European Network Of Protected Areas Research Articles

Will natura 2000 european network of protected areas support conservation of Southwestern Alps endemic flora under future climate?

Networks of protected areas (PAs) are globally recognized as playing a key role for in situ conservation of species. Despite a high potential for biodiversity conservation, PAs may not mitigate the current biodiversity loss because they do not consider climate change impact. In fact, because PAs have static geographical boundaries, they may hardly keep pace with dynamics in species distribution caused by the climate change, which was not considered when they were designed. In this study, we used species distribution modelling of 85 plant taxa endemic or subendemic to Southwestern Alps to evaluate the effectiveness of PAs network in protecting endemics under future climate change scenarios. PAs cover roughly the 30% of the Southwestern Alps. PAs will harbour more expected distribution range of taxa in the future than today, probably because they occur in high altitude areas rich in endemics that have been climatically stable areas in the past and that will likely remain relatively climatically buffered in the future. Moreover, PAs are distributed to poorly cover expected range of endemics at low and middle elevation, which are threatened by urbanization and climate change. We recommend additional protection at low and middle elevation, considering the future climatic suitability of species.

Predicting climatic threats to an endangered freshwater mussel in Europe: The need to account for fish hosts

Abstract The freshwater pearl mussel Margaritifera margaritifera has been suffering major population declines in Europe. This endangered species is a host specialist and exclusively requires salmonid species (Salmo trutta and Salmo salar) to complete its life cycle. In theory, obligatory biotic interactions should deserve special conservation attention, because the loss or massive decline of fish hosts may elicit the extirpation of their affiliated species. While many threats disturbing M. margaritifera are similarly affecting salmonids, climate change is particularly alarming, with the potential to significantly change the fish‐mussel dynamics. To evaluate the importance of including the occurrence of fish hosts for predicting the distribution of M. margaritifera in Europe, three datasets were used to build species distribution models (SDMs) with a maximum entropy (MaxEnt) approach: (1) environmental variables (ENV); (2) probability of fish hosts occurrence (FH); and (3) environmental variables and probability of fish hosts occurrence (ENV + FH). We identified the environmental variables that better explain M. margaritifera distribution and modelled its current and future distribution under a suite of climate change scenarios. Furthermore, projections were used to evaluate the adequacy of current networks of European protected areas in covering the suitable habitats for M. margaritifera. Results showed that incorporating data about fish hosts into M. margaritifera SDMs avoided the overprediction of geographical projections and, to a minor extent, improved model performance (area under the curve: ENV = 0.851; FH = 0.848; ENV + FH = 0.867). The distribution range of M. margaritifera in Europe is expected to contract in all future timeframes and emission scenarios considered. Forecasts point to large contractions particularly in central and southern Europe and lowland regions. The European network of protected areas fails to protect 69% of the current and 66%–67% of the future predicted M. margaritifera distribution. This study clearly illustrates the importance of including mussel–fish hosts interactions for accurately predicting M. margaritifera's distribution. The response of M. margaritifera to environmental variables highlights its vulnerability to the higher temperatures, particularly in southern Europe. While predictions indicate large contractions in M. margaritifera's distribution as a result of future climate change, the current European network of protected areas fails to safeguard M. margaritifera. This work provides strong evidence for proposing the generalised use of biotic information about hosts in addition to purely environmental variables to model the distribution of freshwater mussels, as well as for other species with obligatory biotic interactions. Building SDMs such as those discussed here can inform political decision‐making about the likely scenarios for species occurrence in future decades, the requirements needed for an effective conservation strategy, and the regions where conservation should be a priority.

Nature protection areas of Europe are insufficient to preserve the threatened beetle Rosalia alpina (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae): evidence from species distribution models and conservation gap analysis

1. Natura 2000 network (N2000) and national protected areas (NPAs) are recognised as the most important core ‘units’ for biological conservation in Europe.2. Species distribution models (SDMs) were developed to detect the potential distribution of the rare and threatened cerambycid beetle Rosalia alpina L. in Europe, and the amount of suitable habitat within the N2000 network [special areas of conservation (SACs) and special protection areas (SPAs)], NPAs (e.g. national parks, regional parks, state reserves, natural monuments and protected landscapes) and the overall European protected area network (EPAN) (N2000 + NPAs) was quantified.3. According to this analysis, the suitable habitat for R. alpina in Europe amounts to c. 754 171 km2 and stretches across substantially uninterrupted areas from Portugal to Romania (west to east) and from Greece to Germany (south to north). The overlay between the existing system of conservation areas in Europe (N2000 and NPAs) and the binary map for R. alpina showed that only c. 42% of potential habitat is protected. SACs and SPAs protect c. 25% and 21% of potential habitat, respectively. However, because the two site types often spatially overlap, when taken together the entire N2000 network protects c. 31% of potential habitat. Instead, NPAs offer a degree of protection of c. 29%. Overall, almost 60% of the area potentially suitable for the species is unprotected by the EPAN, an aspect that should be considered carefully when planning the conservation of this beetle at a large scale.4. These results may also help to focus field surveys in selected areas where greater chances of success are encountered to save resources and increase survey effectiveness.

Is the choice of conservation measures influenced by the targeted natural habitats? The case of French coastal Natura 2000 sites

Natura 2000 (N2K) is a European network of protected areas that has grown out of the implementation of the Birds Directive (1979) and the Habitats Directive (1992). To date, the literature focussing on “conservation measures” required by the directives has been scarce. This article contributes to a better understanding of associated practices with regard to these measures in the case of France.We put forward a quantitative approach based on 1378 “action-sheets” randomly extracted from 113 management documents of French Natura 2000 coastal sites. These action-sheets are considered to be the physical embodiment of the notion of the conservation measure itself. The analysis concentrates on the “type” of the proposed measures, expressed in terms of a 9-category public policy instrument typology.In terms of frequency of quotation, we show the specific expected importance of three instruments: the work of Natura 2000 project managers, ecological/civil engineering, and data production. Awareness-raising is the main expected means to the end of countering harmful practices and detrimental behaviours.We then propose an exploratory analysis of contextual variables explaining the choice of the type of measure, with an AIC-based procedure of model selection and averaging. The interest of this approach is exemplified by a focus on five explanatory variables reflecting the kind of natural habitats concerned by the measures.Our results show the specificity of instruments associated with coastal habitats. In particular, whereas coastal terrestrial habitats are statistically managed by physical measures (physical regulation and engineering), methods for managing coastal marine habitats are geared towards, on the one hand, awareness raising and participatory approaches, and on the other, regulatory approaches and an integration of Natura 2000 objectives into exogenous institutional frameworks.The results we obtained shed light on the limits and prospects of the implementation of the Natura 2000 program in the marine environment.

Europe's freshwater biodiversity under climate change: distribution shifts and conservation needs

AbstractAimTo assess the future climatic suitability of European catchments for freshwater species and the future utility of the current network of protected areas.LocationEurope.MethodsUsing recently updated catchment‐scale species data and climate projections from multiple climate models, we assessed the climate change threat by the 2050s for 1648 European freshwater plants, fishes, molluscs, odonates, amphibians, crayfish and turtles for two dispersal scenarios and identified hotspots of change at three spatial scales: major river basins, countries and freshwater ecoregions. We considered both common species and the often overlooked rare species. To set our findings within the context of current and future conservation networks, we evaluated the coverage of freshwater biodiversity by Europe's protected area network.ResultsSix per cent of common and 77% of rare species are predicted to lose more than 90% of their current range. Eight fish species and nine mollusc species are predicted to experience 100% range loss under climate change. As the most species‐rich group, molluscs are particularly vulnerable due to the high proportion of rare species and their relatively limited ability to disperse. Furthermore, around 50% of molluscs and fish species will have no protected area coverage given their projected distributions.Main conclusionsWe identified the species most at threat due to projected changes in both catchment suitability and representation within the European protected area network. Our findings suggest an urgent need for freshwater management plans to facilitate adaptation to climate change.

Spatial mismatch of phylogenetic diversity across three vertebrate groups and protected areas in Europe.

We investigate patterns of phylogenetic diversity in relation to species diversity for European birds, mammals and amphibians, to evaluate their congruence and highlight areas of particular evolutionary history. We estimate the extent to which the European network of protected areas (PAs) network retains interesting evolutionary history areas for the three groups separately and simultaneously. Europe. Phylogenetic (QEPD) and species diversity (SD) were estimated using the Rao's quadratic entropy at 10' resolution. We determined the regional relationship between QEPD and SD for each taxa with a spatial regression model and used the tails of the residuals (QERES) distribution to identify areas of higher and lower QEPD than predicted. Spatial congruence of biodiversity between groups was assessed with Pearson's correlation. A simple classification scheme allowed building a convergence map where a convergent pixel equalled to a QERES value of the same sign for the 3 groups. This convergence map was overlaid to the current PAs network to estimate the level of protection in convergent pixels and compared it to a null expectation built on 1000 randomization of PAs over the landscape. QERES patterns across vertebrates show a strong spatial mismatch highlighting different evolutionary histories. Convergent areas represent only 2.7% of the Western Palearctic, with only 8.4% of these areas being covered by the current PAs network while a random distribution would retain 10.4% of them. QERES are unequally represented within PAs: areas with higher QEPD than predicted are better covered than expected, while low QEPD areas are undersampled. Patterns of diversity strongly diverge between groups of vertebrates in Europe. Although Europe has the world's most extensive PAs network, evolutionary history of terrestrial vertebrates is unequally protected. The challenge is now to reconcile effective conservation planning with a contemporary view of biodiversity integrating multiple facets.

Signals of climate change in butterfly communities in a Mediterranean protected area.

The European protected-area network will cease to be efficient for biodiversity conservation, particularly in the Mediterranean region, if species are driven out of protected areas by climate warming. Yet, no empirical evidence of how climate change influences ecological communities in Mediterranean nature reserves really exists. Here, we examine long-term (1998–2011/2012) and short-term (2011–2012) changes in the butterfly fauna of Dadia National Park (Greece) by revisiting 21 and 18 transects in 2011 and 2012 respectively, that were initially surveyed in 1998. We evaluate the temperature trend for the study area for a 22-year-period (1990–2012) in which all three butterfly surveys are included. We also assess changes in community composition and species richness in butterfly communities using information on (a) species’ elevational distributions in Greece and (b) Community Temperature Index (calculated from the average temperature of species' geographical ranges in Europe, weighted by species' abundance per transect and year). Despite the protected status of Dadia NP and the subsequent stability of land use regimes, we found a marked change in butterfly community composition over a 13 year period, concomitant with an increase of annual average temperature of 0.95°C. Our analysis gave no evidence of significant year-to-year (2011–2012) variability in butterfly community composition, suggesting that the community composition change we recorded is likely the consequence of long-term environmental change, such as climate warming. We observe an increased abundance of low-elevation species whereas species mainly occurring at higher elevations in the region declined. The Community Temperature Index was found to increase in all habitats except agricultural areas. If equivalent changes occur in other protected areas and taxonomic groups across Mediterranean Europe, new conservation options and approaches for increasing species’ resilience may have to be devised.

Alpine rivers and their ligneous vegetation with Myricaria germanica and riverine landscape diversity in the Eastern Alps: proposing the Isel river system for the Natura 2000 network

The setting up of the European network of protected areas (Natura 2000) is nearing completion. Alpine rivers with nearnatural morphology and dynamics have become rare and are highly endangered. Myricaria germanica, an endangered indicator species of Alpine rivers, reflects riverine landscape diversity. The study is based upon an evaluation of literature as well as upon new data. The analysis of the actual distribution of habitat 3230 Alpine rivers and their ligneous vegetation with M. germanica identifies the river Isel and its tributaries Schwarzach, Kalserbach and Tauernbach as an important addition to the Natura 2000 network.

Objects-based Image Analysis for Mapping Natura 2000 Habitats to Improve Forest Management

Natura 2000 is a European network of protected areas established under the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC). According to the Habitats Directive, habitat maps must be periodically updated, which requires the development of cost- and time-efficient mapping practices. In this study, we propose a methodology for habitat mapping using very high spatial resolution (QuickBird) images with Object-Based Image Analysis (OBIA). We classified five segmentation levels: level 5 incorporated the prior knowledge of the study area into the analysis; level 4 and 1 were used to identify arable areas and land covers, respectively. The information contained in levels 1, 4, and 5 was then combined to classify plant species in level 2. Finally, habitats were classified in level 3 using level 2 class-related features. The habitat map obtained had an overall accuracy of 86.3 percent. Classification accuracies were higher for tree-and pasture-dominated habitats than for shrub-dominated habitats.

Prediction of stand quality characteristics in sweet chestnut forests in NW Spain by combining terrain attributes, spectral textural features and landscape metrics

Chestnut woods are outstanding elements of European cultural landscapes, and are also recognised as habitats of interest in the Natura 2000 European network of protected areas. Despite their importance, they are threatened by land abandonment and recent rural landscape changes. The loss of Castanea sativa cover and its dominance as a characteristic species may indicate forest degradation, which can occur as a result of natural succession dynamics or invasion by alien species. In this study we aimed to model the conservation status of chestnut stands in the NW Iberian peninsula in terms of their environmental and cultural value, formulated as a quality index that considers the maturity and purity of forest stands. We used features available at wide geographic scales as potential predictors, namely topographic parameters derived from Digital Elevation Models, land-cover heterogeneity determined by means of satellite image texture and landscape metrics. According to the results, altitude emerged as a major factor determining chestnut stand quality, marking a clear difference between highland and lowland environments. The combination of terrain, texture and patch shape refined the classification of each of these scenarios. We discuss the significance of these predictors as environmental controls and indicators of anthropogenic effects.

Abiotic and biotic patterns across Mediterranean coastal wetland systems, North East Aegean, Greece

1 - Coastal wetlands are regarded as transitional ecosystems regulating fluxes of materials and energy between the land and the sea and are protected habitats under the NATURA 2000 European network of protected areas. Description of spatial heterogeneity in abiotic and biotic constituents of coastal wetland systems is a prerequisite for the establishment of long-term monitoring programs and a first step in elucidating their functional role in the landscape; both of particular significance to management. Spatial variability of water and substratum physicochemical variables and of substratum macroinvertebrate fauna composition and abundance across five sea-coastal wetland-land systems, Kalloni bay, Lesvos Island, Greece, were quantified during the growing season of 2005. 2 - The studied coastal wetlands develop on an alluvial flat plain of mineral soils as indicated by low values of percent organic matter, circumneutral pH, and high values of bulk density. Trends in physicochemical variables of substratum varied among the five coastal wetland systems studied even when the same variable was examined. Canonical discriminant analysis indicated that the most important substratum physicochemical variable in differentiating among the sea-wetland-land units of the studied gradients was electrical conductivity (salt influence) in four out of the five coastal wetland systems. Total nitrogen concentration of substratum was the only variable among the ones studied which was related positively either with total phosphorus concentration or/and percent organic matter of substratum in all wetland systems studied; the highest values occurred where vegetation was present. 3 - Distribution and abundance of substratum macroinvertebrate taxa across the sea-wetland-land gradients studied reflected the interaction between the marine and terrestrial environment. Gasteropoda, bivalvia and schaphopoda were found in higher abundances at sea and stations, which gradually decreased towards the land. On the other hand, insecta appeared at stations further away from the shore and their abundance progressively increased towards land. Gasteropoda and insecta were the taxa responsible for the identification of at least three clusters of stations across all five coastal systems studied. Two clusters contained clearly terrestrially-influenced or sea-influenced stations while intermediate clusters contained stations with varying degree of salt influence. 4 - Distribution and abundance of gasteropoda and insecta, however, were found to be directly related to nutrient status and not to electrical conductivity of substratum.