Effects of the European Common Agricultural Policy on Preserving Biodiversity: Farmland Birds in Slovenia

Abstract This paper assesses the effects of agricultural payments on changes in farmland bird diversity in Slovenia. Diversity was measured by Shannon index, while the impacts were estimated with the first-difference estimator on panel data for municipalities with and without special protection areas for birds. The effects of agricultural payments on farmland biodiversity require that the balance of financial instruments be taken into account when the agricultural policy is being drafted. The effects of payments in municipalities with and without special protection areas indicate the need to consider the landscape perspective and adapt schemes to landscape type while preparing the national agricultural policy.

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Developing indicators for European birds

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rstb.2004.1602 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 360 (1454) ◽

pp. 269-288 ◽

Cited By ~ 515

Author(s):

Richard D Gregory ◽

Arco van Strien ◽

Petr Vorisek ◽

Adriaan W Gmelig Meyling ◽

David G Noble ◽

...

Keyword(s):

National Level ◽

Bird Species ◽

Population Data ◽

Biodiversity Loss ◽

Farmland Birds ◽

Conservation Action ◽

Breeding Bird ◽

Field Methods ◽

Biodiversity Indicators ◽

Farmland Bird

The global pledge to deliver ‘a significant reduction in the current rate of biodiversity loss by 2010’ is echoed in a number of regional and national level targets. There is broad consensus, however, that in the absence of conservation action, biodiversity will continue to be lost at a rate unprecedented in the recent era. Remarkably, we lack a basic system to measure progress towards these targets and, in particular, we lack standard measures of biodiversity and procedures to construct and assess summary statistics. Here, we develop a simple classification of biodiversity indicators to assist their development and clarify purpose. We use European birds, as example taxa, to show how robust indicators can be constructed and how they can be interpreted. We have developed statistical methods to calculate supranational, multi-species indices using population data from national annual breeding bird surveys in Europe. Skilled volunteers using standardized field methods undertake data collection where methods and survey designs differ slightly across countries. Survey plots tend to be widely distributed at a national level, covering many bird species and habitats with reasonable representation. National species' indices are calculated using log-linear regression, which allows for plot turnover. Supranational species' indices are constructed by combining the national species' indices weighted by national population sizes of each species. Supranational, multi-species indicators are calculated by averaging the resulting indices. We show that common farmland birds in Europe have declined steeply over the last two decades, whereas woodland birds have not. Evidence elsewhere shows that the main driver of farmland bird declines is increased agricultural intensification. We argue that the farmland bird indicator is a useful surrogate for trends in other elements of biodiversity in this habitat.

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

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

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 ◽

Special Protection Areas ◽

Two Stages ◽

North Western ◽

Special Protection

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.

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SPAs and SACs in Conversion Areas?

Journal for European Environmental & Planning Law ◽

10.1163/187601007x00109 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 4 (2) ◽

pp. 97-109

Author(s):

Markus Appel ◽

Gero von Daniels

Keyword(s):

Nature Conservation ◽

Eastern Europe ◽

East Germany ◽

The Other ◽

Mining Activities ◽

Lignite Mining ◽

Rehabilitation Measures ◽

Special Protection Areas ◽

Open Cast ◽

Special Protection

AbstractAt times, European nature conservation efforts seem to create obstacles in their own path. One striking example for this is at present coming into focus in East Germany, where the huge crater-like holes remaining from the massive open cast lignite mining activities in the former GDR are to be recultivated and rehabilitated. However, birds have nonetheless already begun to settle and habitats have formed in some parts of the areas in question, so that the designation of the areas as 'Special Protection Areas' (SPAs) and 'Special Areas of Conservation' (SACs) within the meaning of the Birds and Habitats Directives seems indicated. On the other hand, it would be very difficult, if not impossible, to realise the intended recultivation and rehabilitation measures in SPAs or SACs. The same dilemma may be encountered in other regions of Europe, especially in Eastern Europe, where former mining, industrial or military sites or similar areas are being subjected to a sea change. In this connection, the question arises of whether such areas in the process of conversion are eligible to be considered as SPAs and SACs at all.

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Copper in the Thames Estuary in relation to the special protection areas

Hydrobiologia ◽

10.1007/s10750-011-0756-7 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 672 (1) ◽

pp. 39-47 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Donna Murray ◽

Paul Dempsey ◽

Peter Lloyd

Keyword(s):

Thames Estuary ◽

Special Protection Areas ◽

Special Protection

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Ranging behaviour of Hen Harriers breeding in Special Protection Areas in Scotland

Bird Study ◽

10.1080/00063657.2013.874976 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 61 (1) ◽

pp. 48-55 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Beatriz Arroyo ◽

Fiona Leckie ◽

Arjun Amar ◽

Aly McCluskie ◽

Steve Redpath

Keyword(s):

Ranging Behaviour ◽

Special Protection Areas ◽

Special Protection

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Nature Conservation: The Framework for Designating Special Protection Areas for Birds

Journal of Environmental Law ◽

10.1093/jel/7.2.245 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. 245-277

Author(s):

J. D. C. Harte

Keyword(s):

Nature Conservation ◽

Special Protection Areas ◽

Special Protection

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Diversidad de aves en fragmentos de bosque seco tropical en paisajes ganaderos del Departamento de Córdoba, Colombia

Revista de Biología Tropical ◽

10.15517/rbt.v65i4.26313 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 65 (4) ◽

pp. 1625

Author(s):

Jose Alejandro Vergara Paternina ◽

Jesús Ballesteros Correa ◽

Carlos González Charrasquiel ◽

Juan C. Linares Arias

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Secondary Forest ◽

Tropical Dry Forest ◽

Bird Species ◽

Sampling Period ◽

Shannon Index ◽

Dry Forest ◽

Tree Cover ◽

Bird Diversity ◽

Secondary Forests

In Colombia the tropical dry forest is one of the most threatened and least known ecosystems; these have been impacted by different transformation processes and habitat fragmentation, which have affected bird conditions and survival. This research evaluated the influence of landscape elements (forest and pastures with different tree covers) on bird diversity in the tropical dry forest of Córdoba, Colombia. The study was developed within an extensive livestock landscape to characterize the avifauna in four habitat types formed by fragments of secondary forests with different tree cover: secondary forest, pastures with high tree cover, pastures with low tree cover and only pastures. The influence of tree cover on bird diversity was evaluated with monthly samplings in 200 m long transects (per habitat), with two observation intervals (6:00 - 9:00 and 15:00-18:00), from September 2011 to May 2012. A total of 6 667 individuals belonging to 180 species and 48 families of birds were registered. The most abundant species were Columbina talpacoti (5.37 %), Brotogeris jugularis (5.14 %), Tyrannus melancholicus (4.81 %) and Bubulcus ibis (4.80 %). The most abundant family was Tyrannidae (16.4 %), followed by Psitacidae (9.0 %) and Columbidae (8.2 %). The family with the highest number of species was Tyrannidae with 28 species, followed by Accipitridae and Icteridae with 10 species each. The greatest species richness was present in the secondary forest habitat, followed by the pastures with high tree cover, and pastures with low cover. The lowest abundance and species richness was found in pastures without tree cover with significant differences between the habitats (Fisher, p <0.05). According to the Shannon index, the diversity of birds was higher in the secondary forests. In contrast, the lowest diversity was found in pastures without tree cover. The greatest species richness occurred in the months of October and November. In the rest of the sampling period, the number of recorded species and individuals showed some stability. The importance of trees presence in extensive livestock areas was evidenced because they help to contain an important diversity of bird species, and they also generate connectivity among fragments of secondary forests in the cattle landscape.

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