5 Natura 2000 and conservation status
5.4 Conservation measures and their results
5.4 Conservation measures and their
Table 5.1 Number and coverage of sites with management plans Member State No of sites with plans No of sites with plans under
preparation (*) Proportion of network area with plans (%)
BD HD BD HD BD HD
Austria 68 117 68.0 53.0
Belgium 3 9 230 318 9.4 12.0
Bulgaria 0 0 8 3 0.0 0
Cyprus 0 39 30 1 20.0 79.7
Czech Republic 21 287 7 788 55.0 37.7
Germany 143 1 740 158 591 22.2 20.4
Denmark 112 255 1 6 99.0 93.0
Estonia 33 105 33 233 52.2 45.0
Spain 90 217 508 1 231 15.1 18.1
Finland 145 314 80.0 78.0
France 142 591 110 264 63.0 76.0
Hungary 13 27 243 30.4 5.0
Ireland 0 0 0 0
Italy 162 1 011 692 28.0 42.7
Lithuania 34 53 32 107 41.5 13.1
Luxembourg 3 14 3 4 13.9 28.3
Latvia 58 53 2 3 75.0 18.5
Malta 4 7 13 28 30.8 22.0
Netherlands 4 1 73 142 8.0 6.0
Poland 0 15 104 378 0.0 0
Portugal 6 14 1 10.7 3.0
Romania 7 4 7 272 4.7 2.0
Sweden 518 3 988 3 25 88.0 97.0
Slovenia 26 260 0 100 100
Slovakia 0 8 37 131 0.0 0.7
United Kingdom 32 142 6.0 13.7
EU 1 624 9 271 1 360 4 229
Notes: (*) 'Number of sites with plans under preparation' was an optional field and was not reported by all countries.
BD = Birds Directive; HD = Habitats Directive. A zero indicates a Member State reported no sites, and an empty cell indicates that no information was reported. This means that no value can be given for the EU. It is not possible to estimate a percentage cover for the EU from the Member State data. Greece did not provide any Articles 12 and 17 reports.
Source: EEA, 2015a, Article 12 reports and assessments and EEA, 2015b, Article 17 reports and assessments.
• Maintain: This is used when the conservation measure is required to maintain FCS, i.e. the favourable status would not be maintained if the measure would not be implemented.
• Enhance: This is used when the conservation measure is required to enhance conservation status or reach FCS, i.e. when species has an unfavourable conservation status and the measure — alone or in conjunction with others — is needed to improve it.
• Long-term: This is used for a measure without short-term effect — one reporting cycle or less — but where a long-term positive effect is expected.
• No effect: This is used for a measure without effect, or that needs adaptation and that is not delivering any conservation benefit, i.e. the measure failed in achieving its objectives or had adverse effects.
• Unknown effect.
• Not evaluated.
Figure 5.15 shows the percentage of reported conservation measures assessments for habitats, non‑bird species and birds at Level 1 of the conservation measures categorisation, ranked as highly important.
The figure shows that conservation measures related to
'spatial planning' (i.e. 'establish protected areas/sites', 'legal protection of habitats and species', and 'other spatial measures') dominate the reported conservation measures. Additional significant categories include measures related to 'wetland, freshwater and coastal habitats', 'agriculture and open habitats' and 'forests and wooded habitats'. The low values for marine habitats and species is a reflection of the low number of marine habitats and species covered by the directives.
Table 5.3 lists the 10 most frequently reported habitat conservation measures at Level 2, providing a more detailed view of measures taken by Member States for habitats, non-bird species and birds. Four measures (6.1 Establish protected areas/sites, 6.3 Legal protection of habitats and species, 4.2 Restoring/improving the hydrological regime and 2.1 Maintaining grasslands and other open habitats) appear in the top five for all three groups, with 6.1 and 6.3 always occupying the top two positions. These are measures which apply to
Table 5.2 List of conservation measures with a full list of Level 1 measures (left) and an example of Level 2 (right)
Level 1 Examples of Level 2
Code Measure 1 No measures
2 Measures related to agriculture and open habitats
3 Measures related to forests and wooded habitats
4 Measures related to wetland, freshwater and coastal habitats 5 Measures related to marine
habitats
6 Measures related to spatial planning
7 Measures related to hunting, taking and fishing and species management
8 Measures related to urban areas, industry, energy and transport 9 Measures related to special
resource use
Code Measure
2.0 Other agriculture-related measures 2.1 Maintaining grasslands
and other open habitats Mowing, burning, grazing, removal/control of shrubs and other woody plants
2.2 Adapting crop production Adapting input of nutrients and pesticides/herbicides; adapting crop timing (advance/delay harvest dates)
4.0 Other wetland-related
measures Restoring alluvial situations, 4.1 Restoring/improving
water quality Reducing pollutants in water 4.2 Restoring/improving the
hydrological regime Restoring river dynamics, removal of barriers and artificial margins, managing water levels (e.g. in bogs and mires) 4.3 Managing water
abstraction Managing periods and/or quantity of water abstracted for irrigation, energy production 4.4 Restoring coastal areas Stabilisation of dunes,
re-establishing dune dynamics, removing coastal infrastructures Source: Article 17 Reference Portal; see http://bd.eionet.europa.eu/activities/Natura_2000/Folder_Reference_Portal/Conservation_measures_20_
April.pdf.
→
all species and habitats, whereas other measures are mostly associated with a particular group of habitats and species, for example forests. One major difference between habitats and both species groups is that species management measures (Measure 7) including hunting, occurs twice in the top 10 for both birds and non-bird species, but not at all for habitats.
When looking at habitat groups and associated species, the order changes considerably, as discussed in Chapter 4 (Results by ecosystem).
Figure 5.16 shows how the impact of the top 10 measures for each habitat, non-bird species and birds has been reported. Few measures are reported as 'unknown' or 'no effect', while 'long term' seems less frequently reported for birds compared to the other two groups. Use of 'not evaluated' is often quite high, suggesting that the impact of many measures is unknown and may even be negative.
Figure 5.15 Proportion (%) of Level 1 conservation measures ranked high
Notes: The total number of assessments for high‑ranked conservation measures is 5 741, 6 932 and 5 137 for birds, non‑bird species and habitats, respectively. Greece did not provide any Articles 12 and 17 reports.
Source: EEA, 2015a, Article 12 reports and assessments and EEA, 2015b, Article 17 reports and assessments.
0% 25% 50% 75%
9: Measures related to special resource use 8: Measures related to urban areas,
industry, energy and transport 7: Measures related to hunting, taking and fishing and species management 6: Measures related to spatial planning 5: Measures related to marine habitats 4: Measures related to wetland, freshwater and coastal habitats 3: Measures related to forests and wooded habitats 2: Measures related to agriculture and open habitats
Birds Non-bird species Habitats
Table 5.3 Top 10 Level 2 conservation measures ranked high for habitats, birds and other species
Top ten Birds Habitats Non-bird species
Measure % Measure % Measure %
1. 6.1 Establish protected areas/
sites
28.6 6.1 Establish protected areas/
sites 24.7 6.3 Legal protection of
habitats and species 21.9 2. 6.3 Legal protection of
habitats and species 24.0 6.3 Legal protection of
habitats and species 11.3 6.1 Establish protected areas/
sites 15.9
3. 4.2 Restoring/improving the
hydrological regime 7.7 2.1 Maintaining grasslands
and other open habitats 11.2 4.2 Restoring/improving the
hydrological regime 7.6 4. 7.1 Regulation/Management
of hunting and taking 6.2 4.2 Restoring/improving the
hydrological regime 6.1 7.4 Specific single species or species group management measures
7.4
5. 2.1 Maintaining grasslands
and other open habitats 5.2 3.2 Adapt forest management 4.9 2.1 Maintaining grasslands
and other open habitats 6.2 6. 7.4 Specific single species
or species group management measures
5.0 9.1 Regulating/Management exploitation of natural resources on land
4.8 4.1 Restoring/improving water
quality 5.8
7. 4.0 Other wetland-related
measures 2.6 6.0 Other spatial measures 4.8 9.1 Regulating/Management exploitation of natural resources on land
4.0
8. 3.2 Adapt forest management 2.4 3.1 Restoring/improving
forest habitats 4.8 7.0 Other species
management measures 3.5 9. 2.0 Other agriculture-related
measures 1.9 4.1 Restoring/improving water
quality 3.9 3.1 Restoring/improving
forest habitats 3.1
10. 4.3 Managing water
abstraction 1.6 6.4 Manage landscape
features 3.0 4.0 Other wetland-related
measures 3.1
10. 9.2 Regulating/Managing exploitation of natural resources on sea
1.6
Notes: Non‑bird species are species from the Habitats Directive. The total number of conservation measures is 5 741, 5 137 and 6 932, for birds, habitats and non-bird species, respectively. Greece did not provide any Articles 12 and 17 reports.
Figure 5.16 Assessment of impacts of the top 10 Level 2 conservation measures ranked high for birds (a), non-bird species (b) and habitats (c)
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
4.3: Managing water abstraction 9.2: Regulating/managing exploitation of natural resources on sea 2.0: Other agriculture-related measures 3.2: Adapt forest management 4.0: Other wetland-related measures 7.4: Specific single species or species group management measures 2.1: Maintaining grasslands and other open habitats 7.1: Regulation/management of hunting and taking 4.2: Restoring/improving the hydrological regime 6.3: Legal protection of habitats and species 6.1: Establish protected areas/sites a) Birds
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
6.4: Manage landscape features 4.1: Restoring/improving water quality 3.1: Restoring/improving forest habitats 6.0: Other spatial measures 9.1: Regulating/management exploitation of natural resources on land 3.2: Adapt forest management 4.2: Restoring/improving the hydrological regime 2.1: Maintaining grasslands and other open habitats 6.3: Legal protection of habitats and species 6.1: Establish protected areas/sites c) Habitats
Maintain Enhance Longterm No effect Unknown Not evaluated
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
4.0: Other wetland-related measures 3.1: Restoring/improving forest habitats 7.0: Other species management measures 9.1: Regulating/management exploitation of natural resources on land 4.1: Restoring/improving water quality 2.1: Maintaining grasslands and other open habitats 7.4: Specific single species or species group management measures 4.2: Restoring/improving the hydrological regime 6.1: Establish protected areas/sites 6.3: Legal protection of habitats and species b) Non-bird species
Source: EEA, 2015a, Article 12 reports and assessments; EEA, 2015b, Article 17 reports and assessments.
The majority of measures are applied both inside and outside the network (see Figure 5.17). Relatively few measures (10% or less) are applied outside the network only.
Member States were asked to describe the types of measures by classifying them in one or more of the following five classes: legal, administrative, contractual, recurrent or one-off. Legal and administrative
measures are most frequent across all three groups (see Figure 5.18). It should be noted that an individual measure can be placed in all five classes, for example, three Member States noted measure '4.2 Restoring/
improving the hydrological regime' in all five classes for a range of habitats.
Figure 5.17 Proportion of reported conservations measures inside or outside Natura 2000
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
Habitats Non-bird species Birds
In Out Both
Source: EEA, 2015a, Article 12 reports and assessments; EEA, 2015b, Article 17 reports and assessments.
Figure 5.18 Type of conservation measures
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
Habitats Non-bird species Birds
Legal Administrative Contractual Recurrent One off
Source: EEA, 2015a, Article 12 reports and assessments; EEA, 2015b, Article 17 reports and assessments.