CONSERVATION STATUS OF PLANTS AND HABITATS UNDER TEN YEARS OPERATION PHASE OF A WIND FARM. CASE STUDY: SFANTA ELENA KARST PLATEAU, IRON GATES NATURAL PARK, ROMANIA

Located in the Iron Gates Natural Park, Romania, at the foot of the Locvei Mountains, the Sfanta Elena Karst Plateau is a very picturesque territory, characterized by a karst relief, covered by High Nature Value grasslands. In the last decade this territory has been subjected to increasing anthropogenic pressures, and specific concerns on biodiversity have been raised after the construction of a wind farm in 2011. Starting from a concern expressed by a scientist, our study aims to provide current data on plant species with conservation value and to assess the conservation status of orchid-rich grasslands around wind turbines after ten years of wind farm operation. During the operation period we identified 19 plant taxa with conservation value, eight of which which are orchid species. Four of them are new reports for this territory: Gymnadenia conopsea, Neotinea ustulata, Neottia nidus-avis and Orchis simia, as well other rare taxa such as Cirsium grecescui, Lathyrus sphaericus, Linum hologynum and Rumex thyrsiflorus, are mentioned for the first time. The orchid-rich grasslands in the wind farm area correspond to the Natura 2000 habitat 6210* whose structure and floristic composition are within the acceptable limits of Favourable conservation status. The conservation status of plant species is directly dependent on the quality of their habitat, as well as the variety of pressure and threat factors in the area.

Combining Tracking and Remote Sensing to Identify Critical Year-Round Site, Habitat Use and Migratory Connectivity of a Threatened Waterbird Species

We tracked 39 western flyway white-naped cranes (Antigone vipio) throughout multiple annual cycles from June 2017 to July 2020, using GSM-GPS loggers providing positions every 10-min to describe migration routes and key staging areas used between their Mongolian breeding and wintering areas in China’s Yangtze River Basin. The results demonstrated that white-naped cranes migrated an average of 2556 km (±187.9 SD) in autumn and 2673 km (±342.3) in spring. We identified 86 critical stopover sites that supported individuals for more than 14 days, within a 100–800 km wide migratory corridor. This study also confirmed that Luan River catchment is the most important staging region, where white-naped cranes spent 18% of the annual cycle (in both spring and autumn) each year. Throughout the annual cycle, 69% of the tracking locations were from outside of the currently protected areas, while none of the critical staging areas enjoyed any form of site protection. We see further future potential to combine avian tracking data and remote-sensing information throughout the annual range of the white-naped crane to restore it and other such species to a more favourable conservation status.

Multi-seasonal systematic camera-trapping reveals fluctuating densities and high turnover rates of Carpathian lynx on the western edge of its native range

Camera-trapping and capture-recapture models are the most widely used tools for estimating densities of wild felids that have unique coat patterns, such as Eurasian lynx. However, studies dealing with this species are predominantly on a short-term basis and our knowledge of temporal trends and population persistence is still scarce. By using systematic camera-trapping and spatial capture-recapture models, we estimated lynx densities and evaluated density fluctuations, apparent survival, transition rate and individual's turnover during five consecutive seasons at three different sites situated in the Czech–Slovak–Polish borderland at the periphery of the Western Carpathians. Our density estimates vary between 0.26 and 1.85 lynx/100 km2 suitable habitat and represent the lowest and the highest lynx densities reported from the Carpathians. We recorded 1.5–4.1-fold changes in asynchronous fluctuated densities among all study sites and seasons. Furthermore, we detected high individual’s turnover (on average 46.3 ± 8.06% in all independent lynx and 37.6 ± 4.22% in adults) as well as low persistence of adults (only 3 out of 29 individuals detected in all seasons). The overall apparent survival rate was 0.63 ± 0.055 and overall transition rate between sites was 0.03 ± 0.019. Transition rate of males was significantly higher than in females, suggesting male-biased dispersal and female philopatry. Fluctuating densities and high turnover rates, in combination with documented lynx mortality, indicate that the population in our region faces several human-induced mortalities, such as poaching or lynx-vehicle collisions. These factors might restrict population growth and limit the dispersion of lynx to other subsequent areas, thus undermining the favourable conservation status of the Carpathian population. Moreover, our study demonstrates that long-term camera-trapping surveys are needed for evaluation of population trends and for reliable estimates of demographic parameters of wild territorial felids, and can be further used for establishing successful management and conservation measures.

Forest and Arborescent Scrub Habitats of Special Interest for SCIs in Central Spain

The habitat of the several territories in Ciudad Real (Castilla-La Mancha, Spain) are studued through the and mapping (scale 1:10.000) and vegetation analysis. The distribution and surface of the habitat presents in the Sites of Community Interest (SCIs), as well as pressures, threats, trends, and state of conservation are described. These site contributes significantly to the maintenance or restoration at a favourable conservation status of a natural habitat type or of a species of community intesess.These specially protected areas are part of the Natura 2000 network. We discuss the diversity of forest habitats characterized by species of the genus Quercus L., focusing only on the plant communities in the Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC of 1992, regarding the conservation of fauna and flora and habitats of interest owing to their endemic or rare character. Habitats and species must be studied in combination to ensure the maximum reliability of the results. We concentrate on habitats with low representation in the territory as a consequence of their rarity or endemicity. We study the following habitats of special interest: 9230—Mediterranean-Ibero-Atlantic and Galaico-Portuguese oak woods of Quercus robur and Quercus pyrenaica; 9240—Iberian oaks of Quercus faginea and Quercus canariensis; 9320—Thermomediterranean forests of Olea and Ceratonia (Iberian Peninsula, Balearic and Canary Islands); 9540—Mediterranean pine forests of endemic Pinus pinaster (Pinus pinaster subsp. acutisquama); 9560—Endemic forests with Juniperus spp.; 5210. Arborescent scrub with Juniperus spp.

Representative boreal forest habitats in northern Europe, and a revised model for ecosystem management and biodiversity conservation

The natural range of variation of ecosystems provides reference conditions for sustainable management and biodiversity conservation. We review how the understanding of natural reference conditions of boreal forests in northern Europe has changed from earlier perceptions of even-aged dynamics driven by stand-replacing disturbances towards current understanding highlighting the role of non-stand-replacing disturbances and the resultant complex forest dynamics and structures. We show how earlier views and conceptual models of forest disturbance dynamics, including the influential ASIO model, provide estimates of reference conditions that are outside the natural range of variation. Based on a research synthesis, we present a revised forest reference model incorporating the observed complexity of ecosystem dynamics and the prevalence of old forests. Finally, we outline a management model and demonstrate its use in forest ecosystem management and show how regional conservation area needs can be estimated. We conclude that attaining favourable conservation status in northern Europe’s boreal forests requires increasing emphasis on ecosystem management and conservation for old forest characteristics.

Influence of bat house design on hibernating bats - a case study in Herefordshire (UK)

In England, bats and their roosts are protected by national legislation. To permit development actions that would otherwise result in an offence relating to bats, it is first necessary to obtain a protected species mitigation licence containing protective measures. Due to the complexity of the topic, combined with the fact that monitoring is often limited, it can be difficult for practitioners to be certain of real conservation benefits of these measures. To build a new access road near Hereford (UK), a former artillery magazine (confirmed bat roost) building was demolished. Therefore, a legally binding English Nature/Natural England European Protected Species (EPS) Development Licence was obtained (2005). This licence stipulated mitigation and compensation measures to ensure the works could be carried out without harming bats and ensuring their favourable conservation status was maintained. Roost compensation measures were applied to two identical retained buildings. These included blocking doorways, provision of bat access grilles/internal roosting crevices, diverting downpipes inside, and installing straw matting (approx. 5cm deep, within one building only). The latter two measures were designed to increase internal humidity levels. Pre-compensation monitoring recorded two hibernating common pipistrelles in addition to lesser horseshoe and brown long-eared bat droppings. Post-compensation monitoring (2006-2016) recorded a minimum of three brown long-eared bats, three lesser horseshoe bats, one common pipistrelle and one barbastelle, suggesting the compensation methods may have increased both the numbers of species, and individual bats. These increases were small, hence not conclusive. Notably, during the post-compensation hibernation monitoring, brown long-eared bats were found in areas with lower humidity levels (48.6-78.8%) than lesser horseshoe bats (67.8-93.5%). The magazine containing straw matting had winter humidity levels approximately 20% higher than the other and supported a higher number of hibernating lesser horseshoe bats, but a lower number of hibernating brown long-eared bats. Within both buildings, all hibernating brown long-eared bats were found behind chipboard (approx. 70cm x 150cm) attached to wooden battens approx. 2cm from the internal walls rather than wooden or sawdust/ cement composite bat boxes.

Plant communities and habitat types in the protected area of Lake Pamvotis (Epirus, Northwestern Greece)

The vegetation of the protected area of Lake Pamvotis (Epirus, NW Greece) was studied and classified into habitat types according to the Council Directive 92/43/EEC. The main vegetation types encountered in the Ioannina Basin and the south-western part of Mt Mitsikeli are: (1) Quercus coccifera shrublands, (2) degraded deciduous oak forests, (3) Mediterranean arborescent mattorals with Juniperus, (4) Oro-Mediterranean heathlands, (5) willow low open forests, (6) οriental plane woods, (7) plant communities supported by calcareous substrates, (8) aquatic macrophyte assemblages, (9) reed beds and rush meadows. Twenty plant communities belonging to twelve alliances, eleven orders, and ten phytosociological classes were discerned. The Asplenio ceterach-Aurinietum saxatilae is described as a new association and the Eleocharito palustris-Alismatetum lanceolati is reported for the first time from Greece. Eleven habitat types were identified and their conservation status was assessed. Three habitat types (4090, 8210, 91M0) were in favourable conservation status, while one (5210) is in unfavourable-bad conservation status. The rest are in unfavourable-inadequate conservation status, with several pressures and threats recorded.

Wolf Conservation and Removal of Wolves in Germany – Status quo and Prospects

In Germany, the wolf population develops in a very dynamic manner. As a result, politics and society increasingly worry about human safety and whether the return of the wolf can be kept compatible with pasture grazing. Plans by the federal states (Länder) for wolf management serve both to prepare society for the return of wolves and to deal with likely emerging conflicts. In exceptional cases, conflict management may include the ‘removal’ of wolves, i.e. the killing of individual ‘problem-wolves’. This paper analyses the legal prerequisites for the removal of wolves; it also addresses the conditions that must be met for wolf management to be placed under a new legal framework – beyond the exemption regime under species protection law. In this context, the ‘favourable conservation status’ of wolves plays a key role.

Is the Swedish Brown Bear Management in Compliance with EU Biodiversity Law?

As with many biodiversity laws, the Habitats Directive allows for exemptions. While it can be argued that flexibility is necessary for handling dynamic ecosystems, the associated lack of legal clarity on the room to derogate can risk impairing both the effectiveness and the uniform application of EU-law. This study aims at clarifying the conditions to derogate from the strict protection of species under Article 16(1)(e), a provision which has been interpreted to provide a legal basis for hunting species with a favourable conservation status in several Member States. One such controversial case is the hunting of brown bears in Sweden. The Swedish brown bear management will thus be used as an illustrative example to discuss Member States’ discretion to derogate under Article 16(1)(e).

Gobio Genus Species Integrated Management System – Târnava Rivers Study Case (Transylvania, Romania)

The lotic habitats quality indicative congeners species Gobio gobio, Gobio kessleri and Gobio albipinnatus populations’ dynamic in time (2004-2019) and space revealed a decreasing trend in these rivers ecological status. The ADONIS:CE tool has been used to build a backing management system model, based on these indicative fish species habitat needs, indicators for favourable conservation status, pressures and threats. This management system implementation in the field will favour the amelioration of lotic habitats and the ecological status recovering of two of the local fish species of conservative interest (G. kessleri and G. albipinnatus).