Potential impacts of transport infrastructure and traffic on bird conservation in Swedish Special Protection Areas

AbstractThe ecological impacts of roads and railways extend into the surrounding landscape, leading to habitat degradation and reduced animal densities within an area that is considerably larger than the actual road or railway corridor. For birds, an extensive meta-analysis has pointed at an average of 20% density reduction within 1 km from the infrastructure. I investigated to what extent this density reduction could potentially compromise the habitat quality and conservation value of Swedish Natura 2000 areas designated for the protection of birds (Special Protection Areas; SPAs). A majority (63%) of Swedish SPAs are at least to some extent found within this 1 km potential effect zone. The total overlap between SPA and effect zone is 126,000 ha, or 4.2% of the country’s SPA area. There are however large differences among biogeographical regions. In the southern (continental) and coastal regions combined, 25.8% of the total SPA area fall within the effect zone, representing an estimated 4-7% reduction in bird abundance within SPAs. The probability of overlap with effect zone is higher for larger SPAs. However, the proportion of overlap is higher for smaller SPAs, and accordingly smaller sites can be assumed to experience a greater impact from transport infrastructure and traffic. The impacts on Natura 2000 sites are particularly concerning as this network of protected areas is a cornerstone to maintain and restore biodiversity within EU. I recommend putting a stronger emphasis in the management of Natura 2000 sites on the potential threats to wildlife conservation caused by transport infrastructure and traffic. Special attention should be paid in sites with a large overlap with the effect zone, and in sites hosting particularly vulnerable taxa or habitats. Infrastructure owners and managers should do their best to minimize and compensate for the negative impacts of roads and railways and related traffic in SPAs and other protected areas.

Predicted impacts of transport infrastructure and traffic on bird conservation in Swedish Special Protection Areas

Nature Conservation ◽

10.3897/natureconservation.36.31826 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 36 ◽

pp. 1-16

Author(s):

Jan Olof Helldin

Keyword(s):

Protected Areas ◽

Natura 2000 ◽

Ecological Impacts ◽

Transport Infrastructure ◽

Bird Conservation ◽

Bird Abundance ◽

Density Reduction ◽

Geographical Regions ◽

The ecological impacts of roads and railways extend into the surrounding landscape, leading to habitat degradation and reduced wildlife densities within an area that is considerably larger than the actual road or railway corridor. For birds, an extensive meta-analysis has identified an average of 20% density reduction within 1 km from the infrastructure. I investigated to what extent this density reduction can be expected to compromise the habitat quality and conservation value of Swedish Natura 2000 areas designated for the protection of birds (Special Protection Areas; SPAs). The majority (63%) of Swedish SPAs are, to some extent, found within this 1 km road/railway effect zone (REZ). The total overlap between SPA and REZ is approximately 126,000 ha or 4.2% of the country’s SPA area. There are, however, large differences amongst bio-geographical regions. In the southern (continental) and coastal regions combined, 25.8% of the total SPA area fall within REZ, representing an estimated 4–7% reduction in bird abundance within SPAs. The probability of overlap with REZ is higher for larger SPAs. However, the proportion of overlap is higher for smaller SPAs and, accordingly, smaller sites can be assumed to experience a greater impact from transport infrastructure and traffic. The impacts on Natura 2000 sites are particularly concerning as this network of protected areas is a cornerstone for maintenance and restoration of biodiversity within the EU. I recommend placing a stronger emphasis in the management of Natura 2000 sites on the threats to wildlife conservation caused by transport infrastructure and traffic. Special attention should be paid to sites with a large overlap with the REZ and sites hosting particularly vulnerable taxa or habitats. Infrastructure owners and managers should make their best efforts to minimise and compensate for the negative impacts of roads and railways and associated traffic in SPAs and other protected areas.

Distribution of deadwood and other forest structural indicators relevant for bird conservation in Natura 2000 special protection areas in Poland

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-94392-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Leszek Bujoczek ◽

Małgorzata Bujoczek ◽

Stanisław Zięba

Keyword(s):

Bird Species ◽

Natura 2000 ◽

National Forest Inventory ◽

Ground Vegetation ◽

Bird Conservation ◽

Space Filling ◽

Mountain Areas ◽

Depth Analysis ◽

AbstractNumerous bird species, often rare or endangered, rely on the presence of standing and downed deadwood for shelter, nesting, and foraging. Habitat quality was evaluated on the basis of deadwood volume, the density of large standing deadwood, and the space filling index (SFI). The SFI reflects the degree of space filling of the bottom layers taking into account tree trunks, seedlings, saplings, ground vegetation, stumps, and downed deadwood. Analysis encompassed all special protection areas (SPAs) in Poland (a total of 107 SPAs containing 7974 sample plots monitored under the National Forest Inventory). An additional in-depth analysis was conducted for 30 SPAs with the greatest share of forest habitats. The studied indicators varied substantially both between and within individual SPAs, with deadwood volume ranging from 1.3 to 50.5 m3 ha−1 (mean of 9.0 m3 ha−1) and the density of large standing deadwood (diameter at breast height ≥ 30 cm) from 0.1 to 16.0 ind ha−1 (mean of 2.2 ind ha−1). These values were relatively low compared to the density of living trees with corresponding dimensions (111 ind ha−1). SFI analysis indicated high or very high space filling of the bottom forest layers on 14–56% of sample plots in a given SPA. The presence of deadwood was found to be significantly positively affected by SPA location in the mountains, a greater proportion of sites with higher fertility, a greater share of forest area under strict protection, as well as higher stand volume within a given SPA. The correlation between deadwood volume and the density of birds (primary and secondary cavity nesters) in individual SPAs was positive (R = 0.60). As compared to lowland areas, SPAs in mountain areas are generally characterized by high stand volumes, a greater density of large living trees, and a greater amount of diverse deadwood. In those areas conservation measures should involve continuous monitoring and diagnosing of any problems associated with the populations of individual bird species; focused efforts should be implemented to support those species that exhibit unfavorable population trends. In most lowland SPAs measures aimed at the improvement of site conditions for birds must be more extensive than in the mountains, with a low abundance of dead trees (especially large ones). These parameters can be improved by retaining some senescent stands in managed forests until their natural death and implementing a strict protection regime in areas of high conservation value.

Bulletin of University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca Agriculture ◽

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE “NATURA 2000” EUROPEAN ECOLOGICAL NETWORK IN THE 6th NORTH-WESTERN REGION

10.15835/buasvmcn-agr:1435 ◽

1970 ◽

Vol 63 ◽

Author(s):

M. Proorocu ◽

P. V. Beldean

Keyword(s):

Natura 2000 ◽

Habitats Directive ◽

Western Region ◽

Ecological Network ◽

Natural Habitats ◽

Community Interest ◽

Two Stages ◽

North Western ◽

According to the Habitats Directive at European level there was constituted an ecological network entitled “Natura 2000” consisting of Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas. The “Natura 2000” is composed of sites which include natural habitats of community interest and community interest species habitats. The Special Areas of Conservation has been declared during two stages. During the first stage these were nominated as Sites of Community Importance. In the 6th North – Western Region there were identified 57 Sites of Community Importance (SCI) and 8 Special Protection Areas (SPA). Among the 6 counties of the 6th North – Western Region, the SCI are best represented in Maramureş county, and the SPA in Cluj county.

Protecting biodiversity outside protected areas: can agricultural landscapes contribute to bird conservation on Natura 2000 in Italy?

Journal of Environmental Engineering and Landscape Management ◽

10.3846/16486897.2012.663089 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

pp. 1-11 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Mattia Cai ◽

Davide Pettenella

Keyword(s):

Protected Areas ◽

Natura 2000 ◽

Agricultural Landscapes ◽

Bird Conservation

Bulletin of University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca Agriculture ◽

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE “NATURA 2000” EUROPEAN ECOLOGICAL NETWORK IN THE 6th NORTH-WESTERN REGION

10.15835/buasvmcn-agr:1436 ◽

1970 ◽

Vol 63 ◽

Author(s):

M. Proorocu ◽

P. V. Beldean ◽

I. Oroian

Keyword(s):

Natura 2000 ◽

Habitats Directive ◽

Western Region ◽

Ecological Network ◽

Natural Habitats ◽

Community Interest ◽

Two Stages ◽

North Western ◽

Effectiveness of Protected Areas in Conserving the Highly Hunted Mammal Species as Bushmeat in Southern Benin

The Open Ecology Journal ◽

10.2174/1874213001811010014 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 14-24

Author(s):

Chabi A.M.S. Djagoun ◽

Etotépé A. Sogbohossou ◽

Barthélémy Kassa ◽

Christian B. Ahouandjinou ◽

Hugues A. Akpona ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Protected Areas ◽

Habitat Degradation ◽

Habitat Type ◽

Cell System ◽

Anthropogenic Factors ◽

Mammal Species ◽

Occupancy Model ◽

Habitat Occupancy ◽

Anthropogenic Habitat ◽

Lama Forest

Background: The habitat degradation together with fragmentation and illegal hunting represent a major threat for biodiversity conservation in Lama protected areas. Method: We used a combination of questionnaire survey with local communities for ranking the hunted mammal species as bushmeat and track surveys in gridded-cell system of 500x500 m2 (n=268) to assess at what extend the management design, the anthropogenic factors and habitat type affect the occupancy model of those mammal species. Results: Twenty mammal species have been predominantly reported by the local inhabitants to consume bushmeat species and 5 of them have been identified as the most preferable as hunted game mammals. The selection of the preferred habitat among the swampy forest, the dense forest, the tree plantations and cropland for the prioritized game species varies between species but looks similar when grouping in different orders. Some bushmeat species were found to select the more secure habitat (natural forest); suggesting the zoning system in the Lama forest can passively protect those species. However, some species such as T. swinderianus although highly hunted showed preference to anthropogenic habitat, avoiding the well secured core zone in Lama Forest. Conclusion: Our findings highlighted the importance of the zoning system with different management objectives in the habitat occupancy model of the highly hunted wildlife species.

Twenty-Three Years of Land-Use Changes Induced Considerable Threats to the Main Wetlands of Sardinia and Sicily (Italy) along the Mediterranean Bird Flyways

Diversity ◽

10.3390/d13060240 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (6) ◽

pp. 240

Author(s):

Alessandro Ferrarini ◽

Marco Gustin ◽

Claudio Celada

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Habitat Degradation ◽

Land Use Changes ◽

Biodiversity Loss ◽

Natura 2000 ◽

Global Level ◽

Natura 2000 Network ◽

Stopover Sites ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

Agricultural Areas

Biodiversity loss has multiple causes, but habitat degradation through land-use change is the predominant driver. We investigated the effectiveness of the Natura 2000 network in preserving the main wetlands of the two largest islands of the Mediterranean region, whose conservation is critical for many avian species at European and global level, in a 23-year period (1990–2012). In Sardinia, the surroundings of 22 wetlands were affected by an increase in artificial areas (+64 ha/year) and decrease in agricultural (−54 ha/year) and natural (−17 ha/year) ones. In Sicily, the surroundings of 16 wetlands were impacted by an increase in agricultural areas (+50 ha/year) and decrease in natural and semi-natural ones (−62 ha/year). Results show that the Natura 2000 policies were effective in preserving wetlands (no shrinkages detected in both regions), but their surroundings experienced intense processes of degradation and artificialization in all the sub-periods considered (1990–2000, 2000–2006, 2006–2012), whose effects are now threatening waterbirds and wetland integrity. The enlargement of the existing Natura 2000 sites, the creation of new ones and the speedup of the application of the rules of the Habitats and Birds Directives seem necessary to counteract the rapid land-use changes around these important stopover sites.

Conservation priorities for terrestrial mammals in Dobrogea Region, Romania

ZooKeys ◽

10.3897/zookeys.792.25314 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 792 ◽

pp. 133-158 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Iulia V. Miu ◽

Chisamera Gabriel B. ◽

Viorel D. Popescu ◽

Ruben Iosif ◽

Andreea Nita ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Protected Areas ◽

Environmental Changes ◽

Natura 2000 ◽

Habitats Directive ◽

Conservation Priorities ◽

Terrestrial Mammals ◽

Core Areas ◽

Mammal Distribution ◽

Intensive Sampling ◽

Mammal Diversity

Based on species occurrence records of museum collections, published literature, and unpublished records shared by mammalian experts, we compiled a distribution database for 59 terrestrial mammals populating the extensively protected Dobrogea Region of Romania. The spatial patterns of mammal distribution and diversity was evaluated and systematic conservation planning applied to identify priority areas for their conservation. The spatial analyses revealed that intensive sampling was not directly correlated to mammal diversity but rather to accessibility for inventory. The spatial prioritisation analysis indicated a relatively aggregated pattern of areas with a high or low conservation value with virtually no connecting corridors between them. The significant overlap between Natura 2000 sites and national protected areas induced an over-optimistic vision of the effectiveness and representativeness of existing Natura 2000 network for species found in Annexes II and IV of the Habitats Directive. These results represent a key step in identifying core areas for the protection of mammal diversity and dispersal corridors for improved connectivity, and to guide future conservation efforts in increasing the effectiveness of the existing protected areas in the context of environmental changes.

Population status of Heptner's markhor Capra falconeri heptneri in Tajikistan: challenges for conservation

Oryx ◽

10.1017/s0030605313000860 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 49 (3) ◽

pp. 506-513 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Stefan Michel ◽

Tatjana Rosen Michel ◽

Abdusattor Saidov ◽

Khalil Karimov ◽

Munavvar Alidodov ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Protected Areas ◽

Disease Transmission ◽

Total Population ◽

Habitat Degradation ◽

Sustainable Use ◽

Population Status ◽

Community Based ◽

Illegal Hunting ◽

Trophy Hunting ◽

Disjunct Populations

AbstractHeptner's markhor Capra falconeri heptneri is an Endangered wild goat occurring in disjunct populations in southern Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. Surveys to determine the total population in Tajikistan were conducted during February–April 2012. A total of 1,018 animals were observed. In most areas, which include state protected areas and family- and community-based conservancies, markhor populations are stable or increasing. Threats include illegal hunting, habitat degradation, competition with livestock and disease transmission. To motivate conservancies economically to protect markhor populations, trophy hunting should be permitted to accommodate the sustainable use of markhor, with revenues distributed in a transparent and equitably shared manner.

Tourist Attractiveness of Protected Areas in the Podlaskie Province in the Opinion of its Residents

Economic and Regional Studies / Studia Ekonomiczne i Regionalne ◽

10.2478/ers-2018-0026 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 70-83

Author(s):

Joanna Pietrzak-Zawadka ◽

Jan Zawadka

Keyword(s):

Protected Areas ◽

Sustainable Tourism ◽

Natura 2000 ◽

Tourist Destination ◽

Tourism Organization ◽

Selection Of

SummarySubject and purpose of work: The article explores the issue of protected areas in the Podlaskie Province with particular reference to Natura 2000 areas. Its purpose is to investigate the familiarity of those areas as well as the perception of their attractiveness among the inhabitants of the Podlaskie Province.Materials and methods: Surveys conducted in the study involved 275 adult inhabitants of the Podlaskie Province. The selection of the research sample was accidental.Results: The meaning of the Natura 2000 concept was widely known among the respondents. These areas were considered to be attractive to tourists and quite often visited by the respondents. The most popular were the Bialowieza, Augustow and Knyszyn Forests. Hiking, cycling and canoeing were held most often in those areasConclusions: Natura 2000 areas in the Podlasie Province constitute a valuable and popular tourist destination. What they need is proper tourism organization so as to give visitors an opportunity to get acquainted with their most important values, as well as ensure sustainable tourism and area protection.