping on the Basque continental shelf (SE Bay of Biscay) and its application to the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive

Benthic habitats on the Basque continental shelf were mapped based on multibeam echosounder surveys, grab sampling, video surveys and oceanographic monitoring. A total area of 2302km2 was classified according to the European Nature Information System (EUNIS) hierarchical classification. Almost 50% of the area corresponded to rock and other hard substrata and the other 50% corresponded to soft bottoms. The biotic composition of several areas was significantly different from the EUNIS habitat classes described previously; therefore, we propose a total of 13 new classes. The habitat mapping has contributed to improving the knowledge and application of several criteria and indicators used to assess environmental status in the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive in relation to the biological diversity descriptors, such as non-indigenous species and seafloor integrity. It is also useful for other descriptors and for developing the sampling design.

Broad-scale mapping of seafloor habitats in the north-east Atlantic using existing environmental data

If marine management policies and actions are to achieve long-term sustainable use and management of the marine environment and its resources, they need to be informed by data giving the spatial distribution of seafloor habitats over large areas. Broad-scale seafloor habitat mapping is an approach which has the benefit of producing maps covering large extents at a reasonable cost. This approach was first investigated by Roff et al. (2003), who, acknowledging that benthic communities are strongly influenced by the physical characteristics of the seafloor, proposed overlaying mapped physical variables using a geographic information system (GIS) to produce an integrated map of the physical characteristics of the seafloor. In Europe the method was adapted to the marine section of the EUNIS (European Nature Information System) classification of habitat types under the MESH project, and was applied at an operational level in 2011 under the EUSeaMap project. The present study compiled GIS layers for fundamental physical parameters in the northeast Atlantic, including (i) bathymetry, (ii) substrate type, (iii) light penetration depth and (iv) exposure to near-seafloor currents and wave action. Based on analyses of biological occurrences, significant thresholds were fine-tuned for each of the abiotic layers and later used in multi-criteria raster algebra for the integration of the layers into a seafloor habitat map. The final result was a harmonised broad-scale seafloor habitat map with a 250mpixel size covering four extensive areas, i.e. Ireland, the Bay of Biscay, the Iberian Peninsula and the Azores. The map provided the first comprehensive perception of habitat spatial distribution for the Iberian Peninsula and the Azores, and fed into the initiative for a pan-European map initiated by the EUSeaMap project for Baltic, North, Celtic and Mediterranean seas.

Benthic habitat mapping in a Portuguese Marine Protected Area using EUNIS: An integrated approach

A growing demand for seabed and habitat mapping has taken place over the past years to support the maritime integrated policies at EU and national levels aiming at the sustainable use of sea resources.This study presents the results of applying the hierarchical European Nature Information System (EUNIS) to classify and map the benthic habitats of the Luiz Saldanha Marine Park, a marine protected area (MPA), located in the mainland Portuguese southwest coast, in the Iberian Peninsula. The habitat map was modelled by applying a methodology based on EUNIS to merge biotic and abiotic key habitat drivers.The modelling in this approach focused on predicting the association of different data types: substrate, bathymetry, light intensity, waves and currents energy, sediment grain size and benthic macrofauna into a common framework. The resulting seamless medium scale habitat map discriminates twenty six distinct sublittoral habitats, including eight with no match in the current classification, which may be regarded as new potential habitat classes and therefore will be submitted to EUNIS.A discussion is provided examining the suitability of the current EUNIS scheme as a standardized approach to classify marine benthic habitats and map their spatial distribution at medium scales in the Portuguese coast. In addition the factors that most affected the results available in the predictive habitat map and the role of the environmental factors on macrofaunal assemblage composition and distribution are outlined.

The classification of coastal dune vegetation in Central Black Sea Region of Turkey by numerical methods and EU habitat types

Coastal sand dune vegetation in Central Black Sea Region of Turkey was investigated by numerical methods. Eight plant associations were determined according to two-way indicator species analysis (TWINSPAN) and detrended correspondence analysis (DCA). Plant associations were also classified according to NATURA 2000 and European Nature Information System. Coastal dune ecosystems in the Central Black Sea Region include eight habitat types. Eight plant associations belonging to four classes, order and alliances are described and five of them are new associations. TWINSPAN revealed the existence of a gradient from drift line to the inner parts. These have been separated into shifting dunes and fixed dunes. DCA allowed determining the plant associations in shifting dunes along the shoreline as well as the annual vegetation of drift line and embryonic shifting dunes and of fixed coastal dunes with herbaceous vegetation. The syntaxonomical classification is given in the following:

Regional context affects native and alien plant species richness across habitat types

AbstractQuestionHow does large‐scale context affect native and alien species richness across different habitat types?LocationCatalonia, NE Spain.MethodsWe analysed a set of 5309 vegetation plots from the BDBC (Biodiversity Data Bank of Catalonia) database, organized following the UTM (Universal Transverse Mercator) 10 km × 10 km grid. Plots were assigned to the first or second hierarchy of EUNIS (European Nature Information System) habitat classification. For each plot, the number of native plants (including archaeophytes, i.e. alien plants introduced before 1500 ad) and neophytes (alien plants introduced after 1500 ad) was recorded. Neophytes were classified according their Raunkiaer's life form. For each UTM we selected eight predictors related to land cover composition, anthropogenic context and climate. The association of neophyte and native species richness with these predictor variables was explored by generalized linear mixed models for each terrestrial habitat type after controlling for plot area.ResultsA total of 77 different neophyte species were found distributed among the eight habitat types with fitted models. Minimum adequate models on both neophyte and native species richness were highly variable. In general, native species richness responded more to climatic variables, while neophyte species richness was associated more with human landscape factors such as distance to main roads and, secondarily, cropland cover.ConclusionsContext factors defined on a large scale (10 km) have a significant effect on local native and neophyte species richness for many habitat types in Catalonia. Our results highlight the major influence of climatic context on native species richness and the influence of human landscape context on neophyte species richness in the study region. The inconsistency of results between habitat types suggests that this large‐scale effect might be highly idiosyncratic and dependent on species ecology and life form.

Ecological monitoring of wetlands in semi-arid region of Konya closed Basin, Turkey

Wetland ecosystems are of global significance having productive, regulatory and informative function. These wetlands are crucial for the long-term protection of water sources, as well as the survival of its unique biodiversity. Most of the wetlands of Turkey are now facing serious threat from the anthropogenic sources and now near to the verge of extinction. This study has been carried out to monitor vegetation dynamics and ecological status of wetlands of Koyna basin at spatial and temporal scale. This study has involved MODerate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) images of the year 2000, 2004 and 2008 on daily basis with spatial resolution of 1 km. The MODIS 16 days composite NDVI time series products of 250-m spatial resolution from year 2000 to 2008 has been utilized to monitor the ecological status of the wetlands. The European Nature Information System habitat classification map, meteorological data (precipitation, temperature) coupled with field data has been utilized to validate NDVI values of nine habitats in the wetlands. The time series analyses of NDVI data values have been correlated with the groundwater level depth from 1996 to 2004. The overall analysis has shown a declining trend of NDVI over the year 2000 to 2008, indicated a degraded wetland condition in span of 9 years.

The classification and assessment of vegetation for monitoring coastal sand dune succession: the case of Tuzla in Adana, Turkey

This study aimed to provide an assessment of coastal sand dune vegetation through a number of analyses meant to provide a better understanding of the structure of plant communities and the successional stages of coastal sand dunes in a human-induced coastal landscape, the Seyhan Delta in southern Turkey. Therefore, as a baseline data inventory for monitoring, succession and the community-based classification of sand dune vegetation and human impacts were the major concerns of this study. The zonation of coastal sand dune vegetation was also determined within this scope, providing a contemporary assessment of different successional stages. A total of 96 taxa were recorded in 103 sampling relevés, which were randomly placed along 2 replicated transects perpendicular to the coastline. Multivariate classification techniques (TWINSPAN and DECORANA) were employed to classify sand dune vegetation into groups corresponding to different successional stages and to determine the response of plant community structures to human influence. Multivariate analysis resulted in a clear demonstration of 7 floristically distinct community groups associated with 4 main geomorphologic units. These plant communities were matched to the European Nature Information System (EUNIS) habitat classification. The results of this study provided a baseline data inventory covering plant communities and successional stages that demonstrated the current state of the coastal dunes in the study area.

Introductory notes to factsheets. Chapter 14

Among the 1590 terrestrial arthropod species alien to Europe identified in this book, 78 were selected to produce specific factsheets in order to provide more information on their biology, distribution and impact. We included two more species which are alien in Europe, the horse-chestnut leaf miner (Cameraria ohridella) and the African cotton leafworm (Spodoptera littoralis) because of their importance. These 80 species are perhaps not the most important alien invaders, but they are rather representatives of the main taxonomic groups of alien terrestrial arthropods. They were selected so as to represent different pathways of introduction and diverse impacts on ecosystems, economic activities and human and animal health. These species include two myriapods, one spider, one mite, 18 coleopterans, seven dipterans, 23 hemipterans, 10 hymenopterans, one termite, 14 lepidopterans, and three thrips. Each factsheet includes information on the following aspects: Description and biological cycle: A brief description of adults and immature stages is given, whenever possible illustrated by a photograph, to help the reader identify the species. Further information details the general characteristics of the biological cycle in the invaded area, especially the species' potential to reproduce and the hosts it has colonized. Native habitat: The factsheet includes the habitat type where the species is found in its native range. In order to make habitat types comparable among taxa, we adopted the classification of the European Nature Information System (EUNIS) database (http://eunis.eea.europa.eu). The habitat type codes are detailed in Appendix II. When information was available, we included specific habitat requirements which may help understand the potential of the species to establish and spread in Europe. Habitat occupied in invaded range: The different habitats colonized by the alien species are described as for native habitats. Native range: The native distribution of the species is described. For some species, there is very precise information available, but for others, only brief details of a region or even continent can be given. Introduced range: The date of the first record in Europe and the location of this record is given, as well as details of the process of dispersion in the continent when available. A distribution map is supplied for all species. For most of them, presence/ absence data have been obtained only at country level, but for a few species, more detailed maps are given to show the distribution at regional scale. However, the missing occurrence of species from some countries does not always mean that these countries are not colonized, but may rather result from a lack of data for the country concerned. The map also indicates eradication records where relevant. Pathways: We included information on the routes of introduction to Europe, and the potential of the species to disperse within the continent once it has established. Impact and management: This section details the importance of the species' impacts in the colonized habitats. Both ecological and economical impacts are detailed when known. Practical advice where known is given regarding mechanical, chemical and biological control methods. Selected references: Three of the most relevant references to the history of the species' introduction and spread in Europe are given.

Contrasting patterns in the invasions of European terrestrial and freshwater habitats by alien plants, insects and vertebrates

ABSTRACTAim To provide the first comparative overview on the current numbers of alien species that invade representative European terrestrial and freshwater habitats for a range of taxonomic groups.Location Europe.Methods Numbers of naturalized alien species of plants, insects, herptiles, birds and mammals occurring in 10 habitats defined according to the European Nature Information System (EUNIS) were obtained from 115 regional data sets. Only species introduced after ad 1500 were considered. Data were analysed by ANCOVA and regression trees to assess whether differences exist among taxonomic groups in terms of their habitat affinity, and whether the pattern of occurrence of alien species in European habitats interacts with macroecological factors such as insularity, latitude or area.Results The highest numbers of alien plant and insect species were found in human‐made, urban or cultivated habitats; if controlled for habitat area in the region, wetland and riparian habitats appeared to support relatively high numbers of alien plant species too. Invasions by vertebrates were more evenly distributed among habitats, with aquatic and riparian, woodland and cultivated land most invaded. Mires, bogs and fens, grassland, heathland and scrub were generally less invaded. Habitat and taxonomic group explained most variation in the proportions of alien species occurring in individual habitats related to the total number of alien species in a region, and the basic pattern determined by these factors was fine‐tuned by geographical variables, namely by the mainland–island contrast and latitude, and differed among taxonomic groups.Main conclusions There are two ecologically distinct groups of alien species (plants and insects versus vertebrates) with strikingly different habitat affinities. Invasions by these two contrasting groups are complementary in terms of habitat use, which makes an overall assessment of habitat invasions in Europe possible. Since numbers of naturalized species in habitats are correlated among taxa within these two groups, the data collected for one group of vertebrates, for example, could be used to estimate the habitat‐specific numbers of alien species for other vertebrate groups with reasonable precision, and the same holds true for insects and plants.