Natura 2000 forest habitats: climatic debt in lowlands and thermophilization in highlands

This study was carried out in the Bucegi Natural Park, a protected area of the Romanian Carpathians. It aims at documenting the potential sensitivity of six widespread Natura 2000 habitat types and of all plants with conservative value (200 taxa) in the mountain area, to the changes in temperature and humidity, predicted for this century. Regional expert knowledge and environmental indicator values were considered in assessing the potential habitat’s sensitivity. The results support the evidence that sensitivity to temperature may be potentially higher for habitats at alpine and subalpine levels (bushes and grasslands) and medium for forest habitats. Sensitivity to moisture was detected as potentially high for forest habitats and as medium for bushes and grasslands at high mountain elevation. Microthermophilic plants have shown a greater share (76-79%) in alpine and subalpine communities, and the hydrophilic plants (86-96%) in forest communities. About 80% of plants of conservation value (microthermophilic or hydrophilic plants) may be potentially sensitive to predicted warming and drought and 44% of them (microthermophilic and hydrophilic plants) to the changes of both parameters. Climate scenarios (2011-2100) and sensitivity maps (Sat – image interpretation with GIS for the whole mountain area) are included.

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Identification of NATURA 2000 forest habitats on the example of Oleśnica Śląska Forest District

Forest Research Papers ◽

10.2478/v10111-009-0008-z ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 70 (1) ◽

pp. 77-88

Author(s):

Ewa Stefańska-Krzaczek ◽

Zygmunt Kącki

Keyword(s):

Natura 2000 ◽

Forest Habitats ◽

Forest District

Identyfikacja leśnych siedlisk przyrodniczych NATURA 2000 na przykładzie Nadleśnictwa Oleśnica Śląska

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Quantitatively defining the conservation status of Natura 2000 forest habitats and improving management options for enhancing biodiversity

Biodiversity and Conservation ◽

10.1007/s10531-010-9835-8 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 19 (8) ◽

pp. 2221-2233 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

Ana Hernando ◽

Rosario Tejera ◽

Javier Velázquez ◽

María Victoria Núñez

Keyword(s):

Conservation Status ◽

Natura 2000 ◽

Management Options ◽

Forest Habitats

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Temporal changes of meadow and peatbog vegetation in the landscape of a small-scale river valley in Central Roztocze

Acta Agrobotanica ◽

10.5586/aa.2015.014 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 32 (2) ◽

pp. 135-142

Author(s):

Bożenna Czarnecka ◽

Magdalena Franczak

Keyword(s):

Vascular Plant ◽

Natura 2000 ◽

River Valley ◽

Small Scale ◽

Natura 2000 Network ◽

Natural Processes ◽

Se Poland ◽

Sphagnum Bog ◽

Forest Habitats ◽

Substantial Degree

The Szum is a right-side tributary of the Tanew River crossing the southern escarpment zone of the Central Roztocze region (SE Poland). Downstream of the strict river break in a section between the 10th and 12th km of the river course in the Szum valley, meadow and peatbog complexes have developed, associated with semi-hydrogenic and marshy soils. In an area of approx. 13 ha of the most valuable non-forest habitats, a variety of plant communities have been identified, including habitats of the Natura 2000 network and habitats that are protected under the Regulation of the Minister of the Environment (2001). These are, for instance, meadow associations Lysimachio vulgaris-Filipenduletum, Lythro-Filipenduletum, Filipendulo ulmariae-Menthetum longifoliae, Angelico-Cirsietum oleracei, and Cirsietum rivularis. The moss–sedge and sphagnum bog communities comprise noteworthy associations Caricetum limosae, Rhynchosporetum albae, Caricetum lasiocarpae, Caricetum paniceo-lepidocarpae, Caricetum davallianae, and Sphagnetum magellanici. These communities are composed of ca. 160 vascular plant species and 40 moss and liverwort species.In 1999–2014, the greatest changes occurred within macroforb meadows, i.e. small Angelico-Cirsietum oleracei and Cirsietum rivularis patches have been transformed into Lysimachio vulgaris-Filipenduletum, while some patches of the latter association have been transformed into a Caricetum acutiformis rush. Several patches of bog-spring associations Caricetum paniceo-lepidocarpae and Carici canescentis-Agrostietum caninae have been irretrievably destroyed. Sphagnetum magellanici appears to be the least stable community among the preserved peatbogs. The changes of meadow and peatbog vegetation observed for the last 15 years are a consequence of natural processes that take place in the river valley and to a large extent human activity connected with the so-called small-scale water retention as well as the presence of a beaver colony in the area and later the abandonment of this area by beavers. Despite the multidirectional changes, the peatbogs of the Szum valley have retained their high species and phytocoenotic diversity, which indicates a substantial degree of naturalness.

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Assessment of the increase in retention in the forest habitats covered by the Natura 2000 programme

Nauka Przyroda Technologie ◽

10.17306/j.npt.2015.2.30 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Piotr Stachowski ◽

◽

Daniel Liberacki ◽

Michał Fiedler

Keyword(s):

Natura 2000 ◽

Forest Habitats

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The conservation status assessment of Natura 2000 forest habitats in Europe: capabilities, potentials and challenges of national forest inventories data

Annals of Forest Science ◽

10.1007/s13595-019-0820-4 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 76 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Iciar Alberdi ◽

Leónia Nunes ◽

Marko Kovac ◽

Ingrid Bonheme ◽

Isabel Cañellas ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Conservation Status ◽

Natura 2000 ◽

National Forest ◽

Forest Inventories ◽

Status Assessment ◽

National Forest Inventories ◽

Forest Habitats

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The potential sensitivity to climate change of selected endangered and important Natura 2000 Habitats and plants from Bucegi Natural Park, Romania

Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca ◽

10.15835/nbha48111756 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 48 (1) ◽

pp. 456-479

Author(s):

Anca SÂRBU ◽

Georg A. JANAUER ◽

Norbert EXLER ◽

Ion SÂRBU ◽

Paulina ANASTASIU

Keyword(s):

Expert Knowledge ◽

Image Interpretation ◽

Natura 2000 ◽

High Mountain ◽

Habitat Types ◽

Mountain Area ◽

Natural Park ◽

Romanian Carpathians ◽

Forest Habitats ◽

Potential Sensitivity

This study was carried out in the Bucegi Natural Park, a protected area of the Romanian Carpathians. It aims at documenting the potential sensitivity of six widespread Natura 2000 habitat types and of all plants with conservative value (200 taxa) in the mountain area, to the changes in temperature and humidity, predicted for this century. Regional expert knowledge and environmental indicator values were considered in assessing the potential habitat’s sensitivity. The results support the evidence that sensitivity to temperature may be potentially higher for habitats at alpine and subalpine levels (bushes and grasslands) and medium for forest habitats. Sensitivity to moisture was detected as potentially high for forest habitats and as medium for bushes and grasslands at high mountain elevation. Microthermophilic plants have shown a greater share (76-79%) in alpine and subalpine communities, and the hydrophilic plants (86-96%) in forest communities. About 80% of plants of conservation value (microthermophilic or hydrophilic plants) may be potentially sensitive to predicted warming and drought and 44% of them (microthermophilic and hydrophilic plants) to the changes of both parameters. Climate scenarios (2011-2100) and sensitivity maps (Sat – image interpretation with GIS for the whole mountain area) are included.

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Location of overhead power lines within Bukowe hills mesoregion in relation to the assessment of forest area fragmentation

Geomatics Landmanagement and Landscape ◽

10.15576/gll/2021.3.41 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 3 ◽

pp. 41-52

Author(s):

Paweł Pieńkowski ◽

◽

Marcin Stoltman ◽

Bogusław Zakrzewski ◽

◽

...

Keyword(s):

Transmission Lines ◽

Power Transmission ◽

Natura 2000 ◽

Forest Area ◽

Power Lines ◽

Power Transmission Lines ◽

Investment Projects ◽

Overhead Power Lines ◽

The Impact ◽

Forest Habitats

National power grid in Poland requires modernisation, therefore by 2030 numerous actions are scheduled regarding the expansion of the existing network and the construction of new electricity transmission lines (power lines). The planned activities will undoubtedly change the quality of landscape and result in fragmentation of forest habitats, some of which are characterised by high biodiversity and constitute a key element of ecological corridors. The aim of the present paper was to outline the issue of the impact of the power line corridors on forest habitat fragmentation, as well as to present the GuidosToolbox software (Graphical User Interface for the Description of image Objects and their Shapes) used, among other things, for the determination of the degree of fragmentation of forest habitats. The analysis concerned the Puszcza Bukowa forest, which is a part of the Natura 2000 network and is protected under the Szczecin Landscape Park ‘Puszcza Bukowa’. Despite abundant natural assets of the Puszcza Bukowa forest, it was necessary to run many power lines through its area due to location of the forest in the vicinity of the Szczecin agglomeration. The course of power lines contributed to the fragmentation of the discussed forest complex and to the depletion of its interior classified with the GuidosToolbox software as ‘Intact’. The software discussed in the present paper may prove useful in the identification of the degree of forest area fragmentation, connected with the course of high-voltage power transmission lines, and in the assessment of the impact of the planned investment projects on biocenoses.

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