Fostering Sustainability in European Nature Conservation NATURA 2000 Habitat Monitoring based on Earth Observation Services

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Lang ◽  
Annett Frick ◽  
Birgen Haest ◽  
Oliver Buck ◽  
Jeroen Vanden Borre ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nature Conservation ◽  
Natura 2000 ◽  
Earth Observation ◽  
Habitat Monitoring

Phytosociological analysis of Gladiolus palustris sites in northwestern, western and southwestern Slovenia / Fitocenološka oznaka rastišč vrste Gladiolus palustris v severozahodni, zahodni in jugozahodni Sloveniji

2021 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-159
Author(s):  
Igor Dakskobler ◽  
Andrej Seliškar ◽  
Branko Vreš
Keyword(s):  
Nature Conservation ◽  
Key Words ◽  
Natura 2000 ◽  
Conservation Policy ◽  
Distinguishing Characteristic ◽  
Nature Conservation Policy

With a phytosociological analysis of more than 200 relevés on more than 25 localities with Gladiolus palustrisand (or) G. illyricusin western and southwestern Slovenia we identified more than 15 communities of association rank that belong to at least eight vegetation alliances and five classes. We determined that these two species can grow on the same localities and sites, but Gladiolus palustrisflowers at least 14 days after G. illyricus. Another reliable distinguishing characteristic is the fibrous tunic covering the corm. Gladiolus palustris is threatened in most of the examined localities, except for the Banjšice Plateau and the Slavnik range in Čičarija, but the current nature conservation policy in Slovenia does not provide for its preservation. Key words: Gladiolus palustris, G. illyricus, phytosociology, syntaxonomy, Natura 2000, nature conservation, Slovenia   Izvleček S fitocenološko analizo več kot 200 popisov na več kot 25 nahajališčih v zahodni in jugozahodni Sloveniji, na katerih uspevata vrsti Gladiolus palustrisin (ali) G. illyricus, smo prepoznali več kot 15 združb na rangu asociacije, ki pripadajo vsaj osmim vegetacijskim zvezam in petim razredom. Ugotovili smo, da obe podobni vrsti lahko uspevata na skupnih nahajališčih in rastiščih, toda vrsta Gladiolus palustriscveti vsaj 14 dni kasneje kot vrsta Gladiolus illyricus. Zanesljiv znak za njuno razlikovanje so vlakna, ki obdajajo njun gomolj. Na večini preučenih nahajališč je močvirski meček ogrožen in mu zdajšnja naravovarstvena politika v Sloveniji ne zagotavlja ohranitve, izjema sta planoti Banjšice in pogorje Slavnika v Čičariji. Ključne besede: Gladiolus palustris, G. illyricus, fitocenologija, sintaksonomija, Natura 2000, varstvo narave, Slovenija

scholarly journals Stakeholders’ Social Network in the Participatory Process of Formulation of Natura 2000 Management Programme in Slovenia

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 332
Author(s):  
Tomislav Laktić ◽  
Aleš Žiberna ◽  
Tina Kogovšek ◽  
Špela Pezdevšek Malovrh
Keyword(s):  
Nature Conservation ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Stakeholder Participation ◽  
Stakeholder Analysis ◽  
Policy Decision ◽  
Natura 2000 ◽  
Management Programme ◽  
Central Position ◽  
Participatory Process ◽  
Cooperation Network

Stakeholder participation has become an important driving force in policy decision-making and implementation, particularly in the nature conservation sector, where complex interactions and conflict of interest between stakeholders are common. A stakeholder analysis, which was complemented with a social network analysis, was used to examine the cooperation and conflict network between stakeholders, their institutions, and sectors in the case of the formulation of the Natura 2000 Management programme in Slovenia for the period 2015–2020 (PUN). Using data from a web survey (n = 167), cooperation and conflict networks were analysed while using degree centrality, indegree centrality, betweenness centrality, and blockmodeling. The results of the stakeholder analysis showed that the highest number of stakeholders that are involved in the participatory process of PUN was from the forestry and hunting sector, followed by the agriculture and nature conservation sector. The results of the cooperation network showed that the network is highly centralized, with only few institutions taking a central position in the PUN process (Institute for Nature Conservation, Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning, Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food, and the Slovenian Forest Service). Moreover, the nature conservation sector was, on average, a sector with the highest concentration of power. In addition, in the cooperation network, which was fragmented across sectors, there were institutions that belonged to the same sector, which tended to cooperate with each other. The analysis of the conflict network showed that institutions with a central position in the cooperation network also had a central role in the conflict network. In addition, conflicts between institutions more frequently appeared among institutions from different sectors. The exceptions were institutions from the fishery and water sector, as this sector seemed to have many conflicts within it. Based on a blockmodeling, four groups of institutions were identified according to their cooperation network (core institutions, semi-core institutions, semi-periphery institutions, and periphery institutions). Our finding suggested that the participatory process of formulating PUN needs to be improved in such a way that in the future various stakeholders, especially excluded local ones, are more actively involved and a balance of the power between the stakeholders involved achieved.

scholarly journals Adopting the Precautionary Principle in Designing and Managing Natura 2000 Areas (Exemplified by the Conservation of the Butterfly Maculinea Nausithous in a Rural Landscape North of Dresden (Saxony))

2008 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olaf Bastian
Keyword(s):  
Nature Conservation ◽  
Biodiversity Conservation ◽  
Precautionary Principle ◽  
Natura 2000 ◽  
Rural Landscape ◽  
Habitats Directive ◽  
Term Survival ◽  
The Precautionary Principle ◽  
Maculinea Nausithous ◽  
New Instrument

Adopting the Precautionary Principle in Designing and Managing Natura 2000 Areas (Exemplified by the Conservation of the Butterfly Maculinea Nausithous in a Rural Landscape North of Dresden (Saxony)) The precautionary principle is more and more incorporated into national law and decision-making on natural resource management and biodiversity conservation. In the coherent European network of protected areas Natura 2000, the precautionary principle finds expression in the obligation to provide favourable conditions for the long-term survival of species and habitats, especially of the priority ones listed in the annexes of the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive. After describing principles, structure, implementation and procedures of this rather new instrument for nature conservation using the example of one of the various Natura 2000 areas in Saxony (Germany), opportunities and problems for biodiversity conservation are outlined with particular regard for the situation in an agricultural landscape. Special attention is given to the following questions: requirements of and actual threats to the target species (the butterfly Maculinea nausithous), legal means and economic incentives for suitable measures, the management plan, and the role of stakeholders. It turns out that Natura 2000 could be an effective tool to advance nature conservation, and with special regard to the precautionary principle. Every effort is necessary to gain more public acceptance of Natura 2000, as well as to improve scientific knowledge concerning species and habitats under protection.

scholarly journals GEOCONSERVATION LEGAL STATUS AND GEOPARK ESTABLISHMENT IN GREECE

2017 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 907 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Haidarlis ◽  
A. Sifakis ◽  
C. Brachou
Keyword(s):  
Nature Conservation ◽  
National Parks ◽  
Legal Status ◽  
Mineral Exploration ◽  
Legal Protection ◽  
Natura 2000 ◽  
Conservation Areas ◽  
Management Options ◽  
Management Alternatives ◽  
Optimum Management

Under Greek (and EU) law, geo-conservation (geological conservation) is an issue not being dealt with in an organized and systematic way, in contrast with bio-conservation (nature conservation). Therefore geo-conservation approaches, as the ‘geopark’ concept, are not recognized under Greek legislation and elements of geological heritage can only be granted protection in isolation and in limited extension, mainly as playing a role to the biotic environment. However, to date, geoparks have been established and recognized by the European Geoparks Network (E.G.N.), in Greece. Those geoparks are protected under the Forestry Legislation, the Archeological Legislation or/and the Environmental Legislation. In view of the plans of the Institute of Geology and Mineral Exploration (I.G.M.E.) to expanding the Geoparks Network in Greece, a thorough examination of the available legal tools to protecting elements of geological importance in geoparks is required, with a view to proposing a legal protection regime that would realistically deal with the conservation of geosites and the establishment of geoparks focusing on overlapping with nature conservation areas, namely “Natura 2000 sites”. In addition, building on the experience of the administration and management of national parks and Natura 2000 sites, the available management options will be examined with a view to providing the optimum management alternatives.

scholarly journals Population trends of Goričko agricultural landscape birds

Acrocephalus ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (174-175) ◽  
pp. 127-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarina Denac ◽  
Primož Kmecl ◽  
Gregor Domanjko ◽  
Damijan Denac
Keyword(s):  
Nature Conservation ◽  
Agricultural Landscape ◽  
Population Decline ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Natura 2000 ◽  
Population Trends ◽  
Land Consolidation ◽  
Bird Conservation ◽  
Habitat Types ◽  
Nature Protection

AbstractDue to numerous bird surveys in the past 20 years, the avifauna of Goričko is relatively well known. For some species, the very first national ecological researches were conducted in this area. The article summarizes all bird surveys so far. It presents population trends of farmland species which is one of the most threatened bird groups in Europe. Most of the qualifying species of this habitat that are protected within the Natura 2000 network have suffered a decline at Goričko, specifically QuailCoturnix coturnix, Scops OwlOtus scops, HoopoeUpupa epops, WoodlarkLullula arboreaand White StorkCiconia ciconia. The number of breeding pairs of the latter has not changed, but its fecundity has decreased. Furthermore, populations of other farmland bird species have decreased, for example SkylarkAlauda arvensis, StonechatSaxicola rubicola, SerinSerinus serinusand Common LinnetLinaria cannabina, as well as butterfly populations and tracts of grassland habitat types. National agricultural and nature conservation policies are evidently inefficient in protecting the biodiversity of Goričko. The most probable cause for bird population decline is agricultural intensification, which manifests itself at Goričko as disappearance and intensification of meadows, land consolidation, degradation of traditional orchards and use of pesticides. As a result of land consolidation hedges, uncultivated strips between fields, individual trees and bushes and minority habitat types are disappearing, whereas the surface of arable fields is increasing. Nature conservation measures performed by the Public Institute Goričko Nature Park with the support of DOPPS – BirdLife Slovenia volunteers seem to be efficient, but are spatially and temporally constrained. For this reason, they cannot serve as a substitute for insufficient systemic financing which could be improved by substantive and financial reform of the agri-environmental scheme. Currently, a negligible percentage (1% in 2016) of Goričko is covered by agrienvironmental scheme measures with positive influence on qualifying species and habitat types. As a consequence, only an insignificant share of subsidies from the Rural Development Plan is used for nature protection at Goričko. If the system of agricultural subsidies remains unaltered, no improvement of the conditions for bird conservation at Goričko can be expected.

scholarly journals Awareness and Knowledge of Portugal Residents about Natura 2000

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (22) ◽  
pp. 9663
Author(s):  
Sofia S. Oliveira ◽  
Joana Pereira ◽  
Paulo Santos ◽  
Ruth Pereira
Keyword(s):  
Nature Conservation ◽  
Public Participation ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
Wild Species ◽  
Natura 2000 ◽  
Recent Survey ◽  
Sharp Decline ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Number Of Visits ◽  
Nationwide Implementation

Natura 2000 is the European Union’s key strategy to address the current sharp decline in biodiversity. However, according to a recent survey, most Europeans have never heard about it. The present study intended to further explore the perceptions of residents in Portugal about this network of protected areas through the nationwide implementation of a survey. Overall, 232 questionnaires were fulfilled, which showed that most respondents (n = 126, 54%) had never heard of Natura 2000. Furthermore, even the respondents who knew what Natura 2000 is were not well-informed about it. For instance, on average, they were only able to name 2.8 ± 2.2 sites within Portugal; plus, 66% (n = 65) could not correctly name any wild species that inhabited their favourite site. Surprisingly, literacy levels were not significantly correlated with the number of visits to the network (rs = 0.181, p = 0.082), and they were only weakly correlated with the frequency that the respondents engaged in ecological behaviours (rs = 0.277, p = 0.007). Overall, the current findings are in agreement with similar studies carried out in Poland that revealed that the population was poorly informed about this important network of protected areas. This scenario is especially worrisome, considering that public participation is regarded as a key factor for successful nature conservation initiatives.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document