1. Carlos Romao / Annemarie Bastrup-Birk 13 th meeting Standing Forestry Committee Brussels, 18 September 2015 State of nature in the EU - focus on forest habitats

2. Nature reporting Conservation status Which forests are targeted by the habitats directive? Overall results Focus on forests results EU Biodiversity strategy to 2020 State of nature in the EU Results from reporting, nature directives 2007-2012

3. Nature reporting by Member States (i) 2 directives: 'Birds' & 'Habitats' Every 6 years: 2001-2006, 2007-2012, … About 450 bird species, over 1 250 other species (fauna & flora), 233 habitat types (including 81 woodland & forest habitats) Across 9 terrestrial biogeographical and 4 marine regions

4. Birds directive (Article 12): near 5 500 reports Habitats directive (Article 17): over 7 100 species reports & 3 000 habitats reports (including over 700 woodland & forest reports) Main data & information reported (for habitats) –Current distribution 10 km x 10 km map –Current range and surface area (km 2 ) –Structures & functions –Future prospects –Trends –Pressures & threats Nature reporting by Member States (ii) CONSERVATION STATUS

5. Conservation status Conservation status parameters (habitats) - Range - Area - Structure & functions - Future prospects Favourable when all 4 are favourable

6. Which forests are targeted by the Habitats Directive? (i) (Semi) Natural Habitat that –Are in danger of disapearance –Have small natural range due to regression or intrinsically restricted area –Present outstanding examples of typical characteristics of one or more of the 9 biogeographical regions Annex I habitat types: 233, including 81 woodland & forest types

7. Which forests are targeted by the Habitats Directive? (ii) In addition, Annex I forest habitat types '(Sub)natural woodland vegetation comprising native species forming forests of tall trees, with typical undergrowth, and meeting one of the following criteria: rare, residual, and/or hosting species of Community interest' Different from the forest definition used for European statistics (Land with tree crown cover of > 10 % and area > 0.5 ha. Tree height ≥ 5 m at maturity in situ, including temporarily unstocked forest areas) Interpretation Manual of EU habitat types - forests of native species; - forests with a high degree of naturalness; - forests of tall trees and high forest; - presence of old and dead trees; - forests with a substantial area; - forests having benefited from continuous sustainable management over a significant period

8. Which forests are 'woodland & forest ecosystem'? (i) 2 types of 'wooded dunes' 79 types of 'forests' –Forests of Boreal Europe: 7 types –Forests of Temperate Europe: 37 types –Mediterranean deciduous forests: 13 types –Mediterranean sclerophyllous forests: 10 types –Temperate mountain coniferous forests: 3 types –Mediterranean and Macaronesian mountain coniferous forests: 9 types

9. Which forests are 'woodland & forest ecosystem'? (ii) As reported by Member States, These 81 types cover ca. 780 000 km 2 3 largest types –9120 - Atlantic acidophilous beach forests221 000 km 2 –9230 - Galicio-Portuguese oak woods 98 400 km 2 –91D0 - Bog woodland 44 500 km 2 3 smallest types –91X0 - Dobrogean beach forests 0.3 km 2 –9310 - Aegean Quercus brachyphylla woods 1.4 km 2 –9590 – Cedrus brevifolia forests 2.9 km 2

10. Nature reporting - overall results (i) Birds Directive (Article 12 reports) Conservation status fauna & flora species (n = 2 665) Conservation status habitat types (n = 804) Habitats Directive (Article 17 reports) Proportion of assessments in each conservation status class

11. Nature reporting - overall results (ii) Proportion of HABITAT assessments in each conservation status class per biogeographic and marine regionper Annex I habitat category

12. Nature reporting – woodland & forest habitats (i) 15 % favourable assessments 80 % unfavourable assessments –40 % not improving nor declining –28 % unfavourable and declining –3 % unfavourable, but improving –9 % unfavourable, unknown trend (not in the graph) –54 % unfavourable-inadequate –26 % unfavorable-bad

13. Nature reporting – woodland & forest habitats (ii) Top 10 (% of frequency) pressures (current) and threats (future), as reported by Member States

14. Nature reporting – woodland & forest habitats (iii) Top 3 pressures, per biogeographical region ALPINEATLANTICBLACK SEABOREALCONTINENTALMACARONESIANMEDITERRANEANPANNONIANSTEPPIC Forest and Plantation management & use Mining and quarrying Forest and plantation management & use Invasive alien species Fire and fire suppression Forest and plantation management & use Abiotic changes (climate change) Changes in water bodies conditions Air pollution, air-borne pollutants Grazing in forests & woodland Vegetation succession/Bio -cenotic evolution Changes in water bodies conditions Interspecific floral relations Forest exploitation Vegetation succession/Bio- cenotic evolution Changes in water bodies conditions Sport and leisure infrastructures Changes in water bodies conditions Invasive alien species Changes in water bodies conditions Vegetation succession/Bio -cenotic evolution Grazing by livestock Hunting and collection of terrestrial wild animals Interspecific faunal relations

15. Nature reporting – woodland & forest habitats (iv) Woodland & forest habitat types: ca. 780 000 km 2 (is this an overestimation, incomplete mapping and inventories by most MS???) 142 200 – 147 700 km 2 inside Natura 2000 sites (ca. 19 %, underestimation: Greece missing, incomplete data from several MS and for several habitat types)

16. Nature reporting – woodland & forest habitats (v) TO BE REVISED proportion of Annex I forests compared to the total EU28 'forests', (1 760 000 km 2 ): ca. 45 % (or 48 % with total EU 28 of 1 609 000) 375 000 km 2 forests in Natura 2000; near 50 % of the network area, and 21 % of the total foreswt resource in the EU http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/natura2000/management/docs/Final%20Guide%20 N2000%20%20Forests%20Part%20I-II-Annexes.pdf http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/natura2000/management/docs/Final%20Guide%20 N2000%20%20Forests%20Part%20I-II-Annexes.pdf

17. EU Biodiversity strategy – Forestry target Progress towards Target 3b looking at conservation status of woodland & forest habitat types Small decrease of favourable assessments (17 % in 2001-2006 to 15 % in 2007-2012) Vast majority of assessments remain unfavourable (80 %) 3 % improved from 'bad' to 'inadequate' 28 % deteriorated from 'favourable' to 'unfavourable', or from 'inadequate' to 'bad' Therefore, not 'on target' if current trends persist

18. Useful links To be completed http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/legislation/hab itatsdirective/docs/Int_Manual_EU28.pdfhttp://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/legislation/hab itatsdirective/docs/Int_Manual_EU28.pdf