~~~~~~~~~~ Johan Abenius Environmental Monitoring Swedish Environmental Protection Agency SE Stockholm tel fax

1.Swedish nature 2.Guiding principles 3.Examples Overview

Ministry Environmental Protection Agency (responsible for coordinating Natura 2000) 20 Regional boards Species Information Centre Swedish nature

We need better data on biodiversity in general and on the contribution of designated areas to species protection in particular Reporting regulations of the habitat directive

Natura 2000 in Sweden Initial confusion Unsystematic data collection (Very) preliminary assessments reported Baseline survey to start next year Baseline assessment

About 80 % overlap of Natura network and nationally designated areas Swedish nature

National project Focus on strategy and methods for monitoring of Natura 2000 network Should enable by January 2004 to start fullscale monitoring of swedish part of Natura 2000 Swedish nature

Wide range of data providers: National BioDiv monitoring Species Info Centre Sectorial agencies County boards NGO’s Swedish nature

Guiding principles Interpretation of key terms Monitoring Surveillance (….)

Guiding principles 1. Survey 2. Set objectives 3. Monitor

Guiding principles Base-line survey to establish state Monitoring to detect changes

Guiding principles Conservation objective Action program Implementation Monitoring Analysis, reporting FCS Objectives to drive the system

Guiding principles Monitoring tuned to management intensity

Guiding principles Minimum intervention management >> Low frequency monitoring Early warning systems

Guiding principles Regular management or restoration management >> High frequency monitoring integrated in management system

Guiding principles Spatial scale for assessment? Natura report on the status of total national (and biogeographic) populations

Guiding principles National and biogeographical assessment of FCS National landscape surveillance Other sources Site-based monitoring

Guiding principles Typical species (indicator value X abundans) <Redlisted/Annex II species <”Typical” (quality indicator species) <Characteristic/ defining sp

Guiding principles Late news - typical species to deliver! Field tests 2003 affirmed use of typical species as indicator for habitat quality

Guiding principles Structure and function Finding good indicators is the key to good economy

Remote sensing: Satellite data (monitoring) Infra-red airborne (base-line survey) Preferred techniques

Satellite data for mapping and monitoring of habitats with high nature conservation values The County Administration of Norrbotten Swedish EPA The County Administration of Kalmar Metria Miljöanalys

Aapamires Threat - changes New road Sphagnum- dominated mire Increased field layer (Carex, etc)

Habitat examples

9010 Western taiga 9110 Luzula-Phagetum beech forests 7240 Alpine pioneer formations of the Caricion bicoloris-atrofuscae Habitat examples

9010 Western Taiga Areal extent: 1 million ha in the network 1 million ha outside of network

9010 Western Taiga Subtypes: Oldgrowth types by tree species Recently burnt stands Young post-fire successions

9010 Western Taiga National objectives for network sites: No loss of habitat area No loss of pine dominated stands Not FCS area < 20% in next 30 years National objective at landscape level: Stands of ”key habitat” quality be kept at same areal

9010 Western Taiga Base-line survey should: Map distribution of habitat and subtypes Assess quality criteria (some subtypes) Base-line survey techniques: Airborne IR photo Commercial land assessments, inventories

9010 Western Taiga Monitoring should: Detect unwanted impact on network sites Detect changes in habitat quality Detect biodiversity losses

9010 Western Taiga Monitoring techniques: Satellite data Landscape surveillance programmes Surveillance of nesting birds

9010 Western Taiga Site-based monitoring of managed and restoration sites: Forest stand structure Tree species composition, regrowth

9110 Beech forest Areal extent: ha in the network ha outside of network

9110 Beech forest Subtypes: Continental region (no spruce allowed) Boreal region (spruce OK)

9110 Beech forest National objectives for network sites: No loss of habitat area Extension of too small sites to include adjacent young stands National objective at landscape level: Stands of ”key habitat” quality be kept at same areal

9110 Beech forest Base-line survey should: Map distribution of habitat Quantify quality criteria (dead wood etc) Base-line survey techniques: Airborne IR photo Field based survey

9110 Beech forest Monitoring should: Detect unwanted impact on network sites Detect changes in habitat area / quality Detect decrease in dead wood Verify no (or few) spruce saplings present Verify regeneration of beech present

9110 Beech forest Monitoring techniques: Airborne IR photo Field-based standard methods for forestry assession Specific field-based methods

7240 Alpine pioneer formations Areal extent: 3970 ha in the network, 234% of total areal in Sweden

7240 Alpine pioneer formations National objectives for network sites: No loss of habitat area Control of bush or tree encroachment Control of erosion by vehicles/ paths No loss of (number of) typical species

7240 Alpine pioneer formations Base-line survey should: Map distribution of habitat Assess quality criteria Base-line survey techniques: Field based (on reported sites for habitat defining Carex species) Deliniation of habitat on ortogonal airborne photo

7240 Alpine pioneer formations Monitoring should: Detect changes in habitat extent Detect changes in habitat quality Monitoring techniques: Field based, semipermanent transect and plot sampling. Methods as already tested for seminatural grasslands.