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Monitoring the Effectiveness of Nature Conservation
International Conference September 3 – 6, 2007
Abstracts
Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
Monitoring the Effectiveness of Nature Conservation
Abstracts
International Conference, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest,Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf, SwitzerlandSeptember 3 – 6, 2007
Edited by Elizabeth Feldmeyer-Christe
Published bySwiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and LandscapeResearch WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
Responsible for this edition:
Prof Dr James W. Kirchner, Director
Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL
Organizing committee:
Dr Elizabeth Feldmeyer-Christe, WSL
Dr Ariel Bergamini, WSL
Prof. Dr Christoph Scheidegger, WSL
PD Dr Otto Wildi, WSL
Dr Thomas Wohlgemuth, WSL
Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research
WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, CH-8903 Birmensdorf.
[email protected], [email protected],
[email protected], [email protected],
Prof. Dr Jutta Zeitz, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Faculty of
Agriculture and Horticulture, Invalidenstrasse 42, D-10115 Berlin.
Prof. Dr Peter Poschlod, Institute of Botany, Faculty of Biology and
Preclinical Medicine, University of Regensburg, D-93040 Regensburg,
Germany. [email protected]
Dr Bob Bunce, Alterra, Wageningen, Netherlands. [email protected]
Recommended form of citation:
Feldmeyer-Christe, E. (ed) 2007: Monitoring the effectiveness of nature
conservation. Abstracts. International conference, September 3–6,
2007. Birmensdorf, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and
Landscape Research WSL. 88 pp.
Layout: Margrit Wiederkehr, WSL
Cover: Jacqueline Annen, WSL
Available from:
Library WSL
Zürcherstrasse 111
CH-8903 Birmensdorf
E-Mail: [email protected]
CHF 12.–
© Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL,
Birmensdorf 2007
Cover: View of the Schwantenau mire in the Swiss Pre-Alps showing the
traditional land use pattern of the peatland.
Table of contents Plant community specialization index as an indicator of biodiversity 7 Monitoring fine-scale patterns in grasslands with minimum sampling effort 8 Trends in plant species richness and habitat quality in calcareous fens in the Swiss Pre-Alps 9 An empirical validation of the capercaillie as umbrella species in mountain forest ecosystems 10 Monitoring and evaluation concept for alluvial zones: a proposition from the Advice Centre Alluvial Zones 11 Improving the efficiency of large-scale wildlife monitoring programmes using predictive species distribution models – a case study on capercaillie in the Black Forest 12 Monitoring the success or failure of conservation programmes in Europe topic to which your paper is related 13 First phase in monitoring plant diversity in Natura2000 network (Siena Province, Central Italy): comparing species diversity indicators across large spatial scale 14 How monitoring of nature conservation policy drives dynamic reserve selection of the dry grassland reserve network of Switzerland 15 Using a multispecies approach to monitor ecological managment in Flanders’ nature reserves 16 Monitoring the naturalness in the Bavarian Forest National Park 17 Effect of nature conservation strategies in the south coast of the Pacific Ocean, Mexico: policy about forest use and deforestation versus planed economic development 18 Conservation of fen arthropods with fallow strips damages rare plant species – solution: fen rotational fallows 19 State and changes in mire vegetation after 20 years of constitutional mire conservation in Switzerland 20 20 years of mire conservation in the Alps – similarities and differences between Austria and Switzerland 21 Predictive modelling of species distribution: how does it serve nature conservation 22 A decision support system for the management of mires in the forest (DSS-WAMOS) 23 Assessing trends in biodiversity at different scales 24 Effectiveness of the Swiss agri-environmental scheme across environmental and socio-economic gradients in the Alps 25 Importance of design and analysis in biodiversity monitoring 26 From nature protection to integrated institutional regimes for natural resources 27 Is the global conservation status assessment of a threatened taxon a utopia? Case study on an aquatic plant genus Baldellia (L.) Parl. (Alismataceae) 28 Swiss Mire Monitoring: application of predictive habitat models for repeated sample refinement, extrapolation and change detection at a very fine scale 29
Evaluating agri-environment schemes: biodiversity in Bavarian grasslands 30 Long term observation and success control: two different ways to look at the efficiency of nature conservation 31 How changing sampling size and grain can affect the results in monitoring plant community restoration 32 How do we know if we are conserving nature? 33 Monitoring the effectiveness of conservation policy as a contribution to international conservation 33 Are we successful in managing our nature reserves? 34 A practical view 34 Between “poor data quality” and “too expensive”: monitoring capercaillie as an example of an elusive species 35 Power comparison of alternative monitoring designs: 36 one and five year sampling rotation intervals. 36 Response of bats to chestnut orchard restoration in southern Switzerland 37 Spectral variation hypothesis: using satellite imagery to predict plant species hotspots in Switzerland 38 Does extensive grazing support conservation targets? 39 Effectiveness of mexican natural protected areas to prevent land use / land cover change 40 Scale-dependent change in dry meadow plant communities 41 Using data from species sightings by the public for analysing temporal variation in population density 42 How effectively are we slowing the spread of harmful invasive species in conservation areas? 43 Can quarries supplement rare xeric habitats in a Piedmont region? Comparison of spiders and ground beetles 44 Participatory monitoring of biodiversity at the interface between community empowerment and scientific requirements: a case study from Panama 45 A multiscale methodological approach novel in monitoring the effectiveness of grassland management 46 Modeling multi-temporal fractional shrub/tree cover changes in mire ecosystems using airborne remote sensing data 47 Managing protected areas – how do we know if we are doing it right? 48 Posters 1 Effects of management at local and landscape scales on carabid and spider
assemblages of Hungarian farmlands 49 2 Study of edge effect on two sympatric Maculinea butterflies 50 3 Ecological compensation areas, birds and farmers – where is the problem? 51 4 Monitoring forest reserves in Switzerland 52 5 Does forest structure indicate biodiversity? Findings from NFI and BDM data
analyses 53
6 Biodiversity of forest ecosystems in algeria State of knowledge and level of threats 54
7 Higher-taxon approach in weed biodiversity surveys 55 8 Assessing changes in a sub-mediterranean forest of southern Greece 56 9 Predictive multi-thematic habitat distribution models for fine-scale monitoring
of Swiss mire remnants 57 10 Monitoring the quality of nature reserves 58 11 Approaches of utilising quickbird-data for the monitoring of NATURA 2000
habitats 59 12 Using high resolution mapping of disturbance indicator species to assess the
sustainability of forest practices 60 13 Twelve-year permanent plot observation in urban wetlands and forests
submitted to restoration practices: the case of Brussels 61 14 How to consider scaling effects in habitat analyses of forest dwelling
species? 62 15 “Natura 2000” habitats monitoring system in the Czech Republic: its
designing and final shape 63 16 Developing a sampling design for monitoring ecological compensation areas
in Switzerland 64 17 Is topographic variability an important factor when assessing plant species
richness in agricultural landscapes? 65 18 Pond biodiversity assessment: how to implement a standardized method
through practitioners (case study in Switzerland) 66 19 Effects of grazing exclusion on rangeland recovery in the Zagros region of
Iran 67 20 Biodiversity Monitoring Switzerland (BDM): the contribution of a nation-wide
baseline monitoring 68 21 Change of ecosystems – 10 years monitoring program for the ecosystems of
the UNESCO biosphere reserves in Brandenburg 69 22 Beech coppices in the montane belt of the Central Apennines: monitoring for
ecological management guidelines according to structure and biodiversity status 70
23 Use it or loose it: sustainable wild collection of medicinal plants: the case study of Arnica montana in the Apuseni mountains in Romania 71
24 Monitoring and conservation of ecosystems in drylands 72 25 From systematic samples to model-predicted richness maps and swiss
biodiversity hot spots 73 26 Pros and cons of game impact in the landscape 74 27 Will the climate change favour threatened Atlantic plants in Europe? 75 28 Spatial diversity of sal (Shorea robusta Gaertn. f) in pure and mixed sal
forest areas at Madhupur, Bangladesh 76 29 A gap analysis comparing Natura 2000 vs national protected area system
effectiveness with potential natural vegetation 77
30 Surveying the distribution of a fossorial lizard that is not always available for detection 78
31 How monitoring species turnover can provide early warning of species loss: a case study 79
32 Effects of traditional coppicing and game density on epigeic fauna 80 33 Statistical power and optimal sample design in ecological monitoring 81 34 Indicators for nature friendly ditch management by farmers 82 35 Long-term monitoring of biodiversity in the canton Aargau 83 36 Development of remote sensing derived tool to assess the impact of
conservation policy measures and drought on east african ecosystems – the endeleo project 84
37 A new vision for ecological network: integrating landscape and species data to support local planning decisions 85
38 A proper inventory method to study the biodiversity 86 39 Biomonitoring of protected ground-dwelling beetle species by mark-release-recapture method 87 40 Monitoring biodiversity in Austrian agricultural landscapes to assess the impact of agro-environmental measures 88
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Plant community specialization index as an indicator of biodiversity Abadie Jean-Claude1, 2, Chateil Carole1, 3, Le Coquen Michael1, Porcher Emmanuelle1, 2, Gachet Sophie3, Moret Jacques2 and Machon Nathalie1, 2
1 UMR5173 Conservation des Espèces, Restauration et Suivi des Populations, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, 61 rue Buffon, 75005 PARIS, France. [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
2 USM 2699 Inventaire et Suivi de la Biodiversité, Conservatoire Botanique National du Bassin Parisien, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, 61 rue Buffon, 75005 PARIS, France. [email protected]
3 UMR 7179 Mécanismes Adaptatifs: des Organismes aux Communautés, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, 4 rue du Petit-Château, 91800 BRUNOY, France [email protected], [email protected]
Keywords: agri-environmental schemes, generalists, human dominated landscapes, indicators, landscape ecology, monitoring, common plants, specialists In addition to protecting specific areas, nature conservation should also be con-cerned with the increasing human pressures across the unreserved matrix in which natural reserves are embedded (Franklin 1993). Identifying and quantifying human disturbances in such regions require relevant indicators that are sensitive to the causes of biodiversity loss and can inform on ecosystem functioning. Previous studies on plants (Smart et al. 2005) and birds (Jiguet and Julliard 2004) highlighted the importance of common species as indicators in large scale monitoring programs For example, a recently developed Community Specialization Index (CSI), based on variations of the abundance of common species across habitats, proved more accu-rate than species richness to document the impact of habitat fragmentation and degradation on bird communities (Devictor et al. submitted). Here, we apply the CSI to communities of common plants, and investigate how these react to various disturbances according to their degree of specialization. To achieve this, we used data from monitoring programs conducted during two years in the highly human-impacted Parisian area, following a standardised protocol based on the inventory of randomly sampled permanent plots. This was done at two scales: (1) a large scale monitoring, conducted over the whole region and encompassing various habitat types, (2) a local scale survey focusing on agricultural habitats. Using estimates of species abundance, we calculated the degree of specialization of each plant species, from which we obtained community specialization indices in each habitat. We use CSI to address the following questions: (1) How is community specialization affected by landscape structure? We expect that generalist species are favoured by high landscape diversity, whereas specialist species are affected by increasing patch isolation and decreasing patch size (Jonsen and Fahrig 1997; Krauss et al. 2004). (2) In agricultural habitats, what are the effects of management practices, and notably agri-environmental schemes, on plant communities? Preliminary results show that landscape structure, but not agri-environmental schemes, have a significant impact on CSI. Analysis in progress on new data will allows us to explore more accurately the potential effects of agri-environmental schemes on plant diversity.
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Monitoring fine-scale patterns in grasslands with minimum sampling effort Bartha S., Horvath A. and Viragh, K. Institute of Ecology and Botany, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Vacratot, Hungary [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Fine-scale vegetation patterns put important constraints on grassland dynamics especially within the time-scales of restoration and management activities (usually 3–5–20 years). Pattern sampling is generally time-consuming and labor-intensive, therefore rarely applied in the monitoring routine. Our intention was to develop sim-plified sampling designs applicable also in extensive field works but still able to detect relevant structural constraints and their changes. Previous studies concluded that the time required for sampling can be decreased considerably if long (50–100 m) transects of contagious 5 x 5 cm sampling units (microquadrats) are used. This protocol was tested and proved to be applicable in a wide range of grasslands including tall- and shortgrass steppes, mountain grasslands and semi-desert com-munities. The estimated time spent in the field for completing one transect ranged between 3 hours (open sand grassland) and 2 days (species-rich steppe-meadow on loess). This protocol is suitable for extensive comparative scientific studies but still too time-consuming for the practice of applied monitoring. Therefore, we asked what could be the smallest sample size (shortest transect) for unbiased pattern estimates. We studied the effects of decreasing sample size on the estimated diver-sity and spatial dependence of fine-scale species combinations in loess, dolomite and sand grasslands with varying complexity and spatial dependence. The sample sizes ranged between 3000 and 100 units. It was concluded that diversity is under-estimated while spatial dependence is over-estimated with small sample sizes. The stochastic variance of estimates increased and the power of the statistical tests decreased with decreasing sample sizes. As a consequence, small samples unable to detect even strong and biologically relevant differences. The related critical threshold varied with grassland types and dynamic states but usually it was be-tween 1000 and 2000 sampling units. According to our results, the lowest limit of sample size for the effective monitoring of within-stand coenostate descriptors (i.e., the diversity and spatial dependence of species combinations) is ca. 1000 micro-quadrats. We also studied if some univariate characteristics of vegetation matrix can be represented by smaller samples. We concluded that the frequency and indi-vidual patterns of dominant species or the pattern of particular microsites (e.g. fine-scale disturbances or fine-scale litter accumulations) can be represented by smaller samples of ca. 100-200 microquadrats. A new simple sampling design is suggested for detecting relevant univariate patterns of vegetation matrix by combining the traditional permanent plot sampling with our simplified fine-scale pattern sampling.
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Trends in plant species richness and habitat quality in calcareous fens in the Swiss Pre-Alps Bergamini Ariel1, Peintinger Markus2, Fakheran Sima2, Joshi Jasmin2, Moradi Hossein2 and Schmid Bernhard2 1 Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Biodiversity and Conservation Biology,
Zürcherstrasse 111, CH-8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland. [email protected] 2 Institute of Environmental Sciences, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstr. 190, CH-
8057 Zürich, Switzerland. [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
Keywords: calcareous fens, Swiss Pre-Alps, management, altitude, vascular plants, bryophytes, evaluation, Red List species, indicator values Fens are protected by law in Switzerland since 1987. Nevertheless, it can not be ensured that habitat quality remains stable because many fens are small, isolated and surrounded by intensively managed agricultural areas. Furthermore, atmos-pheric nitrogen input is still high which may lead to eutrophication of these wetlands. Calcareous fens in the northern Swiss pre-Alps are of special conservation concern because they are very species-rich with many specialised and rare plant species (Peintinger et al. 2003). It is thus an important task to evaluate whether fen protec-tion in Switzerland is effective or whether habitat quality decreases despite all con-servation efforts.
To detect trends in species richness and habitat quality, we studied 36 fen sites 1995/97 and again 2005/06. The fens were stratified according to two mangement types (mowing, grazing) and three altitudinal classes (800–1000, 1000–1200, 1200–1400 m a.s.l.). Because trends may be different within grazed or mown fens and/or within different altitudinal classes, we were particularly interested in interactions between these variables and the sampling period (1995/97 or 2005/06). In each fen, we assessed vascular plant and bryophyte species richness on 5 plots (each 2 m2; total n = 360). While fen sites were identical for the two sampling periods, plots were not.
We found a significant decrease in the number of habitat specialists per plot for both groups (bryophytes: 4.38 vs. 3.73, vascular plants: 8.55 vs. 7.75). In vascular plants, there was also a significant decrease in Red List species (1.01 vs. 0.78). Furthermore, mean indicator values (based on vascular plant vegetation) per plot for nutrients increased, and for moisture and light decreased significantly between the two sampling periods. There were no interactions between management or altitude and the sampling period (p > 0.05 for all response variables). We found no effects of management on the number of habitat specialists in both taxonomic groups.
In conclusion, habitat quality of calcareous fens in the Swiss pre-Alps decreased in the last 10 years despite the legal protection and the traditional management of these habitats. Because the effect of the sampling period did not depend on the management type, none of the two types can be favoured and long-term protection seems only possible by reducing nutrient inputs and by restoring the often disturbed hydrology.
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An empirical validation of the capercaillie as umbrella species in mountain forest ecosystems Bollmann Kurt1, Graf Roland F.2, Debrunner Rolf1, Suter Werner1 1 Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, CH-8903 Birmensdorf
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected] 2 University of Applied Sciences Wädenswil (HSW), Grüental, Postfach 335,
CH-8820 Wädenswil [email protected]
Keywords: birds, capercaillie, conservation, forest grouse, mountain forest, saproxylic beetles, Tetrao urogallus, umbrella species Species conservation faces the general dilemma that funding and knowledge are often too limited to protect the growing number of threatened taxa. Hence, biologists often rely on surrogates for the conservation of whole species communities. The umbrella species concept has received growing attention in this context. An umbrella species has specific habitat requirements combined with more extensive area demands than co-occurring species. Thus, conservation measures in favour of an umbrella species are expected to benefit a large number of naturally co-occurring taxa. In Switzerland, the capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) is considered an umbrella species for high species richness in mountain forests. If true, conservation measures in favour of this threatened grouse species are expected to benefit overall biodiversity of this ecosystem.
In this study, we investigated the occurrence of breeding birds and saproxylic beetles (Cerambycidae, Buprestidae) in subalpine forests of a Pre-alpine region (200 km2) with important numbers of capercaillie. Species abundance and richness of these taxa were compared in core areas of capercaillie distribution and areas with no evidence of capercaillie presence (absence areas). Average bird species richness and individual abundance were higher in forest stands of core areas. The difference was due to higher numbers of mountain bird species at these sites. Common and widely distributed birds did not differ between core and absence areas. Neither overall species richness nor individual numbers of beetles differed in core and absence areas. Our results suggest that the applicability of the umbrella species concept is (1) more effective among than across taxa, (2) scale-dependent, and (3) limited by the variety of essential key habitat elements of different taxonomic groups of organisms. If they are to live up to the expectations of conservationists, umbrella species should be chosen in accordance with the objectives of the conservation goal.
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Monitoring and evaluation concept for alluvial zones: a proposition from the Advice Centre Alluvial Zones
Bonnard Leslie1 and Roulier Christian2 1 Auenberatungsstelle, c/o naturaqua PBK, Elisabethenstrasse 51, 3014 Berne
[email protected] 2 Service conseil Zones alluviales, rue des Pêcheurs 8A, 1400 Yverdon-les-Bains
[email protected] Keywords: alluvial zones, alluvial dynamic, monitoring, evaluation The swiss inventory of alluvial zones of national importance contains 282 sites covering 22’617 ha distributed over the whole country, ranging from 190 to over 3000 m altitude. A federal ordinance protects these sites. It aims to the conservation and promotion of indigenous flora and fauna typical of alluvial zones and of characteristic geomorphological features. Wherever appropriate and feasible, the natural dynamics of the discharge regime and sediment flows are to be re-established. The cantons are charged to enforce this ordinance. A monitoring and evaluation concept was devised to measure the advancement of the protection on different levels: the state of law enforcement (output / impact: number of site under legal protection, measures taken, acceptance) and the effects of protection on the ecosystem (outcome: quality of biocenoses, intensity of fluvial dynamics). Eighteen key questions relative to policy monitoring and ecology are answered by different methods. The evaluation of success on the outcome level is based primarily on information gained by the analysis of vegetation since dynamic procedures are registered by the vegetation at different paces. Vegetation surveys and phyto-sociological data are collected. The fauna, the hydrological situation, the evolution of the watersystem and the disruptions caused by man are also documented by standardized reproducible methods. A relational database collects all data and is programmed to render index values and standard evaluations of the data. The system is visualized by the examples of three different indicators: percentage of dynamic surface (%), incision of the bed (cm/year), restriction of natural dynamics (km of embankments). These measures based on different units are converted to indexes of satisfaction. As these, they can be compared and contribute to the answers to the posed key questions. Measures are taken generally every 12 years. A overview of the up-to-date state is communicated at a rhythm of four years. References: Thielen, R.; Tognola, M.; Roulier, C. und Teuscher, F., 2002: 2. Ergänzung des Bundes-inventars der Auengebiete von nationaler Bedeutung. Technischer Bericht. Schr.reihe Umw. 341. Bonnard, L.; Cosandey, A.-C.; Gsteiger, P.; Hausammann, A.; Rast, S.; Roulier, C.; Thielen R., 2007: Handbuch Erfolgskontrolle Auen von nationaler Bedeutung. Berne and Yverdon-les-bains (to be published). Rieder, S.; Landis, F.; Mauch, C.; Hirsig, P., 2007: Erfolgskontrolle Auen: Eine externe Evaluation ausgewählter Elemente des Auenschutzes in der Schweiz. Lucerne (to be published).
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Improving the efficiency of large-scale wildlife monitoring programmes using predictive species distribution models – a case study on capercaillie in the Black Forest Braunisch Veronika Forest Research Institute of Baden-Württemberg, Dept. Landscape Ecology, Wildlife Ecology, Wonnhaldestr. 4, D-79100 Freiburg, Germany. [email protected] Keywords: wildlife monitoring, Capercaillie, Tetrao urogallus, species distribution model, presence-only model, Ecological Niche Factor Analysis (ENFA), landscape scale, spatial resolution, heterogeneous data Monitoring programmes assessing the spatial distribution of endangered wildlife species are essential for the planning and evaluation of conservation activities. However, as many species are cryptic and have extensive area requirements, systematic sampling strategies covering entire eco-regions are often neither practicable nor affordable. Therefore, monitoring programmes are frequently based on incidental observations made by gamekeepers, foresters and nature conser-vationists. Such programmes suffer from the following constraints: first, not all inhabited areas are recorded reliably and second, observation densities depend largely on chance and reflect the observers’ individual fieldwork intensities rather than the frequencies of species’ presence. Using capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) in the Black Forest (south western Germany), we evaluated the capacity of environ-mental envelope-based distribution models generated at landscape scale to predict observation densities at local scales (forest stand) and to localise areas of undetermined species occurrence. To evaluate the trade-off between the precision of species data and the spatial extent of the sample area, we compared models based on presence-data obtained employing different sampling strategies. These were random sampling throughout the whole study area (7000 km2) with (1) exact locations and (2) locations assigned to a 1x1 km Gauss-Krüger grid. In addition, (3) systematic transect countings were conducted across a small subregion (23,8 km2). Models were generated using an Ecological Niche Factor Analysis (Hirzel et al. 2002) and evaluated with cross validation and independent data representing “unknown” occurrences. All three models revealed the same predictive power within their range of calibration. The two models (1) and (2) built on random data performed equally well predicting observation densities at the forest stand scale. They also provided similarly good results detecting unknown occurrences and predicting the spatial extent of these patches. Both performed better than the model (3) based on systematically collected data from a small region. The results support earlier studies (e.g. Engler et al. 2004, Guisan et al. 2005), finding that predictive distribution models can enhance the informational value of random monitoring programmes and increase the effectiveness of sampling strategies. In contrast to vegetation studies, a high spatial precision of presence-data did not provide more information than a resolution corresponding to the species’ homerange size. When a trade-off between precision and spatial extent is necessary in large-scale wildlife monitoring, less precise data collected over a large representative region seem preferable to systematically sampled data obtained from a small region.
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Monitoring the success or failure of conservation programmes in Europe topic to which your paper is related Bunce R.G.H. Alterra, PO Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands [email protected] There are many different levels of designation from complete protection in small nature reserves, to minimal measures in large sites such as the landscapes covering several hundred square kilometres in some Natura 2000 areas in Spain. A comprehensive network to assess the effectiveness of these various measures would involve not only a large number of sites but also a detailed understanding of the policies involved both at national and international levels. In practice there are not even scientifically based monitoring schemes in place for even the most highly protected sites in most European countries, let alone common protocols across the continent. This paper will describe the necessary principles that are involved in setting up monitoring schemes and some of the problems that need to be considered if an assessment of the effectiveness of protection measures is to be carried out.
Monitoring, i.e. repeated measurements, needs stricter rules than an individual surveys, otherwise differences between observers in taxa identification, recording protocols and location of samples will result in real changes being masked by background noise. Across Europe, with the exception of some individual groups such as birds and butterflies, there are few projects that transcend national boundaries in the reliable recording of change at the landscape level, whether of landscape elements, habitats, vegetation or assemblages of other taxa, such as fungi or insects.
Whilst reliable data do exist, the availability of the necessary financial support for coordinating and processing a unified data set currently falls between various sources of funding. The number of samples to adequately cover the existing range of designations would also be very large. A further problem is that many of the people involved in monitoring at local levels have limited experience of the standards and statistical procedures that are required for linking national and international datasets. Some of the best examples of assessing conservation initiatives are provided by national projects on the effectiveness of agri-environmental schemes e.g. in Austria, Switzerland and the UK. However whilst various publications have described the results integration of data has not taken place. Some examples are given of such national schemes.
There is widespread recognition of the necessity of producing consistent baseline figures across Europe against which to assess the effectiveness of conservation measures, but also to determine conservation status, as is required by the Habitats Directive. Currently however no such initiative exists but it would undoubtedly provide a major stimulus to conservation in Europe, although countries will need to recognize that common standards are required for progress to be made. Examples of successful collaboration in habitat recording and vegetation will be given to illustrate what is required and the problems involved.
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First phase in monitoring plant diversity in Natura2000 network (Siena Province, Central Italy): comparing species diversity indicators across large spatial scale Chiarucci Alessandro, Bacaro Giovanni and Rocchini Duccio Department of Environmental Science “G. Sarfatti”, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, I-53100 Siena [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Keywords: biodiversity, conservation, monitoring prospective, Natura2000 network, sampling design, sites of community importance, species richness Emphasize causes of variations in species richness and composition along tem-poral and spatial sequences should characterize the core of any monitoring pro-grams (Yoccoz et al. 2001).
Achieving the 2010 target and assessing effectiveness in the conservation role provided by the Natura2000 network require efforts in terms of application of re-peatable sampling strategies and selection of ecologically adequate measurements.
Being the bulk of the primary producer and considered as focal taxon for the selection of nature reserves, vascular plants are regarded as the most important element in structuring and functioning of terrestrial ecosystems as well as primary targets in monitoring the effectiveness of conservation activities (Chiarucci et al. 2005). While species richness and complementarity are widely used indicators in the framework of plant diversity assessment and monitoring (Magurran 1988, Colwell and Coddington 1994), availability of standardized floristic data on large spatial scale are still missing. For this reason there is a need of developing sample based approaches for a correct statistical inference on the statistical “population” of plant species within the network of protected areas.
Here, we discuss results based on floristic data collected for a set of Sites of Community Importance (SCIs) in Siena Province (Central Italy) using a hierarchical nested sampling design. Our main aims are: i) evaluating the performance of differ-ent indicators of plant species diversity in relation to their applicability, precision and reproducibility; ii) testing different sampling strategy for maximizing the efficiency for a given sampling effort; iii) partitioning elements of plant species diversity (i.e alpha, beta and gamma diversity) for different considered spatial scale within the regional network of SCIs, iv) highlighting principal ecological gradients acting in shaping pattern of species richness on a large scale. References: Chiarucci, A.; D’Auria, F.; De Dominicis, V.; Laganà, A.; Perini, C.; Salerni, E., 2005: Using vascular plants as a surrogate taxon to maximize fungal species richness in reserve design. Conserv. Biol. 19: 1644–1652. Colwell, R.K.; Coddington, J.A., 1994: Estimating terrestrial biodiversity through extra-polation. Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond., Series B 345: 101–118. Magurran, A.E., 1988: Ecological diversity and its measurement. London, Chapman and Hall. Yoccoz, N.G.; Nichols, J.D.; Boulinier, T., 2001: Monitoring of biological diversity in space and time. Trends Ecol. Evol. 16: 446–453.
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How monitoring of nature conservation policy drives dynamic reserve selection of the dry grassland reserve network of Switzerland Dalang Thomas and Bolliger Janine Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Land Use Dynamics, Zürcherstrasse 111, CH-8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland [email protected], [email protected] Keywords: mesobromion, connectivity, area of preference, species conservation, habitat conservation, conservation policy, decision making, strategic controlling, set covering problem, fuzzification The dry grassland (DG) inventory of Switzerland consists of 3143 sites with a total area of 237 km2 [2, 3]. A preliminary evaluation of the inventory by the federal administration suggests that species-specific conservation aspects and the landscape matrix between the DG patches are currently not represented adequately.
On a political level we discuss how the framework of dynamic reserve selection could be embedded in a strategic controlling system to ameliorate reserve selection. On a planning level, we propose a solution to optimise the existing reserve network with respect to individual species and landscape-scale conservation.
In the draft of the ordinance to the DG inventory, areas of preference (Vorranggebiete) [1: Art.5] have been proposed as a promising new implementation tools. Areas of preference allow to flexibly adapt a reserve selection network to satisfy political and ecological goals. We used the connectivity measure developed for DG evaluation to link the DG data with a coarsely grained floristic database [4] to identify appropriate DG clusters. Subsequently, we applied a set covering framework to find optimal floristic mapping units, and a fuzzification operator to extend the little concise results delivered by the set covering algorithm so that they may be used by decision makers. References: [1] Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications 2007: Verordnung über den Schutz der Trockenwiesen und -weiden von nationaler Bedeutung. Draft. Berne. [2] Eggenberg, S.; Dalang, T.; Dipner, M.; Mayer, C. 2001: Cartography and evaluation of dry grasslands sites of national importance. Technical report. Berne, Swiss Agency for the Environment, Forests and Landscape. [3] Federal Office for the Environment 2007: Trockenwiesen und -weiden. http://www.bafu.admin.ch/tww. [4] Welten, M.; Sutter, R. 1982–1994: Verbreitungsatlas der Farn- und Blütenpflanzen der Schweiz. Basel, Birkhäuser.
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Using a multispecies approach to monitor ecological managment in Flanders’ nature reserves De Cock Raphaël, De Blust Geert, Maes Dirk and Hoffmann Mauric Research Institute for Nature and Forest, Kliniekstraat 25, B-1070 Brussels, Belgium [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Keywords: monitoring strategy, multispecies approach, biodiversity and biotic indicators, biotope conservation and recovery, species conservation Up till now nature conservation in Flanders (Belgium) did not had an appropriate method to evaluate the effects of the ecological management in its nature reserves. In order to fill that gap, we developed a methodology that allows standardized and consistent monitoring of nature management measures and their effects on biodiversity. The methodology and sampling scheme can be used by the local managers as well as by the administration of nature conservation to evaluate the quality and species composition of defined “nature types” in relation to the different management strategies. Such an instrument is indispensable to decide on the most effective management measures to be applied.
In the past, species were almost never used as a measure to assess the quality achieved by conservation action. From a biological point of view however, this seems to be the most appropriate. Maes and Van Dyck (2005) developed a so called multi-species approach that turned out to be the best choice for a feasible, time and budget saving technique to evaluate the state of a particular nature type in terms of “distance-to-target”. A multi-species approach starts from a relevant and workable set of species selected from different taxonomic and functional groups with well known ecological requirements regarding environmental, structural and spatial properties of their habitats. The combination of the ecological information represented by the subset of species belonging to the multi-species set that is found in a particular place, allows a more complete assessment of the state of the habitat and nature type present than by making use of only a single species.
In 2006, a first sampling round of 76 sites with a uniform management, rep-resenting 9 different nature types, distributed over 12 nature reserves was conducted. Faunistic data were collected by bow-nets for amphibians, purpose-built searches and along routes for invertebrates and at counting points for birds . Presence of vascular plants was surveyed per parcel and detailed abundance data were obtained in a series of permanent plots. In addition, vegetation structure of each site was mapped in detail.
In this lecture, we will briefly explain the monitoring methodology and present the first results obtained regarding the evaluation of the condition of a selection of nature types and the management techniques applied. References: Maes, D.; Van Dyck, H., 2005: Habitat quality and biodiversity indicator performances of a threatened butterfly versus a multispecies group for wet heathlands in Belgium. Biol. Conserv. 123: 177–187.
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Monitoring the naturalness in the Bavarian Forest National Park Fischer Hagen S., Winter Susanne and Fischer Anton Geobotany, Department of Ecology, TU Munich, Am Hochanger12, D 85354 Freising Keywords: naturalness, Bavarian Forest National Park, forest inventory, NATURA 2000, potential natural vegetation Natural primeval forests no longer exist in Central Europe. Never the less national parks aim to re-establish near-natural conditions of forests within their territory. But giving space to natural development is not the only task of national parks. The demands of tourism and scientific research have to be gratified as well as the need of the surrounding rural community. The question rises: How good do the activities of the national park administration meet the requirements of nature protection under the constraint of the other competing interests?
An Interreg IIIa project carried out in the Bavarian Forest National Park in Germany and the adjacent Sumava National Park in the Czech Republic aimed to answer that question. Based on the data of the standard national forest inventories, a mapping of NATURA 2000 habitats and a map of the potential natural vegetation a method was developed to assess the naturalness of the parks. As the data of the forest inventories are available for points of time in the past the assessment can be done retrospective the development of naturalness can be demonstrated.
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Effect of nature conservation strategies in the south coast of the Pacific Ocean, Mexico: policy about forest use and deforestation versus planed economic development Galicia Leopoldo1, Corona Rogelio1, Hersperger Anna M.2, Bürgi Matthias2 and Palacio Jose L.1 1 Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México UNAM, Instituto de Geografía, Ave.
Universidad No. 3000, Col. Copilco, CP. 04510, México, DF [email protected]
2 Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, CH-8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland. [email protected], [email protected]
Keywords: tropical dry forest, Mexico, tourist spot, deforestation and conservation policies The World Conservation Union have declared to the Tropical Dry Forest as a priority ecosystem for conservation. Just 0.009% in the world is under any status of protection. In this study we have focused in the development of the tourist spot to understand the effect that it has on deforestation and land use change trends as a key to evaluate new ideas of Nature Conservation. Our study took place in the municipality of San Pedro Pochutla (SPP) and Santa Maria Huatulco (SMH) located in the South Coast of Oaxaca, Mexico. The total area of both is 930.57 Km2 where 80% of all the land cover belongs to the TDF. The Federal Government in the early 80’s came out with the development of a tourist spot in SMH. The reason was to increase the capture of incomes and the generation of new jobs in these regions with very high marginality and undevelopment. Remote sensing imagery was used to evaluated over 3 time steps in order to develop the land use dynamics spatially explicit and the vegetation rates of change. Field interviews were used to understand the reasons of the spatial dynamic of the region. The results show that are 3 main regions within these 2 municipalities. One takes place in SMH within 21,163 ha that were expropriated by the government, of this 11,890 ha are titled as National Park where strong regulation takes place inducing no deforestation at all with the abandonment of the land uses settled prior the expropriation. In the north part of this municipality regulations have applied less rigorously. However, deforestation rates have been reduced over the time as a result of the migration from rural areas to urban ones changing the economy from primary sector to the tertiary sector. Finally, SPP sees a reduction in the high deforestation rates, however there are still higher than SMH. To remark, we have shown that even that deforestation and conservation Policies are in effect all over the region, the way in which they have been effective differs. The reasons are wide but most of them have a close relationship with the economic development. As long as local people see nature conservation as a way to increase their incomes they will protect the forest.
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Conservation of fen arthropods with fallow strips damages rare plant species – solution: fen rotational fallows Gigon Andreas and Rocker Sabine Institute of Integrative Biology ETH Z, Universitätsstrasse 16, CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland [email protected], [email protected] Keywords: arthropods, fallows, fens, fen plants, fen rotational fallows, litter meadows, Molinietum, nature conservation, old grass strips The large scale simultaneous mowing of fens (litter meadows, Molinietum), practiced in the last ~20 years in northern Switzerland for economic reasons, enables the typical plant community to be conserved. However, this management can impair many fen arthropods as they are injured, killed and removed with the litter, become exposed to predators and unfavourable weather, lose their nutritional basis, and have less refuges for hibernation. To prevent these consequences, the farmers have been encouraged to leave uncut (fallow) strips in the fens for some years past. However, if these strips are left for >1 year they have a negative effect on many typical fen plant species because of shade from the accumulated litter, enhanced competition from tall forbs, and shrub encroachment.
Some of these problems can be solved by fen rotational fallows (FeRoFa): a management system in which a fallow strip (unmown strip, old grass strip) of a minimum of 250 m2 and ≥5 m width is moved sideways each year, returning after 3 to 5 years to its original position (rotation). The remaining fen is mown annually.
Investigations in 10 fen rotational fallows in northern Switzerland over the last 4 years provided the following results. In 3-year-rotational fallows more Heteroptera and phytophagous Coleoptera individuals, as well as cocoons of Araneae and Red List spider species were found to hibernate than in the annually mown control plots. Several Heteroptera and Auchenorrhyncha species were found to “profit” from the fallows. Most of the typical fen plant species were not impaired by the FeRoFa. Iris sibirica and Hydrocotyle vulgaris were even enhanced. However, the orchids Dactylorhiza incarnata and Orchis morio showed a 90% decline in flowering in the 1 year fallow and in the following mowing years. Therefore FeRoFas should not be set up in locations where orchids are plentiful. The results further indicate that locations containing many nutrient indicator plants, shrubs or invasive alien species should be avoided when setting up FeRoFas.
As expected, fen rotational fallows are not “positive“ for all groups of arthropods and plants, but can be useful for conserving many endangered species.
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State and changes in mire vegetation after 20 years of constitutional mire conservation in Switzerland Graf Ulrich, Ecker Klaus, Feldmeyer-Christe Elizabeth and Küchler Meinrad Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, CH-8903 Birmensdorf [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] All of the mires of national importance in Switzerland are conserved by the law. In a representative sample of 102 of them the vegetation is monitored in order to evaluate their conservation state.
After 5 years a loss of 2 km2 or 10% of the total surface of bog vegetation has been found. The vegetation of fens and reedbed lost 5 km2 or 6% of its total surface. Other wetland vegetation gained 5 km2 or 9% of its total surface.
The transformations of vegetation types are in favour of non-peat-forming systems.
Ecological trends were monitored by the means of indicator values. One can observe a general loss of water. This trend is related with a eutrophication of the soils and a decline of humus content, i.e. a decomposition of peat. An invasion of shrubs can be observed at many places. The function as a sink for carbon-dioxid is reduced.
In spite of their conservation state, most of the bogs and fens still suffer from ancient drains. Many of the places are not cut any more.
The observations made in the monitoring result in the following recommen-dations:
The land use of the mires has to be adapted to the conservation goals: the use as litter meadow has to be reinstalled, using well adapted light machines to cut. In the mountaineous areas the pasturing with cattle has to be reduced or heavy cattle has to be replaced by lighter varieties. Further actions for mire restoration are needed. The watertable has to be raised in allmost all fens and bogs wherever it is possible.
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20 years of mire conservation in the Alps – similarities and differences between Austria and Switzerland Grünig Andreas Agroscope Reckenholz-Tänikon (ART), CH-8046 Zürich [email protected] Keywords: mire, mire resource, mire habitat, mire conservation, mire management, land use, mire rehabilitation, mire legislation, Alps, Alpine environment Austria and Switzerland are both federated nations also known as the two Alpine republics because two thirds of each country does belong to the Alpine arc stretching from Nice to Vienna. Naturally, mires did not cover huge areas in the Alpine environment; however, according to geological and climatic conditions, mires were quite frequent and prominent features of alpine landscapes. During the last few centuries, due to increasing human activities (e.g. drainage, peat extraction, construction works, and intensification of agriculture) the mire resource in Austria and Switzerland became increasingly rare and, hence, the conservation and rehabilitation of mires a growing impetus for modern landscape management.
In both countries, nature conservation issues are the explicit duty of the Austrian federal states (Bundesländer) and the Swiss cantons, respectively. However, on 6 December 1987, the Rothenthurm Initiative, a compulsory referendum demanding the strict conservation of mires and mire landscapes of national importance was accepted by both 58% of the Swiss citizens and 23 of 26 cantons. In 1992, governments of the European Union adopted the Habitats Directive. It requires Special Areas of Conservation to be designated for the protection of threatened habitats, e. g. mires, across Europe. Meanwhile, the Habitats Directive is the basis of the European Natura 2000 network.
In 2005, Switzerland and Austria had a similar population of 7,500,000 and 8,000,000, respectively. However, there is a major difference between the two countries on size: Switzerland has an area of 41,300 km2 which is approximately half the size of Austria (83,900 km2). Therefore, population density in Switzerland is 183 people per km2 which is twice the Austrian population density (95 people per km2). Even though both countries are famous for their mountains, the present land use figures reflect somehow Switzerland’s steeper mountainous nature due to an altitudinal gradient constantly increasing from the (Austrian) Eastern Alps to the (Swiss and French) Western Alps. Concerning mire conservation issues, this paper aims at: 1. Addressing similarities and potential differences between Austria and Switzerland
in terms of present distribution and quality of the mire resource; 2. Identifying the respective driving forces making the differences between the two
countries in terms of: a) historical development and loss of the mire resource, b) land use changes in space and time, c) land ownership, d) implementation of the legislation on mire conservation, e) management and rehabilitation of mires;
3. Verifying if the statement “Greater population density means more pressure on land use issues” does still hold for mire habitats which are subject to strict mire conservation regulations.
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Predictive modelling of species distribution: how does it serve nature conservation Guisan Antoine Dept. Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne – Biophore, CH-1015 Lausanne [email protected] In recent years, predictive modelling of species distribution has dramatically increased. A large number of techniques and approaches now exist to derive potential distribution maps. Data to fit these models have also become increasingly available. Species data come either from designed inventories or from natural history collections. Access to climatic and other environmental maps was made possible for most regions of the world through online geographic information databases. Examples of the use of these models exist in both fundamental (e.g. biogeography, macroecology) and applied (conservation planning, impact studies) sciences. Applications to conservation issues in particular are numerous, ranging from assessing climate change impact on future patterns of biodiversity, designing model-based sampling for rare species or anticipating the spread of exotic species in non-native areas. Here, I review the progress in the field and discuss how these models could be used more systematically to serve conservation planning and help setting-up biomonitoring programs.
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A decision support system for the management of mires in the forest (DSS-WAMOS) Hasch Bernhard and Zeitz Jutta Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Landwirtschaftlich-Gärtnerische Fakultät, Fachgebiet für Bodenkunde und Standortlehre [email protected], [email protected] Inside the extensive woodland of Central Europe there are large quantities and a wide range of different mires, which mostly cover only small areas. These “forest mires” are frequently in quite good ecological condition and have a minor degree of utilization. But in many cases the hydrological regime of forest mires has been negatively impacted by drainage in the past. Climate change has an additional negative impact on the water balance. This implicates a loss of typical vegetation, an increasing afforestation of formerly uncovered mires, peat decomposition and increasing load of nutrients.
The wide range of mire types and characteristics necessitate a feasible instrument for conservation and management of forest mires. Therefore the experience of previous restoration projects and the present expert knowledge should be consolidated in a decision support system. With this system an instrument will be provided that offers established action strategies for individual mire types and levels of degradation. This tool should offer practitioners (offices for forestry, forest owners, nature conservation authorities et al.) an easy access to apply current knowledge of forest mire restoration.
Implemented measures in 53 forest mires with a total area of nearly 2.500 ha have been evaluated and the most important and frequently applied parameters for measurement determination have been identified. On this foundation in combination with literature studies and expert talks the basic structure (model component) of the DSS has been elaborated.
The model part of the DSS has a modular concept and is parted in two decision sections to derive main restoration objectives and measures: “Aims of development” and “Practical measures”. These sections contain several modules to handle differ-ent management aspects. In each module the user find a dichtotomic key, easy to handle and with a high transparency of the decision making process. By matrices those sectoral decisions will be bundled into an integrated management strategy.
The management strategy submits proposals for optimal rewetting methods, measures to increase water supply from catchment area and best methods to re-duce undesirable afforestation. Demands on habitat and species protection are considered as well as prevention of nutrient mobilisation.
Further on the basic structure and the decision trees of the DSS will be tested and worked out in detail. Finally the DSS will be posted on the Internet as a public management instrument.
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Assessing trends in biodiversity at different scales Hutton Jon UNEP-World Conservation Monitoring Centre, United Nations Environment Programme 219, Huntingdon Road, Cambridge CB3 0DL, United Kingdom [email protected] Keywords: biodiversity; indicators, monitoring, trends, species, ecosystems, 2010 Biodiversity Indicators Partnership, SEBI2010, CBD In 2002, the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) formally adopted a commitment “to achieve a significant reduction of the current rate of biodiversity loss at the global, regional, and national level as a contribution to poverty alleviation and to the benefit of all life on earth by 2010”, which was endorsed later that year at the World Summit on Sustainable Development, and has subsequently been incorporated as a new target within the Millennium Development Goals.
In order to determine whether this overtly ambitious target is being met it is necessary that trends in biodiversity are monitored over various different scales. The first is temporal – detecting changes in the status of biodiversity through time. The second is geographic – the 2010 target explicitly encompasses national through to global scales; and the third is scale of biodiversity organisation, from genetic, through population, species and ecosystem scales. There are challenges in assessing trends in each of these scales. Even for those taxa for which data are most available – vertebrates, and birds amongst them – there are few reliable time series data at a global scale, with significant geographic bias in data availability towards temperate parts of the world. At the scale of ecosystems there is no universally accepted classification system, and very few time-series data available at any scale.
Despite such challenges, tracking meaningful changes in biodiversity is feasible, making use of the best-available data and indicators. Such biodiversity indicators are communication tools that signal overall trends in aspects of biodiversity, and can therefore help assess the effectiveness of biodiversity management, and progress towards multiple targets and objectives.
At the global scale, the 2010 Biodiversity Indicators Partnership is coordinating the delivery of a wide range of such indicators in support of the 2010 target, and the Streamlining European 2010 Biodiversity Indicators (SEBI2010) initiative is doing likewise in Europe. At the national level an increasing number of initiatives by NGOs and governments are also collating data and developing indicators.
The story currently emerging from these indicators is changing very little as more data becomes available – global biodiversity loss continues in many cases at an increasing rate, and meeting the 2010 target would require unprecedented action to reduce the pressures on biodiversity – particularly on tropical ecosystems, although the pressures are global. Biodiversity loss will therefore not cease to be an issue in 2010. We must work to ensure that improved monitoring efforts are in place at all scales to track changes in biodiversity in 2011 and beyond.
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Effectiveness of the Swiss agri-environmental scheme across environmental and socio-economic gradients in the Alps Kampmann Dorothea and Herzog Felix Agroscope Reckenholz-Tänikon Research Station ART, Evaluation of ecological measures, Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046 Zürich, Switzerland [email protected], [email protected] Keywords: ecological compensation area, Mountain grasslands, part time farming, plant species richness Most evaluations of agri-environment schemes in Europe have focused on biodiver-sity improvement effects, i.e. additional species on contracted sites as compared to conventionally managed sites (Tscharntke et al. 2005). Their effectiveness varies widely throughout Europe for multiple reasons. We investigated the effectiveness of the agri-environmental scheme in the Swiss Alps across altitude as the predominant environmental gradient and also in relation to the economic importance of farming, which determines the local farming intensity practices (Schmitzberger et al. 2005). Conventionally managed grasslands and ECA grasslands were randomly selected in 18 municipalities across the Swiss Alps. With simple regression analysis the relation of the average species richness of both management types to altitude and to the percentage of fulltime farms was analyzed. Species richness of grassland increased with altitude regardless of management type. The difference in species numbers between the two management types was independent of altitude. The share of fulltime farms in a municipality only affected species richness of conven-tionally managed grasslands, the difference in species numbers however was highly correlated to this factor. Less favorable climatic conditions for farming with increas-ing altitude have lead to more species rich grassland, which however was not coupled with the effectiveness of the agri-environmental programme. This was highest in municipalities with a large percentage of full time farms. The difference in species numbers between the two management types was mainly caused by com-paratively species poor conventionally managed meadows. This is probably due to maximized yield production on meadows without ECA management restrictions in regions of primarily fulltime farming. We conclude that (1) ECA evaluation programs should pay respect not only to landscape settings but also to socio-economic gradi-ents in their sampling design to acquire a thorough understanding of their effective-ness; (2) further investigation must show, if a cutback of ECA compensation payments would actually cause a loss of biodiversity in regions of generally high species richness and thus low effectiveness of the agri-environmental programme. References: Schmitzberger, I.; Wrbka, T.; Steurer, B.; Aschenbrenner, G.; Peterseil, J.; Zechmeister, H.G., 2005: How farming styles influence biodiversity maintenance in Austrian agricultural landscapes. Agric. Ecosyst. Environ. 108: 274–290. Tscharnke, T.; Klein, A.M.; Kruess, A.; Steffan-Dwenter, I.; Thies, C.,2005: Landscape perpectves on agricultural intensification and biodiversity – ecosystem service management. Ecology Letters, 8: 857–874
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Importance of design and analysis in biodiversity monitoring Kéry Marc Swiss Ornithological Institute, 6204 Sempach [email protected] Keywords: abundance estimation; detection probability; spurious trends In recent years, there has been a steady increase of biodiversity monitoring programs to characterise the state of the living world on which we humans depend. Although there can be no single definition of biodiversity, often-measured quantities are species richness and the abundance or the extent of occurrence of particular species. All three may be restricted to subsets of species such as those from the Red List.
In contrast to abiotic characteristics of an ecosystem such as water pollution, these important biological characteristics of “ecosystem health” cannot be directly observed. The reason for this is that in all but exceptional cases, not all species will always be observed and not all individuals always detected. That is, the detection probability of individuals, species or occupied patches is less than one. Therefore, rigorous methods for monitoring biodiversity must take account of detection probability of the things counted.
Recent years have seen an explosion of methods developed in statistical science that provide rigorous estimators of abundance, occupancy and species richness that do correct for imperfect detectability. I will provide an overview of some of these that we have applied to the national Swiss breeding bird monitoring program MHB. I will argue that some control (i.e., explicit estimation) of the detection probability of the things counted in a monitoring program is an absolute requirement for its scientific defensibility.
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From nature protection to integrated institutional regimes for natural resources Knoepfel Peter Swiss Graduate School of Public Administration, CH-1022 Chavannes-Lausanne, Switzerland [email protected] If considering biomass and landscape as renewable natural resources we must be able to identify goods and services produced by these resources and owned or simply appropriated by specific user actors on the basis of identifiable use rights. Such rights are rooted in civil law (property rights) and/or in public policies attributing access and use rights either to resource owners (normally: land owners) or to non owners (e.g. external visitors, patentees, licence-holders). Consequent nature “protection” means institutional engineering aiming at building institutional regimes (IR) for natural and landscape resources which guarantee the maintenance of the reproduction capacity of the resources’ stocks.
This capacity becomes increasingly threatened by overexploitations of specific good and services. Integrated resource regimes aiming at pursuing actual sustainable development must therefore clearly regulate maximal harvests and exploitable quota for each of the – rivalling and not rivalling – goods and services actually used and stipulate adequate compulsory rules, which compel all (local, national and international) user actors to co-ordinate their exploitation activities in a limitative way. The presentation will show some examples for such IR-building strategies and discuss practical application problems.
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Is the global conservation status assessment of a threatened taxon a utopia? Case study on an aquatic plant genus Baldellia (L.) Parl. (Alismataceae) Kozlowski Gregor1, Rion Stéphanie1 and Python André2 1 University of Fribourg, Department of Biology, Ch. du Musée 10, CH-1700 Fribourg,
Switzerland. [email protected], [email protected] 2 University of Fribourg, Department of Geosciences, Ch. du Musée 4,
CH-1700 Fribourg, Switzerland. [email protected] Keywords: threatened species, aquatic macrophytes, Wallacean shortfall, Linnean shortfall, conservation planning, conservation priority, Red Lists, loss of biodiversity, Baldellia sp., Alismataceae During the last centuries the dimension of anthropogenic alteration of natural habi-tats and the extinction crisis attained levels never seen during human history (Brown and Lomolino 1998). In the very near future this tendency will not relent since the acquisition of natural resources for human needs will expose the environ-ment and all living organisms to even more drastic changes (Jenkins 2003; Foley et al. 2005). The signatory countries of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) agreed to significantly reduce the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010 (Brooks and Kennedy 2004). Although there are growing efforts in order to improve the methods of conservation status assessment (Butchart et al. 2006), such newly developed “barometers of biodiversity” can be applied only for an infinitely small fraction of the global biodiversity (Brooks and Kennedy 2004). Therefore, although well intended, CBD and similar political agreements are nothing more than a desire which con-fronts the scientists and conservationists with almost insoluble problems.
We used the genus Baldellia as a model for evaluating the hindrances and shortfalls in global assessment of a threatened taxon. Baldellia is a small genus of the exclusively aquatic plant family the Alismataceae. Eight groups of hindrances in evaluating the global conservation status of threatened taxon are identified: (1) the extreme heterogeneity of existing data; (2) the restricted availability of relevant data and its insufficient exchange; (3) the uncertainty in species number and taxonomic division of the given taxon (Linnean shortfall); (4) the fragmentary distribution knowledge (Wallacean shortfall); (5) the incomplete or incorrect red-listing across the whole distribution area; (6) the lack of homogeneous and exhaustive population trend data; (7) the lack of comprehensive information on observed and potential threats; and (8) the incomplete general biological knowledge on a given taxon (e.g. on its habitat requirements, dispersal, reproduction, genetic diversity, etc.). Whittaker et al. (2005) and Bini et al. (2006) demonstrated that the Linnean and Wallacean shortfalls lay the foundation of all other hindrances.
So long as this dramatic shortfall situation does not change, the adequate assessment of the global status for overwhelming majority of extant taxa will remain a utopia. The real change in future conservation efforts will be only possible, however, if governments incorporate the biodiversity conservation objectives within their substantially funded conservation programmes at a financial level comparable with the economic development programmes.
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Swiss Mire Monitoring: application of predictive habitat models for repeated sample refinement, extrapolation and change detection at a very fine scale Küchler Meinrad, Ecker Klaus, Graf Ulrich, Feldmeyer-Christe Elizabeth, Bedolla Angéline and Küchler Helen Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, CH-8903 Birmensdorf [email protected] Keywords: mire, monitoring, remote sensing, predictive models, attenuation bias, digital surface models, model based sampling, extrapolation, numerical model comparison, change detection Mires in Switzerland are protected by law. The Swiss Mire Monitoring Project has to establish whether the mires are maintained in quantity and quality. The findings have to be valid for all of Switzerland and its biogeographic regions and have to refer to various vegetation types within mires. As the resources of the project are limited, we had to find an efficient sampling design as well as efficient evaluation methods.
In this talk, I present how predictive habitat models based on remotely sensed data and field records serve (1) for repeated sample refinement of the field plots, (2) for extrapolating the change observed in revisited field plots to the whole mire inventory of Switzerland and (3) to track spatial shifts within mires. The remotely sensed data used for modelling comprise very high resolution spectral information as well as terrain and surface models at various scales, accounting for equilibrium conditions of the habitat as well as for disturbance and succession.
The sampling design of the project is twofold. First: a stratified random sample with 130 mire objects, taking into account the biogeografic regions on the national level; second: repeatedly refined samples of field plots within the investigated mires, taking into account the vegetation types modelled on the base of remotely sensed data and field records. The stratification is in favour of rare associations to assure valid results concerning such areas of interest.
As the sample is stratified in favour of rare vegetation types, the changes observed in revisited field plots cannot be simply extrapolated to the whole mire inventory. An updated predictive habitat model is used to estimate the real proportion of vegetation types within mires.
Absence of overall change does not mean absence of any change. To detect spatial shifts within single mires, detailed spatially explicit information is needed. Predictive regression models can provide such information by model comparison.
The performance of the models has been tested in selected mires with rich field data allowing sample splitting or cross validation. The results give evidence that the aim has been reached: the representation of the site conditions and of the associations by the predictive models meet the requirements, enabling spatially explicit statements and, after considering attenuation bias, comparisons between models from different times.
We conclude that remotely sensed data of very high resolution and predictive models are powerful requisites for monitoring vegetation changes at a local scale.
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Evaluating agri-environment schemes: biodiversity in Bavarian grasslands Kuhn Gisbert and Heinz Sabine Bavarian State Research Center for Agriculture, Institute for Agro-Ecology, Organic Farming and Soil Protection, Voettinger Str. 38, D-85354 Freising, Germany [email protected], [email protected] Keywords: grassland, biodiversity, species richness, agri-environment scheme, evaluation, survey, extensification, Bavaria Grasslands play an important role in terms of biodiversity, landscape and agriculture. In the last decades grasslands have undergone an essential loss of biodiversity in many countries. Since 25 years the bavarian agri-environment scheme (AES) “Kulturlandschaftsprogramm” is funding management practices such as decreased input of fertilizer or late first cut with the aim to conserve cultural landscapes and to enhance biodiversity.
In 2002 the Bavarian State Research Center for Agriculture started a grassland vegetation survey which is intended as a monitoring programm. It focusses on agricultural grassland habitats of different levels of intensity. Up to now more than 4400 releves (25 m2) have been recorded. The project provides a detailed data set which can be used for different purposes. A major goal is the evaluation of the agri-environment scheme. Biodiversity and species combinations of conventionally managed swards and AES grasslands are investigated.
In all 4411 releves the species number averaged 19.9, ranging from 5 to 58 species per releve. Species richness was significantly correlated with the level of management intensity: 26.0 species per releve were found at estimated stocking rates <50dt/ha and only 14.7 species at high stocking rates (>90dt/ha). The highest level of species richness occurred below 300 m a.s.l and above 700 m a.s.l.. An analysis of a subsample of selected bavarian regions (837 releves) reveals a clearly higher species richness in AES grasslands than without AES. However, the stocking rates in AES meadows are well below non-AES grassland, which justifies the AES rates for the farmers.
Species richness in swiss grasslands is notedly higher than in Bavaria and England (Koordinationsstelle Biodiversiätsmonitoring Schweiz 2006, Tallowin et al. 2005). However, Bavaria seems to be more comparable to Switzerland than to England regarding environmental conditions. This would imply that political, socio-economic and (agri-)cultural differences between these countries are crucial for grassland biodiversity. References: Koordinationsstelle Biodiversitätsmonitoring Schweiz 2006: Zustand der Biodiversität in der Schweiz. Umwelt-Zustand Nr. 0604. Bern, Bundesamt für Umwelt. Tallowin, J.R.B.; Smith, R.E.N.; Goodyear, J.; Vickery, J.A., 2005: Spatial and structural uniformity of lowland agricultural grassland in England: a context for low biodiversity. Grass and Forage Science 60: 225–236.
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Long term observation and success control: two different ways to look at the efficiency of nature conservation Luthardt Verena University of Applied Sciences Eberswalde, Department for landscape use and nature conservation, Fr.-Ebertstr. 28, D-16225 Eberswalde, Germany [email protected] There are different aims of monitoring analyzing the efficiency of nature con-servation. If you are working in the process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem – i.e. ecological restoration – you have to evaluate it with the means of success control. If you are working in the field of the science of ecosystem research – for restoration ecology – you have to choose long-term observation to look for long-term effects.
Long term observation and success control (= short/medium - term evaluation of the results of a specific measure) require mostly different methodological approaches.
In this paper I will present different programs for both observation methods using examples from rewetted natural mires. One is the long-term observation, which forms part of the overall monitoring of ecosystems of the biosphere reserves of the federal state of Brandenburg, Germany. It is aimed to assess natural fluctuations and medium to long-
term trends. The other is the methodology for the success-control of rewetting measures of mires in forests in Brandenburg. Both instruments – their aims, their needs and their significance are going to be discussed.
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How changing sampling size and grain can affect the results in monitoring plant community restoration Marignani Michela1, 2, Maccherini Simona2, 3 and Del Vico Eva1 1 Department of Plant Biology, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, Piazzale Aldo Moro,
5-00185 Rome, Italy [email protected]
2 Terradata srl Environmetrics c/o Department of Environmental Sciences “G. Sarfatti”, University of Siena, via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, Italy [email protected],
3 Department of Environmental Sciences “G. Sarfatti”, University of Siena, via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, Italy, [email protected]
Keywords: spatial scale, monitoring efficiency, grasslands, GIS, PERMANOVA Remote sensing cartography and GIS are part of ordinary practice in restoration ecology in discriminating patches of habitats, defining objectives and planning the monitoring phase, but derived information is not always consistent with field survey. We assessed the mapping process efficiency in discriminating different com-munities, relying on plant composition data and considering the effect of sample size and plot dimension (grain), in a heterogeneous environment in Tuscany (central Italy). We identified four land cover classes on a land cover map produced with object-oriented technique; hence we conducted a sampling of 64 plots (4 zones x 4 classes x 4 plots), estimating vascular plant cover using a point-quadrant method. Plots were nested squares with side lengths of 0.50 m, 1 m and, limited to a subsample, 2 m. We evaluated the effect of sample size and grain using permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA, Anderson 200), testing the simultaneous response of species composition compared to land cover classes.
Results demonstrated that for a sample size of 64 plots, grain does not influence the ability of discriminating among the habitat types investigated, while for a smaller sub-sample the effect of grain is significant and communities can not be distinguished at all plot dimensions. Outcomes corroborate the hypothesis that sampling at a series of scales of observations and an adequate sample size can improve monitoring efficiency in restoration ecology. References: Anderson, M.J., 2005: PERMANOVA: a FORTRAN computer program for permutational multivariate analysis of variance. New Zealand, University of Auckland, Department of Statistics.
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How do we know if we are conserving nature? Monitoring the effectiveness of conservation policy as a contribution to international conservation McNeely Jeffrey A. IUCN-The World Conservation Union, 1196 Gland, Switzerland [email protected] Keywords: adaptive management, biodiversity, conservation, monitoring, nature, performance indicators It is often said that conservation is as much an art as a science, and many “conservation artists” are trying various approaches that intend to achieve conservation. An essential element in this process is to be very specific about the objectives that are expected to be achieved: what will the “conservation art” look like? Clear objectives can be extremely helpful in making decisions about the kinds of activities that are required to achieve the desired “work of art”, and this in turn facilitates monitoring of success toward achieving those artistic objectives. Examples of both appropriate and inappropriate objectives will be provided, with implications of these on the actual achievement of conservation on the ground. It also should be recognized that even the best-designed conservation activities can lead to unintended side effects, and examples of these will also be provided. The point of providing such examples is to underline the importance of monitoring levels of achievement, for example by establishing milestones against which ac-complishment can be measured. Monitoring enables appropriate feedback, which in turn can be incorporated in improving approaches to conservation – in other words, enhancing the state of the art. This process has been called “adaptive man-agement” and has been an accepted approach for several decades; but it is still insufficiently applied and greater efforts toward actually using adaptive management would seem appropriate. Monitoring the components of biodiversity (as called for in Article 7 of the Convention on Biological Diversity) can also help to assess success in conservation implementation. Most biodiversity conservation projects to date have monitored effort (number of workshops, number of staff hired, and so forth) rather than actual impact on biodiversity (as measured, for example, by the populations of target species). It is often felt that the performance indicators are the only ones that can be measured in the short time frame of most conservation projects, and that the actual impact on biodiversity will take longer to determine. But this argument, while certainly valid in some cases, is too often used as an excuse to avoid making the baseline measurements that would be required to assess change over time in the measures of biodiversity parameters. Suggestions will be provided on how to build monitoring into each conservation project. Finally, the presentation will advocate an open access approach, arguing that conservation information should be freely and widely available because this will lead to the most positive conservation outcomes.
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Are we successful in managing our nature reserves? A practical view Meyer Susanna and Tester Urs Pro Natura, Postfach, 4018 Basel [email protected], [email protected] Keywords: conservation, nature reserves, management plan, evaluation, protection measures, case studies, SMART objectives, Switzerland, Pro Natura Successful conservation work involves setting objectives. Pro Natura is managing almost 400 nature reserves in Switzerland and has almost a hundred years experience in-the-field conservation. One of the main aims is to work effectively and objective-orientated. Pro Natura uses the SMART-approach to formulate objectives for the management plans of her nature reserves. In these the evaluation is an important part. This data indicates if we are on the right path to achieve our goals. Having doubled the number of treefrog callers (Hyla arborea) gives an indication that the treefrog population increased, besides it gives as new motivation to continue our conservation efforts.
The area of the dry meadows of the Pro Natura nature reserve Latschgetweid, Himmelried SO, is controlled by comparing aerial views to the change of the edge of the woods, while transects showed that the species number of dry meadow butterflies species profit of our conservation efforts and numbers of rare grasshoppers species increased. In another nature reserve Foort, Eggenwil AG, a new anabranch was created with the objective to allow the Reuss to freely develop its bed. Measuring the desired natural dynamic is done by using indicators: the first beaver Castor fiber traces in the trunk of an old willow, tree frogs calling in the area or juvenile graylings Thymallus thymallus found in the side stream show that the nature profits.
Without an evaluation, orientation is in the best case just by sense or in the worst unoriented. As funds are often limited in nature conservation, Pro Natura tries to develop for each plan a successful, tailor-made and cost-effective evaluation set to our specific objectives.
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Between “poor data quality” and “too expensive”: monitoring capercaillie as an example of an elusive species Mollet Pierre1 Kéry Marc1 and Bollmann Kurt2 1 Swiss Ornithological Institute, CH-6204 Sempach, Switzerland
[email protected], [email protected] 2 Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, CH-8903 Birmensdorf
[email protected] Keywords: capercaillie, monitoring, mark-recapture models, cost efficiency, species action plan, priority species An essential part of the Swiss species action plan for capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) is to survey the effects of conservation measures by monitoring the population size and dynamics. Capercaillie population size is traditionally estimated by counting displaying males at the leks or by summer censuses along fixed routes. Due to methodological biases or rough and difficult terrain, these methods cannot be used to monitor capercaillie populations in Switzerland. A promising alternative is to estimate population size by mark-recapture models, where the identification of the individuals is based upon the analysis of DNA in droppings. Applied in a “robust sample design”, this method allows not only to estimate population size but also to assess parameters of population dynamics such as annual recruitment and survival rates. However, the funds needed to run such a programme on a national scale are high. Costs can be significantly reduced only by either not sampling the entire area and therefore losing spatial information, or by not sampling each year and thus losing the information on population dynamics that seems very important to optimize conservation measures in the future.
For an elusive umbrella species like the Capercaillie, we recommend a monitoring strategy that combines both, a survey of the changes in the distribution range on a national scale and a genetic survey of individuals of representative sub-populations at pre-selected sites. This monitoring design annually produces a spatial indicator of the national population trend, and simultaneously provides data on population dynamics that allows estimating demographic parameters. We think that such a programme can provide the relevant information of the effects of the species action plan for the political stake holders.
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Power comparison of alternative monitoring designs: one and five year sampling rotation intervals. Pearman Peter B. University of Lausanne, Departement of Ecology and Evolution, Quartier UNIL-Sorge, Bâtiment Biophore, CH-1015-Lausanne. [email protected] Keywords: sampling period, block design, power analysis, trend detection, butterflies The ability of a monitoring program to detect changes over time is a function of the statistical power that is obtained upon analysis of the data. The statistical power of a test equals one (1) minus the calculated probability of Type II error (i.e., being wrong upon concluding that the null hypothesis should not be rejected). While many designs in ecology focus on the level at which null hypotheses are rejected (α), in monitoring programs the power of the analysis is much more important. Here I conduct a comparison of sampling designs, one in which every site is sampled each year, the second in which one-fifth of the sites are sampled each year.
Statistical power in simple linear regression is influenced by several factors, including the amount of replication, magnitude of error variation after fitting the desired model, the magnitude of the minimum effect that one desires to detect, the threshold value for significance (α), and the degree to which predictor variables (such as sampling year, rainfall, yearly sampling effort) are correlated. Here, I examine power using data from two national monitoring programs for butterfly species richness, the British Butterfly Monitoring Program (BBMP) and Biodiversity Monitoring Program Switzerland (BDM). One way that these two programs differ is that sites in the BBMP are sampled yearly while sites in the BDM are sampled once every 5 years. I use regression analysis and resampling techniques to estimate high (BDM) and low (BBMP) limits for error standard deviation. Power calculations were then conducted using Russel Lenth’s web-based power calculator (see: www.cs.uiowa.edu/~rlenth/Power/)
Both designs provide power to detect a 10% change (3.5 species here) with 90% probability within 10 years, when error standard deviation was relatively low, 0.75. In contrast, when the error standard deviation was twice as large, it would take about 20 years of sampling to be able to detect a 10% change with a probability of 0.80. Higher error standard deviation resulted in neither design being able to detect a 10% change with a probability of 80% within 20 years of the initiation of sampling. This suggests that the error estimates used here produced results that spanned the range of plausable outcomes.
In both designs, statistical power begins to increase rapidly after a minimum of degrees of freedom are accumulated, which means beginning at 7 years for the 5 year rotation design. By 10 to 15 years total, the designs have very similar power. High power tests for trends should be possible with either design after 10 to 15 years. This study suggests that reduction of among-year variation (sampling effort, weather effects, worker ability) is essential. Even so, all sources of among-year variation should be quantified so that power can be maximized.
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Response of bats to chestnut orchard restoration in southern Switzerland Rathey Emilie1, Obrist Martin K.2, Bontadina Fabio3, Martinoli Adriano4, Christe Philippe5 and Moretti Marco6
1 Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, CH-6500 Bellinzona; Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne. [email protected]. 2 Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, CH-8903 Birmensdorf. [email protected] 3 Zoological Institute, University of Bern, CH-3012 Bern. [email protected]. 4 Dipartimento Ambiente-Salute-Sicurezza, Università degli Studi dell’Insubria, I-21100 Varese, Italy. [email protected]. 5 Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne. [email protected]. 6 Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, CH-6500 Bellinzona. [email protected] Keywords: species conservation, bioacustic, biodiversity, foraging activities, Castanea sativa, forest structure Twenty-five of the 36 European bat species may use tree cavities as roosts and they need well structured habitats as foraging area. As potential foraging and roosting habitats woodlands have undergone major changes during the last century by abandonment of traditional management practices and increase in intensively cultivated plantations. In Southern Europe traditionally managed chestnut (Castanea sativa) orchards are open old forests with large and very old trees and they form landscape elements of high cultural and ecological value. Created and maintained by man, they became increasingly abandoned and overgrown in the past century. However, since the early 1990’s about 200 ha of chestnut area has been restored in Switzerland. The aim of this contribution is to assess the effect of these restorations on bat species richness and foraging activity and to find practical recommendations to improve restoration and long term management. We compared by acoustic surveys bat species richness and foraging activities between traditionally managed and unmanaged chestnut orchards. The study took place in 32 pairs of managed and unmanaged chestnut orchards (64 sites in total) on the Southern slope of the Swiss Alps. We determined presence of foraging bats by digital ultrasound recordings during 32 nights with two recording sets with each 4 microphones running simultaneously in a pair of managed and unmanaged orchards in close proximity. Echolocation calls were offline identified automatically to bat species. Forest structure was characterized in two quadrates (20 m x 20 m) that coincide with the places where microphones were installed. During recording of bat activities, food availability (aerial insects) was assessed using an omni-directional light trap. We found twice the number of bat species (12 species) and four times higher foraging activities (530 ultrasound sequences) in the managed chestnut orchards compared to the unmanaged ones (6 species, and 132 sequences). Within the managed habitat, bats visited the most open and undergrowth free orchards. The stand structure in the managed orchards was significantly different from that in unmanaged ones the latter being denser and closer than the former. Management, however, did not affect food availability (i.e. aerial insect number and biomass). Our study clearly demonstrated that the abandonment of chestnut orchards leads to a decline in bat species richness and foraging activities. Restoring and maintaining chestnut orchards open appears thus crucial to conserve endangered bat species. Forest managers should therefore aim undergrowth-free, open stands with maximal 80–100 trees per hectare when restoring chestnut orchards.
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Spectral variation hypothesis: using satellite imagery to predict plant species hotspots in Switzerland Rocchini Duccio1, Wohlgemuth Thomas2 and Chiarucci Alessandro1 1 Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali “G. Sarfatti”, Università di Siena, via P.A. Mattioli 4,
53100, Siena, Italy; TerraData environmetrics, Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali “G. Sarfatti”, Università di Siena, via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100, Siena, Italy. [email protected]
2 Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, CH-8903 Birmendorf, Switzerland. [email protected]
Keywords: α-diversity, β-diversity, biodiversity conservation, distance decay, plant community, spectral variation hypothesis, spectral distance Remotely sensed imagery has long been recognised as a fundamental input data for biodiversity estimate and conservation (Kerr and Ostrovsky 2003). In particular, reflec-tance variability over an area should result in a positive outcome when dealing with the evaluation of biodiversity that is strictly related to ecosystem entropy. Hence, hetero-geneous environments may be detected by external information suspected to be corre-lated with species richness. Concerning the use of remotely sensed information to locate species rich sites (i.e. species per area), species richness has been predicted by means of spectral heterogeneity of images. This approach is summarised by the Spectral Variation Hypothesis (SVH), which states that spectral heterogeneity is related to spatial (ecosystem) heterogeneity and thus to species richness (Palmer et al. 2002; Rocchini et al. 2004). Besides α-diversity, β-diversity represents a key factor of ecosystem species diversity, since it refers to spatial gradients that functionally reflect spatial variation in species composition (Koellner et al. 2004). In this view distance decay rate between pairs of sites has been advocated as a straightforward measure of β-diversity (Nekola and White 1999), and putting emphasis on the correspondence between distance decays of species similarity and spectral similarity. In particular spectral distance has been demonstrated to be a powerful decay measure with respect to spatial distance per se, since it is directly related to ecosystem properties rather than to stochastic auto-correlation (Rocchini 2007). We tested the potential use of spectral distance analysis for characterizing α and β-diversity on 500 systematically arranged sample plots of 1 km2 each with data on plant species (Swiss Biodiversity Monitoring Programme BDM-CH) and compared the outcomes with previous studies based on other types of ancillary information for inferring plant biodiversity. References: Kerr, J.T.; Ostrovsky, M., 2003: From space to species: ecological applications for remote sensing. Trends Ecol. Evol. 18: 299–305. Koellner, T.; Hersperger, A.M.; Wohlgemuth, T., 2004: Rarefaction method for assessing plant species diversity on a regional scale. Ecography 27: 532–544. Nekola, J.C.; White, P.S., 1999: The distance decay of similarity in biogeography and ecology. J. Biogeogr. 26: 867–878. Palmer, M.W.; Earls, P.; Hoagland, B.W.; White, P.S.; Wohlgemuth, T., 2002: Quantitative tools for perfecting species lists. Environmetrics 13: 121–137. Rocchini, D., 2007: Distance decay in spectral space in analysing ecosystem β-diversity. International Journal of Remote Sensing, in press. Rocchini, D.; Chiarucci, A.; Loiselle, S.A.,2004: Testing the spectral variation hypothesis by using satellite multispectral images. Acta Oecol. 26: 117–120.
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Does extensive grazing support conservation targets? Rosenthal Gert1, Schrautzer Joachim2 and Eichberg Carsten3 1 Institute for Landscape Planning and Ecology, University of Stuttgart, Keplerstr. 11,
D-70174 Stuttgart, Germany [email protected]
2 Department of Geobotany, Ecology Centre, Kiel University, Olshausenstr. 75, D-24118 Kiel, Germany [email protected]
3 Institute of Botany, Vegetation Ecology, Darmstadt University of Technology, Schnittspahnstr. 4, D-64287 Darmstadt, Germany [email protected]
Keywords: large domestic herbivores, disturbance, gap dynamics, seed dispersal, micro-site creation, herbivore selectivity, succession, management, conservation Extensive grazing by domestic herbivores has recently been re-considered as an alternative management concept to common conservation measures (e.g., mowing) for the maintenance and recovery of a high biodiversity in cultural landscapes. In order to evaluate this concept we reviewed research projects which were carried out in Central European countries since the late 1990th. The investigated projects cover river valleys, heathlands, dry grasslands, highlands and pasture landscapes in the pre-alpine zone comprising both sites managed by plant community-based grazing and grazing of vegetation mosaics.
The results show that extensive grazing by large herbivores (mostly positively) affects ecological processes crucial for a high biodiversity such as breaking the dominance of highly competitive plants, reducing bush encroachment, creation of a wide range of micro-sites (e.g., different-sized gaps, hummock-hollow complexes and faeces deposits), germination and establishment of target species, diversifi-cation of vegetation structure and seed dispersal. However, in pastures that comprise vegetation mosaics there arises the problem that not every vegetation type is affected by grazing in the desired intensity. Consequently, range man-agement carefully has to adapt the grazing regime to the current development of vegetation, for instance, by the choice of herbivore species (including mixed grazing), the variation of grazing intensity, period and rotation and by adapting the relative proportions of productive and less productive fodder resources within a pasture. Therefore, an optimised grazing management requires a qualified eco-logical monitoring.
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Effectiveness of mexican natural protected areas to prevent land use / land cover change Sanchez-Cordero V. and Figueora F. Departamento de Zoología, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apartado Postal 70-153, C. P. 04510, México, D. F, Mexico [email protected], [email protected] Keywords: effectiveness evaluation, deforestation, land cover change, parks, biodiversity conservation, ecological integrity Mexico holds an extraordinarily high biodiversity (Mittermeier et al. 1998) and Natural Protected Areas (NPAs) remain as a cornerstone for conservation strategies; therefore, it becomes relevant to critically evaluate their effectiveness (Margules and Pressey 2000). This study evaluates the extent that NPAs in Mexico have been effective for preventing land use / land cover change (LUCC), and consequently other degradation processes, as loss of biodiversity, land degradation, climate change, and the loss of ecosystem services (Vitousek et al. 1997).
We developed an effectiveness index including LUCC rates inside NPAs, the magnitude of change and amount of transformed area, and a comparison of LUCC rates between the NPA and a surrounding area of equal size, and between the NPA and the state(s) in which it is located. We chose 69 federal decreed NPAs that were (1) larger than 1000 ha, (2) neither urban nor reforested with non-native vegetation, (3) not islands or coastal strips, and (4) decreed before 1997. We used land use / land cover maps from 1993 and 2002 for estimating land use / land cover change as the annual rate of change in human-induced transformed areas (agriculture, human settlements, induced and cultivated grasslands and forestry plantations).
Over 50% percent of NPAs were strongly effective in preventing land use / land cover changes, and were heterogeneously distributed by official management categories: 59% (N = 17) of Biosphere Reserves, 47% (N = 19) of Flora and Fauna Protection Areas, and 45% (N = 29) of National Parks. 23% of NPAs were regarded as weakly effective, and the remaining 23% as non-effective. Overall, NPAs in Mexico have been an effective instrument for maintaining natural vegetation cover, although a high proportion is severely threatened, demanding urgent conservation actions. Our approach can be expanded for evaluating NPAs effectiveness in other regions and countries as land use/land cover maps are virtually available worldwide. References Margules, C.R.; Pressey, R.L., 2000: Systematic conservation planning. Nature 405: 243–253. Mittermeier, R.A.; Myers, N.; Thomsen, J.B.; da Fonseca, G.A.B.; Olivieri, S., 1998: Biodiversity hotspots and major tropical wilderness areas: approaches to setting conservation priorities. Conserv. Biol. 12: 516–520. Vitousek, P.M.; Mooney, H.A.; Lubchenco, J.; Melillo, J.M., 1997: Human domination of earth’s ecosystems. Science 277: 494–499.
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Scale-dependent change in dry meadow plant communities Schlup Barbara M.1, Bugmann Harald2, Edwards Peter J.3, Nobis Michael1, Wagner Helene H.4 1 Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, CH-8903 Birmensdorf
[email protected], [email protected] 2 Forest Ecology, Department of Environmental Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of
Technology Zurich (ETH), CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland [email protected]
3 Plant Ecology, Department of Environmental Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH), CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland [email protected]
4 Department of Biology, University of Toronto at Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada L5L 1C6, [email protected]
Keywords: vegetation dynamics, dry meadows, community ecology, landscape ecology Assessing vegetation change is important for the success for conservation of dry meadows, particularly in the context of climate change. The effect of such gradual environmental change is difficult to detect and to interpret, especially as it is unclear at which scale or organizational level such changes are most likely to occur. Most statistical sampling of vegetation is done over few time steps, often involving a single plot per site. In order to assess vegetation change at different spatial scales, allowing for heterogeneity within and among units, sampling needs to be representative for the site and collected over several, regular time steps.
We assessed vegetation change in dry meadow plant communities at different spatial scales (habitat type, site, plot) and levels of organization (richness, species groups, individual species). The analysis was based on species-abundance data from a dry meadow monitoring program of the Canton Aargau (Switzerland) from 9 dry meadows (sites). In each meadow, 5 to 6 permanent plots were revisited at least every second year from 1988 until 2006. The plots were selected so as to represent a maximum of variation within each site.
To distinguish between trend and noise and to assess the rate of change of the species composition at the levels of the sampling plot and the meadow, we combined a regression- based approach and a variance-analysis technique.
Preliminary results indicated that variability in terms of local stochastical proc-esses was found on a plot scale, whereas stability in terms of regional directional change was found on the level of sites. Regarding the level of organization, species with high habitat specificity for nutrient-poor calcareous grassland showed a de-creasing trend, whereas species atypical of Mesobromion increased.
Although on the level of habitat and for total species richness, dry meadows of the Canton Aargau seem to be stable, vegetation change was detected on a plot scale and at the level of species groups.
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Using data from species sightings by the public for analysing temporal variation in population density Snäll Tord, Nilsson Johan and Kindvall Oskar Swedish Species Information Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), P.O. 7002, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] The aim of this study is to investigate whether data from online bird-watcher sightings can be used for monitoring temporal variation between years in bird population density. Data on bird-watcher sightings are obtained from the Swedish Species Gateway1 (SSG henceforth), and the approach is to investigate whether these data explain the temporal variation in the national bird monitoring programme2 (MP henceforth).
Since 2000, the SSG has been open for reporting sightings of birds, and from 2003 vascular plants, terrestrial and limnic evertebrates and fungi. Data are mainly recorded by the public.
For birds, the data are judged by NGOs and the reporter has to edit potentially incorrect reports. Anyone can extract data at any time.
The report system for birds contains 8.7 million reports of which 98% are common Swedish species. The yearly rate of increase in the number of reports is 40%. Most of the increase in reports is sightings prior to 2000, and, hence, the amount of data on sightings prior to this year is increasing.
We fitted a Bayesian, hierarchical generalized linear model for explaining the number of observations of individuals of 86 bird species (passerines) collected in the yearly MP 2001–2006. In this preliminary analysis, we used data from the SSG on yearly number of recordings of birds that were registered as conducting breeding activities. We added these counts as an independent variable to the model and checked whether the associated parameter was different from 0. The species specific SSG counts were weighted by the total number of recordings of all species, while the species specific MP counts were weighted by the number of line transects.
There was a clear positive relation between the two sets of data. The mean (a hyperparameter) of the species specific parameters was significantly positive. For individual species, there was a large uncertainty – the credible intervals of species specific parameters were wide. However, for almost all species, there was tendency for a positive relation. We also classified species into groups and found a positive relation (hyperparameter mean>0) for non-migrating species, for not red-listed species, for species that have an apparent communication (easy to detect), and for species that we assume are always recorded at the SSG by bird-watchers. This suggests that SSG data can be used for analyzing temporal variation in population density. 1 http://www.artportalen.se 2 http://www.biol.lu.se/zooekologi/birdmonitoring/Eng/index.htm
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How effectively are we slowing the spread of harmful invasive species in conservation areas? Stohlgren Tom Fort Collins Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1499, United states [email protected] Keywords: exotic species, spatial and temporal trends, iterative sampling, predictive models Harmful non-native plants, animals, and pathogens continue to spread globally. Increased trade and transportation will likely contribute to the problem. In addition, we find that hot spots of native diversity are often hot spots of invasion. This was the case for non-native plants, birds, and fishes in the United States. Studies from Europe and South Africa substantiate this pattern. There is little sign of plant species saturation at regional scales, although the invasion of bird species may have slowed. In the Pacific Northwest of the United States, we used a long-term database to show that plant species invasions increased over time, and that the patterns of invasion were predictable decades into the future, based on environmental data. We showed the importance of new technologies, iterative surveys and monitoring, and web-based predictive models to help manage harmful invasive species in conservation areas. We used examples of volunteer weed mapping programs in U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Refuges using our Global Organism Detection and Monitoring system to map and model harmful invasive species. We showed how systematic monitoring (iterative sampling for invasive species) is the key to successful management. References: Stohlgren, T.J.; Barnett, D.; Flather, C.; Fuller, P.; Peterjohn, B.; Kartesz, J.; Master, L.L., 2006: Species richness and patterns of invasion in plants, birds, and fishes in the United States. Biol. Invasions 8: 427–457. Stohlgren, T.J.; Schnase, J., 2006: Biological Hazards: What we need to know about invasive species. Risk Assessment Journal 26: 163–173. Barnett, D.T.; Stohlgren, T.J.; Jarnevich, C.S.; Chong, G.W.; Ericson, J.A.; Davern, T.R.; Simonson, S.A., 2007: The art and science of weed mapping. Environ. Monit. Assess. DOI: 10.1007/s10661-006-9530-0
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Can quarries supplement rare xeric habitats in a Piedmont region? Comparison of spiders and ground beetles Tropek Robert1, Spitzer Lukas1 and Konvicka Martin2 1 Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czech
Republic. [email protected], [email protected] 2 Institute of Entomology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budějovice, Czech
Republic. [email protected] Keywords: anthropogenous sites, spiders, carabids, quarries, restoration, biodiversity conservation, primary succession There is growing evidence that post-industrial barrens such as quarries may provide for a substantial proportion of species diversity formerly associated with traditional rural landscapes (Prach and Pysek 2001; Benes et al. 2003). However, most of the evidences come from basic substrates and relatively warm areas, while minimum studies exist for cool regions and acidic substrates. We used pitfall trapping to study epigeic spiders and carabids colonizing three quarries and three adjoining seminatural xerothermous sites in a piedmont region of southwestern Czech Republic, using ordination analyses and comparisons of biological traits of species captured (Tropek and Konvicka, in review). Ordinations for both groups showed significant differences between quarried and non-quarried sites, among sites themselves and between geological substrates (limestone vs. granulite). Within quarries, walls hosted more distinct faunas than herbaceous and scrubby successional vegetation. Results for biological traits (Hurka 1996; Buchar and Ruzicka 2002) were relatively straight-forward for spiders. Quarries were inhabited by species requiring drier, sunnier and warmer conditions that, in average, inhabit fewer atlas cells in the Czech Republic. Thus, although seminatural sites hosted more species and individuals, quarries seemed to form refuges for some species requiring rare non-forested habitats. For carabids, however, no such clear patterns were disclosed. The two groups also differed in patterns of species richness and numbers of individuals. Seminatural sites always hosted more species and individuals of spiders, one quarry matched semi-natural sites in number of species of carabids and even exceeded them in number of individuals. Despite the differences among groups, spontaneous succession in quarries can form valuable habitats, although these new habitats cannot match the value of undisturbed seminatural sites. We do not advocate headless opening of quarries, but already existing sites have contribute to biotope diversity in pauperized cultural landscapes of piedmont regions. Technical reclamation for forestry or agriculture wastes this potential, and should be discouraged wherever possible. References: Benes, J.; Kepka, P.; Konvicka, M., 2003: Limestone quarries as refuges for European Xerophilous butterflies. Conserv. Biol. 17: 1058–1069. Buchar, J.; Ruzicka, V., 2002: Catalogue of spiders of the Czech Republic. Peres, Prague, Cz. Hurka, K., 1996: Carabidae of the Czech and Slovak Republics. Kabourek, Zlin, CZ. Prach, K.; Pysek, P., 2001: Using spontaneous succession for restoration of human-disturbed habitats: Experience from Central Europe. Ecol. Eng. 17: 55–62. Tropek, R.; Konvicka, M. (in review). Can quarries supplement rare xeric habitats in a piedmont region? Spiders of the Blansky les Mts. CZ.
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Participatory monitoring of biodiversity at the interface between community empowerment and scientific requirements: a case study from Panama Uebelhör Konrad1 and Sanchez Loyda2 1 Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) Gmbh,
Dag-Hammarskjöld-Weg 1–5, D-65760 Eschborn. [email protected] 2 Sociedad Audubon de Panamá, Calle 1a, Casa 2006-B, Llanosde Curundu, Panama
City. [email protected] Keywords: Bay of Panama, biodiversity, wetland conservation, participatory monitoring, community empowerment, scientific requirements, lessons learned One of the most important wetlands in Latin America is the Bay of Panama, a RAMSAR site, an Important Bird Area (IBA), and part of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network. This ecosystem is presently endangered by over-exploitation, urban expansion, contamination from urban and industrial areas as well as intensive agricultural uses. Participatory monitoring was identified as a poss-ible tool to a) raise environmental awareness in the local communities b) engage scientists from the nearby capital into a conservation-alliance and c) improve the base for development planning by the corresponding government authorities. The national NGO “Panama Audubon Society” and the German technical cooperation (GTZ) established a 3 year pilot project, which worked with four communities. The goal was to establish a simple system for collaborative bio-monitoring between villagers and scientists. Participatory appraisals and the incorporation of traditional resource-use-knowledge led to six agreed parameters: one species each of prawn, mussel, clam; selected bird species; and characteristics of water and mangrove forest cover. While the period is too short for evaluating data quality or establishing time series for the observed indicators, important insights were gained regarding the process of establishing a participatory monitoring system: Communities are very specific in their response, positive results cannot be assumed to be replicable even in neighbouring communities. The design of the monitoring system must be tailor-made to the conditions, capacities and needs of the involved people. Though en-thusiasm is often shown in an early phase, the retention of 20% of trained com-munity members in the monitoring activities must be considered a success. Neither communities nor scientists received monetary compensation for their work. Motiv-ating factors for the community members were: to do something interesting in their spare time and to receive training as well as some inputs for the monitoring. In-creased concern for their environment and responsibility for improved resource management was the most important result. Considering that most developing countries lack specific biodiversity data, sufficient funding and staff to work in re-mote areas, it was surprising to note that for many scientists it was difficult to accept compromises in data quantity and quality or to recognize community participants as more than only data provider. Therefore, the mere acceptance of the data sets collected by community members represents an achievement. Participatory moni-toring and funding thereof should be planned as a long-term process, allowing for changes and adaptations.
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A multiscale methodological approach novel in monitoring the effectiveness of grassland management Virágh Klára1, Horváth András1, Bartha Sándor1 and Somodi Imelda2
1 Institute of Ecology and Botany of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Alkotmány str. 2-4, H-2163 Vácrátót, Hungary [email protected]
2 Department of Plant Taxonomy and Ecology, Eötvös L. University, Pázmány P. s. 1/c, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary [email protected]
Keywords: coenostate-space, fine-scale structure, indication of degradation and regeneration, information theory, spatial scaling, structural complexity, wooded steppe meadow Increasing number of studies provide evidence that community responses to disturbance or invasion resistance depend not only on local species richness but much more on community structure, land use history and landscape context. It is also widely accepted that fine-scale spatial pattern significantly affects vegetation dynamics. Therefore, understanding and quantifying links between fine-scale spatial structure and dynamics of plant communities are essential for planning conservation measures and designing the monitoring of the impact.
In this paper we propose a method based on Juhász-Nagy’s information theory models which is able to detect complex fine-scale community pattern and its de-pendence on spatial scales. It also gives an opportunity to describe community structure with a few coenological descriptors and helps to reveal how fine-scale vegetation pattern affects dynamics. The information statistical functions used here (species combination diversity, FD and associatum, Ass) characterize the structural complexity and the degree of spatial organization. FD is a measure of spatial varia-bility, while Ass reflects multispecies spatial dependence. The maximum values of these functions over scales can be used to construct an abstract space, where spatiotemporal vegetation processes (degradation, regeneration) can be visualized.
We demonstrate the usefulness of the approach with an analysis of field data from 36 stands of Brachypodium pinnatum wooded steppe meadow from Hungary. The stands are located in 3 geographical regions and have diverse floristic compo-sition, management history background (intact vs. differently grazed stands) and landscape context (natural vs. degraded vegetation in the neighbourhoods). Pres-ence of plant species was recorded in 5 x 5 cm contiguous microquadrats arranged in 52 m long fixed transects.
Maximum values of microstructural variables (such as compositional diversity, spatial dependence) and the spatial scales where the maxima appeared proved to be useful in characterizing actual dynamic states of the investigated stands and temporal processes could have been followed in the abstract space delineated by the coenostate descriptors (FD, Ass) as dimensions. A narrow variability range of descriptors was characteristic for intact stands which served as a reference, but significant deviations appeared from this for degraded stands. Therefore, a shift of positions relative to the reference as a response to management will indicate how effective the conservation measure was.
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Modeling multi-temporal fractional shrub/tree cover changes in mire ecosystems using airborne remote sensing data Waser Lars T. and Küchler Meinrad Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Land Resource Assessment, Zürcherstr. 111, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland [email protected], [email protected] Keywords: bias, land cover change, fractional tree/shrub cover, environmental modeling, multi-image matching, LiDAR, CIR aerial images, multi-spectral classification, Swiss Mire Protection Program, tree species The objective of this paper is to assess increase and decrease of forest area and estimate shrub encroachment between 1997 and 2002 in open mire land using several airborne remote sensing data (Color infrared (CIR)-aerial images, ADS40 data, digital surface models derived from it and Laser data.) The present study was carried out in the framework of the Swiss Mire Protection Program, where changes of forest area are a key issue. The study areas are located in different represen-tative geographical regions of Switzerland. In a first step, high-quality surface models were automatically generated from CIR- aerial images of 1997 and 2002 which allows detecting both deciduous and coniferous trees and shrubs, and multi-temporal analysis of their growth pattern. On the basis of preliminary tree layers fractional tree/shrub covers were generated using explanatory variables derived from the digital surface models and logistic regression models. Finally, bias was estimated by analyzing the distribution of the fractional model differences. The corrected models reveal a decrease of tree/shrub probability. This indicates a decrease of forest and other wooded areas between 1997 and 2002. On the other side, the models also indicate real shrub encroachment and tree growth in open mire land. The study stresses the importance of high-resolution and high-quality airborne remote sensing data and highlights the potential of fractional covers for ecological modeling and conservation purposes.
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Managing protected areas – how do we know if we are doing it right? Williams James Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Monkstone House, City Road, Peterborough. PE1 1JY. United Kingdom. [email protected] Keywords: protected areas, species, habitats, geology, geomorphology, features, UK, targets, policy review, site management Legislation in the United Kingdom makes provision for a number of types of pro-tected areas. At a national level, Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) in Great Britain, and, Areas of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in Northern Ireland, can be designated for their biological or geological features. Internationally, the United Kingdom has established Special Protection Areas (SPAs) under the Birds Direc-tive, Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) under the Habitats Directive, and a network of sites under the Ramsar Convention. By March 2006, there were 6,577 SSSIs in England, Scotland and Wales, and a further 226 ASSIs in Northern Ireland, covering between them over 2.4 million hectares. A further million hectares of subtidal habitats are also protected by the European Directives. In many cases, the same area of land is protected by more than one designation: the basic building block is the SSSI or ASSI, which underpins the vast majority of the international site designations.
After several years of development, implementation of the Common Standards Monitoring programme commenced in 1999. The basis of the common standards for site monitoring is that those special features (e.g. habitat, species, or earth sci-ence feature) for which the site was designated are assessed to determine their condition. Sites may have one, two, or several interest features on them. It is esti-mated that across the UK, there are some 22–23,000 features designated. Key attributes of the feature (e.g. extent, quality, supporting processes) are identified and targets set for each. Each attribute is then measured and compared against the target value set. If all the targets are met, the feature is in favourable condition. Human activities and other factors which are likely to be affecting the site adversely, and the conservation measures taken to maintain or restore the site, are also re-corded.
Common standards monitoring informs site management by defining the state of the site that is required and identifying the need for any further conservation management action. If the condition of the feature is Favourable, or Unfavourable-recovering then no change in management may be needed. If the feature is Un-favourable-no-change, or Unfavourable-declining then changes to bring the site into at least Unfavourable-recovering condition should be sought. Aggregating the results at a country or UK level allows review of the impact and effectiveness of conservation and other policies. The results of the first six year cycle were pub-lished in June 2006. See http://www.jncc.gov.uk/page-2217 for more details.
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Posters 1 Effects of management at local and landscape scales on
carabid and spider assemblages of Hungarian farmlands Batáry Péter1, Báldi András2, Kovács Anikó1,3 and Erdős Sarolta1,4 1 Hungarian Natural History Museum, Ludovika tér 2, H-1088 Budapest, Hungary
[email protected], [email protected] 2 Animal Ecology Research Group of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and the
Hungarian Natural History Museum, Ludovika tér 2, H-1083 Budapest, Hungary [email protected]
3 Szent István University, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Institute for Zoology, Rottenbiller u. 50., H-1072 Budapest, Hungary
4 Szent István University, PhD School of Environmental Sciences, Páter K. u. 1, Gödöllő, H-2100, Hungary. [email protected]
Modern agriculture is one of the main anthropogenic threats to biodiversity. The decline of farmland species diversity due to management intensity was shown in several taxa.
In the frame of an EU project we made pitfall trapping for carabids and spiders on grasslands in three biogeographic regions of Hungarian Great Plain in 2003. In one of these regions we made additional trapping for the same taxa in 2005, but in winter cereal fields. Though the basic design of the two years is somewhat different, both aimed to study the effect of management on arthropod diversity at local and landscape scales. In the present study we analyse only the same region of the two years.
In 2003 we used a paired design, we had seven pairs of extensively (max. 0.5 cow/ha) and intensively (min. 1 cow/ha) grazed grasslands. Carabids were sampled using funnel traps for three 2-week sampling periods during spring and early summer. On each field, samples were taken with two traps, one at the edge and the other one 50 m away in the interior (altogether 84 traps).
In 2005 we used a gradient design, we chose five farmers and altogether seven land-use intensities. The farmers were asked to fill a questionnaire about the use of fertilisers and pesticides. In all intensities we chose 3-3 winter cereal fields. On each field, samples were taken with two traps, one at the edge and the other one 50 m away in the interior with two 2-week sampling periods (altogether 84 traps).
In 2003 we trapped 56 carabid species with 868 individuals and 43 spider species with 2458 individuals on the grasslands. In 2005 we trapped 75 carabid species with 1417 individuals and 87 spider species with 1446 individuals on the cereal fields with the same trapping effort. Linear mixed models showed that man-agement intensity (extensive vs. intensive grazing) had negative effect on carabid richness and abundance and no effect on spiders in grasslands. While landscape diversity (measured in a buffer of 500 m around each field) had positive effect on carabid and spider richness and on carabid abundance. In contrast to this land-scape diversity did not affect the carabids and spiders of cereal fields at all, only the management intensity (N kg/ha) had positive effect on carabid abundance.
Our results suggest that conservation of biodiversity in agricultural systems requires a landscape perspective besides investigating management effects.
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2 Study of edge effect on two sympatric Maculinea butterflies
Batáry Péter, Kőrösi Ádám, Örvössy Noémi, Kövér Szilvia and Peregovits László Hungarian Natural History Museum, Ludovika tér 2, H-1088 Budapest, Hungary [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Keywords: fragmentation, foodplant, habitat use, myrmecophily, niche segregation, Maculinea teleius, Maculinea nausithous An important consequence of habitat fragmentation is the increase of edge habitats. Environmental factors are different in the edges from those in the interiors, which cause change in the distribution of plant and animal species. This phenomenon is known as edge effect.
We aimed to study the effect of distance from edge and edge type effect (road edge vs. tree line edge) on two sympatric large blue species (Maculinea teleius and M. nausithous). Further we investigated the relationship between butterfly species’ and microenvironmental factors and foodplant density.
Both study species are endangered throughout Europe, and show declining population trends in the whole continent. Habitat loss and habitat degradation due to agriculture intensification and abandonment of traditional management threaten the species in Hungary as well. The species occupy wet meadows and lay their eggs in the flowerheads of their foodplant, Great Burnet (Sanguisorba officinalis). Both species are obligatory myrmecophiles and follow the predator strategy, after developing on the foodplant, caterpillars are adopted by given Myrmica host ants and then they live in their nests as social parasites preying on ant broods.
Ten meadows were chosen for sampling with four 50 m long transects in each. One transect pair was situated at the tree line edge and the other transect pair at the road edge. Butterflies were counted daily, microenvironmental factors were measured during each count. Foodplant density was measured once.
Linear mixed models showed that edge type has contrasting effects on the two species – M. teleius favoured both interiors and road edges, while M. nausithous was more common at the tree line edges. In the case of the latter species a strong positive edge effect was also found. This kind of within habitat niche segregation is probably related to the different microenvironmental conditions at the edges. Foodplant density does not seem to limit the distribution of these species at least in the study sites. Our results suggest that habitat fragmentation has contrasting effect on the two species: interiors of meadows are important for M. teleius, while tree line edges are important in maintaining the habitats of the regionally rarer butterfly, M. nausithous.
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3 Ecological compensation areas, birds and farmers – where is the problem?
Birrer Simon and Graf Roman Swiss ornithological institute, CH-6204 Sempach [email protected], [email protected] Keywords: agro-environment scheme, Switzerland, breeding birds, ecological compensation areas In Switzerland, a nationwide agri-environment scheme was launched in 1993 to improve biodiversity on farmland. Regarding species protection, the most important pre-condition to obtain subsidies is to implement “ecological compensation areas” (ECA), presently on 7% of the farmed land. A second Swiss scheme, the Environmental Quality Ordinance (EQO), was launched in 2000 with the aim of improving the quality of ECAs and of connecting them in networks. Farmers gain additional subsidies if they take part in regional programs to improve ecological conditions for specified target species.
We quantified the influence of ECA on breeding birds at three scales: a) the national level: influence on the Swiss bird population trend, b) the regional level: influence on the breeding bird density of an array of indicator species in 23 areas in farmland and c) the local level: influence on the distribution of territories of indicator species. Finally, we compared the changes in numbers of breeding birds in regions where the ecological quality of farmland had been greatly improved.
Results: a) National scale: The Swiss Bird Index® (SBI) for farmland birds shows a continuing decline since 1990. b) regional scale: On 23 test regions threatened species are declining. Populations of common and widely distributed farmland species, however, are now stable or even increasing. c) local scale: Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella), Common Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus) and Linnet (Carduelis cannabina) include ECAs preferentially in their territories. We attribute the overall limited impact of the scheme to the poor quality of three quarters of the ECAs.
Our experience shows, that in order to achieve high quality ECAs it is essential to provide competent advisory service to farmers and to obtain close co-operation from nature conservationists, governmental agencies and farmers. In the region “Wauwiler Moos”, the requested ECAs were established only in parts of the area despite full advisory services. Measures were planned on 84 farms. 26 of the farmers were not willing to implement the suggested ECAs. 21 farms applied the measures correctly while 37 farmers have not yet reacted. The reasons are: a) subsidies for ecologically motivated direct payments amount to only 20% of all direct payments of the government. Payments for ECA make up only 7%. b) There are many payments which support intensive agriculture and those directly compete with ECAs. c) Many farmers lack detailed knowledge about ECAs or do not fully understand their purpose. In general, support by nature protectionists and local authorities is not effective enough because of complicated agrarian policies, insufficient lobbying by nature protectionists and farmers’ preference for other domains.
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4 Monitoring forest reserves in Switzerland Brang Peter1, Commarmot Brigitte1, Bugmann Harald2, Rohrer Lukas2 and Bütler Rita1
1 Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, CH-8903 Birmensdorf
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected] 2 Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH, Postfach, CH-8092 Zürich
[email protected], [email protected] Keywords: forest reserve networks, forest structure, monitoring, sampling design, coarse woody debris, dead wood, habitat, forest dynamics The increasing value attributed to biodiversity and ecosystem dynamics without human interference has lead to the establishment of forest reserves throughout Switzerland. The official political target (or commitment) of protecting 5% of the Swiss forest area in forest reserves without human intervention calls for a success monitoring, by comparing forests with reserve status with managed forests.
Historically, monitoring activities in Swiss forest reserves for research purposes started in about 1940, primarily with a permanent plot concept. A recent relaunch of monitoring and research in forest reserves has enabled the revision of this approach. Resource limitations suggest focusing on forest structural dynamics and on some key habitats (key structures) such as coarse woody debris.
The new approach is compatible to similar approaches in forest reserve monitoring in Switzerland, France and Germany (Anonymus 2000; Bruciamacchie et al. 2005; Meyer et al. 2006). There are three monitoring intensities: intensive, exten-sive and no monitoring. The purpose of intensive monitoring is to gain a deeper understanding of natural forest dynamics and its implications for habitat structures in about 12 case studies, while extensive monitoring in about 25 reserves should help in generalising the results found in intensive monitoring. At both monitoring intensities, several methods are combined: A base documentation of site conditions, forest history and possibly red-list species, a forest inventory with permanent plots (0.05 ha in size) in a systematic grid, several permanent plots (0.3–0.5 ha in size) for an in-depth understanding of forest dynamics, and a full inventory of rare habitat structures such as giant living or dead trees. Coarse woody debris will receive particular attention when assessing forest structure. Moreover, repeat photography is used to document changes for extension purposes. The approach can accom-modate additional modules if funding is available. It builds on existing time series from permanent plots, new time series from representative inventories, and on existing data from other sources (forest inventories, permanent plots) to enable the comparison with managed forests. Field tests of the approach are underway. References: Anonymus, 2000: European Commission EUR 19550 - COST Action E4 - Forest reserves research network. Luxembourg, Office for Off. Publ. of the Eur. Commun. 377 pp. Bruciamacchie, M. et al. 2005: Protocole de suivi d’espaces naturels protégés. Paris, Ministère de l'environnement et du développement durable. 24 pp. Meyer, P.; Wevell von Krüger, A.; Steffens, R.; Unkrig, W., 2006: Naturwälder in Niedersachsen. Schutz und Forschung. Band 1. Göttingen und Braunschweig, Nordwestdt. Forstl. Vers.anst. und Niedersächs. Landesforsten. 339 pp.
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5 Does forest structure indicate biodiversity? Findings from NFI and BDM data analyses
Bühler Christoph1, Brändli Urs-Beat2 and Zangger Adrian3 1 BDM Coordination Office, Hintermann & Weber AG, Hauptstrasse 52, CH-4153
Reinach BL. E-mail: [email protected] 2 Scientific Service NFI, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111,
CH-8903 Birmensdorf. E-mail: [email protected] 3 BDM Coordination Office Hintermann & Weber AG, Marzilistrasse 8a, 3005 Bern. E-
mail: [email protected] Keywords: biodiversity, forest, indicators, inventory, monitoring To assess the change of biodiversity in forests in a cost-efficient way different national and international expert bodies recommend to survey indicators of forest structure as surrogate for the diversity of species. In Switzerland the National Forest Inventory (NFI) and the Biodiversity Monitoring (BDM) are collecting forest and site data and species data of vascular plants, mosses and molluscs on the same sample grid. Here, we used 55 different variables of forest structure and site conditions to build linear regression models on species density (number of species recorded within a 10 m2 sampling plot).
Combined analyses of NFI and BDM data show that site factors, namely the biogeographic regions, the altitude, slope and the soil acidity, explain 18 to 49 percent of the observed variance in species density, depending on the species group (taxon). The correlation with forest structure is less strong. But at least the light conditions (stand density) play an important role for all three species groups, independent from site conditions. Light availability correlates positively with species density. This relationship is strongest for vascular plants. The density of molluscs is positively correlated with shrub cover too.
However, none of the regression models tested explains more than 54 percent of the variance of species density. Therefore, we presume that species density of forest flora and fauna can be assessed reliably by direct survey only. But data on forest structure contain relevant information which can be used to approximate species density on a large scale. In addition, we can not exclude that the correlation with other taxa is even stronger.
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6 Biodiversity of forest ecosystems in algeria State of knowledge and level of threats
Dahmani-Megrerouche Malika, Daoudi-Merbah Farida and Ait Boudrare Ghenima Laboratoire d’Ecologie Végétale, Faculté des Sciences Biologiques, Université des Sciences et de la Technologie H. Boumediène. BP. 32 El-Alia BabEzzouar 16111. Alger, Algérie. [email protected], [email protected] Keywords: biodiversity, threats, forest ecosystem, Algeria Biodiversity constitutes an important factor of ecosystems preservation and confers them stability, resilience and performance in their functioning. The actual erosion of biodiversity threatens strongly this balance notably at the level of the Mediterranean ecosystems where the historic action of the man, associated to the climatic aridification and to the demographic growth, seriously accelerated degradation. This has entailed the qualitative and quantitative modification of the flora and consequently, the reduction of the distribution area of certain species becomes rare even threatened. Their extinction can engender in the long run, grave ecological consequences even economic. It is in this context that we engaged this preliminary evaluation of the floristic diversity as biologic indicator of the quality of these ecosystems before envisaging any action of conservation and conservation.
This evaluation is realized at regional and ecosystemic scale. Biodiversity is appreciated through the specific richness, the taxonomic, biologic, phytogeographic diversity and the patrimonial value of taxons. The identification of threatened species and their localisation on a cartographic support could constitute elements of help in the elaboration of a strategy of management and conservation.
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7 Higher-taxon approach in weed biodiversity surveys Dessaint Fabrice UMR 1210, Biologie et Gestion des Adventices, INRA/ENESAD/uB, 17 rue Sully, BP 86510, F-21065 Dijon cedex [email protected] Keywords: monitoring, surrogate species approach, taxonomic sufficiency Weeds of arable land represent a large group within French's flora that has attracted little attention from conservationists and botanists beyond research on weed control. During the last forty years, demographic decline within this group has however been so severe that several species which were formerly common and widespread now persist in a restricted number of sites. This situation could be considered both as favorable on a crop protection point of view and of concerns for ecologists because of negative impacts on global biodiversity, and more particularly on farmland birds, insects and other species of conservation value (Marshall et al. 2003).
Researches on plant biodiversity are numerous when applied to natural ecosystem and conversely rare when focusing on the biodiversity in the arable habitat per se. There is, therefore, a need to extend to arable weed communities basic research such as inventories and monitoring of the distribution of overall weed diversity. So far, biodiversity is commonly measured by counting the number of species in an area. The problem is that biodiversity surveys based on complete species count are both difficult and very expensive. An additional problem arising with arable flora is that most of the surveys must be made at periods that are not optimal for correct species identification. Therefore, surrogates for estimating the distribution of weed species richness are of particular interest.
Among the most popular approaches is the use of higher-taxon surrogates. Here, the relevance of higher-taxon analysis was investigated at genus-, family-, and order-levels to estimate the species richness and to describe the structure of weed communities. We use data from a French survey as a test case.
The risks of possible loss information depending on the higher-taxon approach are discussed and related to the loss of taxonomic expertise in plant studies. References: Marshall, E.J.P.; Brown, V.K,; Boatman, N.D.; Lutman, P.J.W.; Squire, G.R.; Ward, L.K., 2003: The role of weeds in supporting biological diversity within crop fields. Weed Research 43:77–89.
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8 Assessing changes in a sub-mediterranean forest of southern Greece
Dimopoulos Panayotis1, Bergmeier Erwin2, Vogiatzakis and Ioannis N. 3
1 Department of Environmental and Natural Resources Management, University of Ioannina, Seferi 2, 30100 Agrinio, Greece [email protected]
2 Albrecht von Haller Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Göttingen Untere Karspüle 2, 37073 Göttingen, Germany, [email protected]
3 Centre for Agri-Environmental Research, School of Agriculture Policy and Development, University of Reading, Earley Gate RG6 6AR, Reading Berks, UK [email protected]
Keywords: grazing, Greece, GIS, old forest, landscape structure, Quercus, silvopastoralism, wood pasture The Quercus frainetto forest of Folói (Kápellis, Pholóë), Greece, is unique in that there is evidence of several thousand years of existence. Extensive charcoal industry, silvopastoralism and forestry management impacted considerably upon the forest area size and structure. In order to assess the changes in vegetation pattern and structure in the study area, sets of black and white aerial photographs were used from 1945 and 1992. Photographs were visually interpreted to provide map units for further analysis. These units were verified in the field, and for the purpose of the present paper further combined to display 10 units significant for structural-physiognomic and land use features of vegetation. The resulting maps were digitized and the surface area covered by each unit was assessed.
Various landscape metrics were employed within a GIS using Patch Analyst in order to describe the changes in landscape structure and assess habitat fragmentation with emphasis on Quercus frainetto habitats over the period of study (1945–1992). Results demonstrate a more heterogeneous landscape in 1992 if compared to 1945 with more patches of smaller size in average and increased total edge. Quercus frainetto forests have been reduced by 48 ha. The target habitat appears more patchy in 1992 than in 1945 with tendency to more open structure. The mean patch size is larger in open stands in 1992 compared to 1945 but smaller in dense stands. Total edge for both dense and open Quercus frainetto forests has increased in 1992 and there is a greater mean perimeter area ratio.
Our results suggest that significant fragmentation has taken place during the study period, but they also reveal two distinct ecological woodland conditions in the area of Quercus frainetto habitats. The first is an excellent example of an agro-silvopastoral system worthy of preservation, and the second is a unique example of submediterranean tall oak forest which holds better qualifications of regeneration towards a more natural forest than any other. These distinct settings are discussed in the context of future management plans/efforts of the site within the Greek Natura 2000 network.
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9 Predictive multi-thematic habitat distribution models for fine-scale monitoring of Swiss mire remnants
Ecker Klaus1, Kuechler Meinrad2, Feldmeyer-Christe Elizabeth2, Graf Ulrich2 and Waser L.T. 2
1 Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, Zürcherstrasse 111, CH-8903 Birmensdorf. [email protected]
2 Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Community Ecology, Zürcherstrasse 111, CH-8903 Birmensdorf
Keywords: linear regression, predictive mapping, indicator values, vegetation, effectiveness monitoring, wetland, remote sensing, aerial photography, satellite images, surface model The Swiss mires of national importance have been protected by a Federal Decree on Mire Conservation since 1987. To examine the effectiveness of the conservation status and management measures imposed, a nationwide monitoring program was initiated in 1996. The monitoring goal is to identify the whole range of biotic and abiotic changes and respective spatial shifts that might be induced by human activities and environmental impacts. Given the small size of most of the Swiss mire remnants, the survey has to be conducted at the very local scale. To meet the extensive requirements, revisited plots and multivariate habitat distribution models are applied to monitor a stratified random sample of 130 mire objects in great detail: For feasibility reasons the primary thematic focus is on semi-quantitative mean indicator values derived from a stratified random field data sample of presence-absence vegetation data (full records of vascular plants and bryophytes). Thus we track eight essential abiotic habitat features in space and time. The resulting multidimensional environmental feature space subsequently also allows for deriving vegetation categories by means of an expert system. Revisited plots are the primary spatial monitoring unit. Additionally we employ ordinary multiple linear regression models based on very high resolution remotely sensed data to predict the distribution of abiotic mean indicator values within the whole area of observation. The multivariate habitat distribution models are used for vegetation mapping, repeated sample refinement, extrapolation of changes observed at revisited plots and for post -model comparison. Model calibration is performed by means of the field data sample (revisited plots and partial replacements). CIR images of 30 cm resolution and derived surface models of 50 cm are employed to compute sensitive predictor variables for modeling. Taking into account spatial auto-correlation clearly improves the predictive power of the model. In this poster, exemplary model results are presented and validated within a reference mire. Repeated tests show that at least one hundred field records are needed to guarantee reliable error estimates and satisfactory model accuracy with correlation values above 0.8. To evaluate the benefit from the very high resolution orthophotos, the model prediction is compared to results obtained from simulated satellite images with ground resolutions of 5 m and 15 m, respectively. Though CIR images produce the best model results, the satellite-based models show high potential to assess larger areas where the availability of fine scale digital aerial photographs is limited.
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10 Monitoring the quality of nature reserves Fischer Hagen S.1, Michler Barbara1 and Luding Helmut2
1 Dr. Fischer, ifanos-Landschaftsökologie, Forchheimer Weg 46, 91 341 Röttenbach
[email protected], [email protected] 2 Bayerisches Landesamt für Umwelt, Schloss Steinenhausen, 95326 Kulmbach Keywords: monitoring, nature reserves, indicator, permanent plot, Bavaria, biodiversity, red listed species In October 2004 the Bavarian State Ministry for Environmental Affairs, Health and Consumer Protection presented an extended environmental indicator system [1]. But still the development of the quality of the nature reserves does not effect the environmental indicator system. In order to overcome this deficiency an indicator was developed on behave of the Bavarian Environmental Protection Agency to describe the quality of Bavarian nature reserves.
The indicator is based on 40 permanent vegetation plots located in the major habitat types in nature reserves all over Bavaria that were monitored since 1990. The plots are selected to represent as well dry as wet habitats on both limestone and acid soils. A second source of data is the data base of releves from the Bavarian nature reserve archive. These releves serve as reverence data for the regional characteristic of the habitats.
The Indicator is composed of 4 parts: – The protection of endangered species is observed by the development of the
populations of red listed species. – The soil nutrients are monitored by means of Ellenberg’s [2] indicator values. – The development of the biodiversity is registered by observing the Shannon-
Wiener diversity within the transects – The habitat typical peculiarity is measured by means of a multivariate fuzzy set
ordination comparing the actual data with historical reference material from the Bavarian nature reserve archive.
All 4 parts of the indicator are standardized and can be interpreted individually or as an integrating overall index.
The results (Fig. 1) indicate that nature protection policy was successful in increasing the frequency of endangered species and in preserving the charac-teristics of the endangered habitats within the nature reserves. No significant change can be observed for biodiversity and soil nutrients.
These results are in contrast with the findings of other investigations outside of nature reserves. References: [1] Bayer. Landesamt für Umweltschutz (ed) 2004: Umweltindikatorensystem Bayern, Augsburg. [2] Ellenberg, H.; Weber., H.; Düll, R.; Wirth, V.; Weber, W.; Paulissen, D., 2001: Zeigerwerte von Pflanzen Mitteleuropas. Scr. Geobot. 18, 3. durchgesehene Auflage. 262 S.
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11 Approaches of utilising quickbird-data for the monitoring of NATURA 2000 habitats
Förster Michael1, Frick Annett2 and Kleinschmit Birgit1 1 Berlin University of Technology, Institute of Landscape Architecture and
Environmental Planning, Str. d. 17. Juni 145 (EB5), 10623 Berlin; Germany [email protected], [email protected]
2 LUP GmbH, Department of Remote Sensing and Geomatics, Große Weinmeister-straße 3a, 14469 Potsdam. [email protected]
Keywords: remote sensing, QuickBird, NATURA 2000, monitoring, efficiency evaluation The implementation of standardised methods for the monitoring of NATURA 2000 sites in Europe is still a key topic in the environmental research. Operational econ-omically priced and as far as possible automated applications are required. The rapidly developing sensor technique and also new image processing methods offer new possibilities to apply remote sensing data for NATURA 2000 monitoring. The presented studies combine commonly available GIS data, such as biotope type maps or forestry site maps with remote sensing classifications of the very high spatial resolution (VHR) sensor QuickBird for several forest and heath habitat types in Bavaria and Brandenburg (Germany). Knowledge-based (Frick et al. 2005) and object-based (Förster and Kleinschmit 2006) methods were utilised to detect the extend of the habitats under examination as well as their quality according to the German mapping guidelines. The results were subsequently compared to the ter-restrial mapped habitats of the NATURA 2000 management plans in close cooper-ation with the local environmental authorities. These results indicate that remote sensing methods can be a valuable support for terrestrial mapping. In the case of heath-dominated sites even a substitution of terrestrial mapping for certain habitat types and their quality measures is possible. However, in deciduous-dominated forests only a detection of some parameters (e.g. percentage of main tree-type) is possible. It is important to point out that although remote sensing methods cannot detect all quality parameters a higher degree of objectivity is given. In terrestrial mapping processes the transitions in between habitats or between a habitat and other biotopes are not clearly to detect, especially in areas which are difficult to access. In addition habitats will be mapped even if the main species covers only a small proportion of an area. The intention in mapping these poorly developed habi-tats is to ascribe a higher importance to them, because of a potential development. A multi-scale approach is suggested as future development. It can consist of a me-dium resolution classification at the biogeographic level, a very high resolution classification for habitats and habitat qualities and terrestrial mapping for not de-tectable quality parameters and species. References: Frick, A.; Weyer, G.; Kenneweg, H.; Kleinschmit, B., 2005: Knowledge-based approach to vegetation Monitoring with Quickbird imagery. ISPRS Workshop 2005: High- Resol-ution Earth Imaging for Geospatial Information, Hannover. Förster, M.; Kleinschmit, B., 2006: Integration of Ancillary Information into Object-based Classification for Detection of Forest Structures and Habitats. Conference on Object-based Image Analysis, Salzburg.
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12 Using high resolution mapping of disturbance indicator species to assess the sustainability of forest practices
Godefroid Sandrine and Koedam Nico Laboratory of Plant Biology and Nature Management (APNA), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium [email protected], [email protected] Keywords: forest monitoring, silvicultural treatment, early warning signal, positive indicator, negative indicator, understory species, shelterwood system There is a clear need to better monitor and report changes in the quality of the world’s forests. One of the major causes of forest degradation is poor forest utilisation practices which unfortunately remain widespread in all forest types. Silvicultural treatment can be viewed as a disturbance in the ecological sense. Most studies aiming at monitoring forest disturbance deal with “positive” indicators, i.e. species whose presence rely on good management practices, and whose disappearance is a clue that some environmental degradation is happening. Although this approach is adequate and justified, it has a major drawback. As most of forest dwellers are stress-tolerators, so are “positive” indicators which are used for assessing environmental degradation in forested ecosystems. As these species are characterised by a response to stress which is slow and small in magnitude, they cannot serve as an early warning signal if silvicultural practices begin altering the ecosystem. Taking this point into consideration, we tested another approach in this study, i.e. the monitoring of “negative” indicators, which might better be able to show a significant response in a short period of time to ongoing ecosystem degradation.
We examined the succession of the distribution pattern of four disturbance indicator species (Carex remota, Juncus effusus, Rubus fruticosus and Urtica dioica) after 14 years under various tree species, stand structures and stand diversities. The research was conducted in a 4383 ha-ancient forest in central Belgium. The presence of each of these four key-species was noted according to a grid-map of 6330 cells of 50 m x 50 m. Beech (Fagus sylvatica) stands enhanced all the investigated herbs compared to oak (Quercus robur) stands. Low stand diversity (< 3 tree species) also promoted all studied indicator species. Interestingly, different effects were detected within the high forest regime (shelterwood system). Old high forests as well as even-aged high forests enhanced the appearance and the persistence of the studied indicators of disturbance.
In our study area, on acidic silt loam soils, some tree species or silvicultural treatments appeared to slow down soil degradation: (1) Quercus robur overstories should be preferred to Fagus sylvatica stands; (2) a high stand diversity (preferentially more than three tree species) is highly desirable; (3) a diversification of the stand structure should be encouraged. Within the shelterwood system, uneven-aged stands (irregular shelterwood system) should be promoted compared with even-aged stands (shelterwood uniform system).
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13 Twelve-year permanent plot observation in urban wetlands and forests submitted to restoration practices: the case of Brussels
Godefroid Sandrine and Koedam Nico Laboratory of Plant Biology and Nature Management (APNA), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium [email protected], [email protected] Keywords: sustainable nature management policy, urban areas, Natura 2000 habitats, mowing, flooding, fencing The Brussels Regional Authority has proposed three Natura 2000 areas covering 1900 ha altogether. Located on the outskirts of the densely built-up areas, these Special Areas of Conservation have currently a high biological value (in spite of being embedded in the city). However, until the 1950s, the priority management of such areas was the extraction of wood. Valleys were drained, sometimes landfilled and planted with poplars to further lower the water table; as a result these areas have suffered a significant loss of biodiversity.
As first step to improve the quality of these wetlands, nature restoration projects were carried out in 1994 by the Brussels Institute for Environmental Management (BIM-IBGE), aiming at a partial restoration of the aquatic vegetation, marshes and forest marshland in the floodplain. Locally, a system of dykes has been installed to direct part of the water from a brook towards the marshes in order to maintain a sufficiently high water level. Most of these areas were fenced to prevent the vegetation from being trampled, poplars were killed by stripping off rings of bark and vegetation is yearly mown. Effects of these restoration practices on vegetation are monitored each year since 1995 using permanent plots.
The ecological interpretation of the observed floristic changes was mainly based on the calculation of indices which were derived from the floristic composition of the vegetation, such as Ellenberg’s indices (nitrogen, moisture, pH and light), a banality index, a diversity index and the grass-to-forb ratio. At the individual species level, cover of many indicator species changed significantly. Competitive ruderal species were affected by treatment and showed a decline while many species typical of wetlands increased in abundance. Overall, we observed a striking increase in the species diversity and a substantial decrease of the nitrogen index, the banality index and the abundance of grasses.
Results of this monitoring indicate that nature management practices, such as mowing and flooding, combined with fencing against human ingression, can, in a very short period of time, initiate the regeneration of degraded vegetation types, even in highly urbanised areas. The results of this monitoring are used to help drawing up the management plans for the Brussels Natura 2000 areas, in particular the habitat improvement measures urgently required in favour of wetland species.
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14 How to consider scaling effects in habitat analyses of forest dwelling species?
Graf Roland F.1, Bollmann Kurt2, Mathys Lukas2, Suter Werner2 and Bugmann Harald3
1 University of Applied Sciences Wädenswil (HSW), Grüental, Postfach 335, CH-8820 Wädenswil. [email protected]
2 Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, CH-8903 Birmensdorf [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
3 Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH, CH-8092 Zürich [email protected]
Keywords: Tetrao urogallus, forest grouse, conservation, spatial scale, landscape analysis, logistic regression, multi-scale habitat model, LiDAR Each species responds to the environment at a unique range of scales. Therefore, there is a need to account for scaling effects when species-habitat relationships are investigated. I address three aspects of spatial scale that affect species distribution models, i.e. grain size (1), extent (2), and data availability (3). As model organism, we investigated the capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus), a ground-nesting bird species of coniferous forests with narrow habitat preferences and large spatial requirements.
(1) The ability of univariate and multivariate models to explain species occur-rence varies with the spatial grain size. We varied the grain size of our analysis from 1 to 1100 hectares and built univariate and multivariate habitat models for caper-caillie in the Swiss Alps. The variance explained by some predictor variables varied substantially with spatial scale. The best multivariate model used each predictor variable at the scale at which it had performed best in the univariate model.
(2) The geographic extent of the data that we used to calibrate habitat distribution models influenced the performance of the models applied on independent data. Regional models performed well in the region where they had been calibrated, but poorly in the other regions. Pooled models using data from two regions for calibration classified almost as well in their calibration regions as the corresponding regional models, but generally better in the third region. Hence, we recommend building more general models by using data from several regions, when the aim is to predict species’ distributions in independent regions.
(3) Habitat distribution models developed for large extents often lack direct information on the present habitat suitability. New remote sensing techniques may fill this gap by providing direct predictors, such as vegetation structure, with full coverage over large areas. For instance, forest structure from laser scanning (LiDAR) improved large-scale distribution models for capercaillie and allowed us to integrate individual habitat preferences at the scale of entire, viable populations.
Attention to spatial scale is needed to advance in statistical modelling of faunal distributions. Model credibility and applicability can be improved by adopting multi-scale approaches with adequate grain and extent sizes and by including predictor variables with a direct effect on the habitat selection of a species. Meeting these principles, habitat distribution models serve as effective tools for habitat monitoring and management of endangered species.
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15 “Natura 2000” habitats monitoring system in the Czech Republic: its designing and final shape
Hédl Radim Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Dept. of Ecology, Brno, Czech Republic [email protected] Keywords: Natura 2000 habitats, Czech Republic, habitat monitoring, system design The system of the species and habitats protection on the European-wide scale “Natura 2000” has been introduced in the 1990s. Each EU-member state was obliged to i) declare the occurrence, extend and state of the threatened species and habitats, based on two EU-directives, ii) ensure the regular monitoring system with a period of 7 years throughout the country, iii) provide the method for evaluation of the species and habitats current status (good, bad, etc.) within the country’s territory. Aim of this paper is to briefly summarize the work on the Natura 2000 habitats monitoring system in the Czech Republic from its conceptual beginnings, over the monitoring schemes for particular parameters by a group of specialists, to the desired outcomes – the monitoring manuals. See also http://www.natura2000.cz A broad-scale mapping project had been run and finished in the first half of the 2000s, following a finer “biotope” (Czech-specific) resolution for habitat types (Chytrý et al. 2001). The monitoring system of the Natura 2000 biotopes has been created in the Czech Republic since 2000. However only from 2005 a monitoring manual has been started to design, resulting in a set of monitoring schemes for particular parameters (Hédl 2005). This initial material, a rather thick and heterogeneous book of varied quality and completeness, has been followed by fairly more usable monitoring manuals in 2006 and 2007 (e.g., Hédl and Lustyk 2006). They have been tested in the field and put in use. The basic principles of the monitoring system were twofold: i) to ensure a representative set of monitoring sites for each biotope, ii) to select the parameters indicating the current state of a biotope to the best. While almost all biotopes are vegetation-defined, the monitoring of vegetation composition and structural properties constitutes the system’s basics. It is accomplished by substrate monitoring (soil or water properties, depending on the biotope type) and the monitoring of management practices. It shall be noted that the evaluation rules for the biotopes status was not prepared until 2006 at all, so that the designing of the monitoring could not have been coordinated with this third basic “stone” of the system. References: Chytrý, M., Kučera, T.; Kočí, M., 2001: Catalogue of biotopes of the Czech Republic. Prague, Agency for Nature Conservation and Landscape Protection of the Czech Republic. Hédl, R.,2005: Monitoring methodology of the Habitats of European importance in the Czech Republic – 2005. Prague, Agency for Nature Conservation and Landscape Protection of the Czech Republic. 159 pp. + 16 appendices. Hédl, R.; Lustyk, P., 2006: Field manual of biotope monitoring at permanent plots. Prague, Agency for Nature Conservation and Landscape Protection of the Czech Republic. 41 pp. + appendices.
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16 Developing a sampling design for monitoring ecological compensation areas in Switzerland
Herzog Felix1, Buholzer Serge1, Hofer Gabriela1, Riedel Susanne1, Salamin Paul-André2, Suter Matthias3, Bailey Debra3 and Pfister Claudia3 1 Agroscope Reckenholz-Tänikon Research Station ART, CH-8046 Zurich, Switzerland
[email protected], [email protected] 2 Swiss Federal Statistical Office, CH-2010 Neuchâtel. [email protected] 3 Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zurich, CH-8046 Zurich
[email protected] Keywords: farmland biodiversity, agri-environmental indicator, vegetation, sample size, sample variance 14% of the Swiss farmland is managed as ecological compensation areas (ECA), mainly extensively managed grassland (100,000 ha), traditional orchards (24,000 ha) and hedgerows (3,000 ha). We developed a strategy and sampling design for monitoring the ecological quality of ECA. The monitoring has to comply with the following requirements: a) agri-environmental indicator which can easily be communicated to stakeholders, b) representative for ECA at the national level, for bio-geographical regions and for major farm types, c) data point from sampling unit every 5 years, 5% error probability, d) cost efficient, synergies with existing monitoring programmes.
We investigated two options for sampling ECA and control areas: A Mapping of ECA and control areas in the 500 permanent observation squares
(1x1 km) of the Swiss biodiversity monitoring (BDM). These 500 squares represent a random sample out of the total Swiss area.
B Stratified random sampling of individual farms from farm census data, aggregated in municipalities for reasons of cost efficiency. The sampling would be equally distributed over the observation period (assessing 1/5 of the sample every year).
The results showed that the “biological quality” of ECA and reference areas could be assessed with the criteria of the Swiss By-law on Ecological Quality, which comprises a plant indicator list and certain structural criteria. Both options yield information at the required spatial resolution. Option B targets the farm types better, whereas with Option A only ex-post analysis for major farm types is possible. Both options build on existing programmes but option B is 2.5 times more costly than option A. Joint analysis with the BDM biodiversity indicators (Option A) indicated a correlation between the share of ECA and the species numbers of vascular plants (trend, statistically not significant), butterflies (p<0.001 for total species number, p<0.01 for threatened species) and birds (trend only). In conclusion, we recommend the implementation of Option A because of its lower cost and its synergies with the biodiversity information available from BDM. At present (March 2007) the Swiss Federal Office for Agriculture is in the process of deciding whether the indicator will be implemented from 2009 onwards.
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17 Is topographic variability an important factor when assessing plant species richness in agricultural landscapes?
Hofer Gabriela1, Herzog Felix1, Szerencsits Erich1, Edwards Peter J.2, Wagner Helene H.3 and Bunce Robert G.H.4
1 ART Agroscope Reckenholz-Tänikon Research Station ART, 8046 Zürich, Switzerland
[email protected] 2 Institute of Integrative Biology (IBZ), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, ETH,
Universitätsstrasse 16, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland, [email protected] 3 Department of Biology, University of Toronto at Mississauga. 3359 Mississauga Road,
Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada. [email protected] 4 Alterra Green World Research, 6700AA Wageningen, The Netherlands [email protected] Keywords: topographic variability, abiotic site variability, plant diversity, species richness, species composition, landscape scale, abiotic gradients The overall objective was to develop an efficient sampling design for monitoring landscape-level plant species diversity in agricultural landscapes in Switzerland. Theoretical considerations and the results of a local study (Hofer 2007) suggest that in mountainous areas the efficiency of sampling for variability in plant species richness and composition is increased by selecting local landscapes along a gradient of topographic variability. In this study, we used plant species data from a systematic sample of 187 'local landscapes' of 1 km2 from throughout Switzerland (data of the biodiversity monitoring project, Hintermann et al. 2002) to investigate whether this is also true at a larger spatial scale. Each local landscape was assigned to one of 13 climatically and biogeographically homogeneous sub-regions, and within each sub-region the effects of using topographic variability as a surrogate for abiotic microsite variability were investigated for species richness and composition. The following measures of abiotic microsite variability were derived from a digital elevation model: standard deviations of altitude, slope and potential annual solar radiation (“radiation”), and two further measures combining these values. For each sub-region, the effect of microsite variability was analysed using linear regression for the species richness data, and redundancy analyses for species composition data. The best measure of microsite diversity was evaluated for each sub-region by comparing Akaike’s criterion (AIC) and the generalized AIC for multivariate linear models. The expected effects of microsite variability were confirmed in two thirds of the sub-regions for plant species composition, but only in one third for species richness. The standard deviation of radiation explained species composition best, while species richness showed no clear pattern. We conclude that the efficiency of a national, hierarchical sampling design can be improved by a nested approach, integrating the standard deviation of solar radiation as a measure of microsite variability at the landscape level. References: Hintermann, U.; Weber, D.; Zangger, A.; Schmil, l.J., 2002: Biodiversitäts-Monitoring Schweiz BDM. Zwischenbericht. Schr.reihe Umw. 342. Hofer, G., 2007: Multi-scale effects of topography on plant diversity in mountainous agricultural landscapes. PhD, ETH Zürich.
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18 Pond biodiversity assessment: how to implement a standardized method through practitioners (case study in Switzerland)
Indermuehle Nicola, Oertli Beat and Angélibert Sandrine University of Applied Sciences of Western Switzerland, EIL, Earth-Nature-Landscape Institute, Dpt. of Nature Management, 150 route de Presinge, CH-1254 Jussy-Geneva, Switzerland [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Keywords: monitoring, standardization, knowledge transfer, end-user, environmental consultancy, PLOCH-method, applied research, nature conservation Nature conservation managers and environmental consultancies increasingly have to perform biodiversity assessments for conservation and monitoring purposes. Standardized and economic tools designed for such assessments have thus been produced. Nevertheless, many of these methods are issued from fundamental research and are often unadapted to practitioners, among others for financial reasons or lack of specific knowledge and equipment. Moreover, sampling bears many uncertainties, as emphasized by various authors (see Sutherland and his twenty commonest censusing sins). Actually, a bias resulting from an incorrect application of a method is likely to outmatch the natural variability of a measured variable and to generate artefacts. Important efforts should therefore be made to reduce this background noise, and can be achieved through knowledge transfer between fundamental and applied science.
In the current study, a standardized method for sampling and assessing the biodiversity in ponds (PLOCH, Oertli et al. 2005) is tested by four different end-users (nature managers) with regard to its suitability for practitioners. Four ponds, situated in different regions of Western Switzerland (La Grande Cariçaie FR, Les Grangettes VD, Rouelbeau GE, La Combe Tabeillon JU), were sampled either during 2005 or 2006. Problems and difficulties encountered by the practitioners throughout the assessment were identified and classified, and suggestions were drawn up in order to optimize the implementation of the method. It is shown that many presumably trivial steps of the assessment have to be explicitly defined to ensure the quality and reproducibility of the results. For a successful implementation, the authors of a new method have to provide appropriate support such as well targeted publications, websites and CDs. Training appears here as an essential step, and a “sampling license” might be needed in analogy to the “driving license”. References: Oertli, B.; Auderset Joye, D.; Castella, E.; Juge, R.; Lehmann, A.; Lachavanne, J.-B., 2005: PLOCH: a standardised method for sampling and assessing the biodiversity in ponds. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 15: 665–679.
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19 Effects of grazing exclusion on rangeland recovery in the Zagros region of Iran
Iravani Majid1, Bassiri Mehdi2, Wagner Helene3 and Schuetz Martin4
1 Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, CH-8903 Birmensdorf,
Switzerland. and Faculty of Natural Resources, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, Iran [email protected]
2 Faculty of Natural Resources, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, Iran [email protected]
3 University of Toronto at Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada [email protected]
4 Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, CH-8903 Birmensdorf [email protected]
Keywords: exclosure experiment, long-term vegetation change, degraded rangeland, sheep and goat grazing, Iran Rangeland is the predominant form of land use in Iran. High grazing pressure has been considered as the main reason for rangeland degradation over the past decades. However, scientific information about both rangeland degradation and recovery is hardly available. Therfore, a long-term exclosure experiment was established to i) assess rate of change in vegetation composition under long-term exclusion from sheep and goat grazing and ii) estimate time needed for the recovery of this heavily degraded rangeland.
The experiment was carried out in 17 sites by installing an exclosure in each site in 1983. Vegetation was observed using 7 permanent plots (1.5 x 2 m) inside each exclosure (1983, 1988 and 2002) and a random sample of optimal size from outside the exclosure (1988, 2002) depending on the heterogeneity of the site vegetation. For each plot, density and cover for each plant species as well as total plant cover were estimated.
We found that the composition of the vegetation changed in most exclosures already within five years after the start of the experiment. The vegetation was mostly composed of tall perennial and palatable plant species inside while it was mostly composed of woody and annual or small, prostrate and unpalatable perennial herb species outside of exclosures. The average similarity between vegetation composition inside and outside decreased with time significantly by 44 and 60 percent after five and nineteen years, respectively. The overall similarity between different sites inside exclosures increased significantly from 23% (in 1983) to 43 (1988) and 49% (2002) while it remained unchanged outside of exclosures. After five years the cover of perennial grasses and after nineteen years the number and cover of perennial grasses and legumes were significantly enhanced inside exclosures. We conclude that rangeland showed quick response to exclusion of sheep and goat grazing: initial change during the first five years was larger than during the following 14 years. This study also confirms convergence of vegetation development during the secondary succession inside of exclosures.
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20 Biodiversity Monitoring Switzerland (BDM): the contribution of a nation-wide baseline monitoring
Küttel Meinrad1 and Zangger Adrian2
1 Federal Office for the Environment, 3003 Bern, Switzerland. [email protected] 2 BDM Coordination Office, c/o Hintermann & Weber Ltd., Marzilistrasse 8a, CH-3005
Bern, Switzerland. [email protected] Keywords: baseline monitoring, systematic sample, spatial scale, Switzerland, species richness In 2001, the Federal Office for the Environment started the field work in the Swiss Biodiversity Monitoring (BDM). As a baseline monitoring it plays a crucial role in evaluating the effectiveness of nature conservation in Switzerland. Its contribution is threefold: 1. The BDM illustrates how biodiversity changes over time both in Switzerland as a whole and within biogeographical regions. Switzerland is dominated by cultural landscape types with area-wide exploitation. In such an intensively used environ-ment conservation actions need to have positive effects not only in high nature value areas but also in the wider countryside. By expanding the focus to the common landscape the BDM shows the overall gains or losses in Switzerland. BMD thus complements the findings of effectiveness monitoring programs in high nature value habitats. 2. The BDM yields background information and reference values for programme-specific effectiveness monitoring systems. To determine the success of individual projects they must be compared to the long-term and overall trend. 3. Last but not less important the unique data collection offers a wide variety for further scientific analyses. Today data are increasingly in demand as fundamentals for developing models (e.g. Wohlgemuth et al. accepted) but also as a source to answer new raising questions in nature conservation. E.g. the BDM is the main source to analyse the suitability of a set of indicator species evaluating the quality of ecological compensation areas (Koordinationsstelle Biodiversitätsmonitoring Schweiz 2006). These various contributions are only possible due to two new systematic sample grids, a well considered sample, and the set of different taxonomic groups complementing one another (Weber et al. 2004). A staggered survey, i.e. each year only one fifth of the total sample is surveyed, proved to be the best trade-off between financial constraints and the attempt to get a large and representative sample. The fundamental sampling criteria for a basline-monitoring are outlined and highlighted with recent analyses. References: Koordinationsstelle Biodiversitätsmonitoring Schweiz 2006: Zustand der Biodiversität in der Schweiz. Umwelt-Zustand 0604. Bern, Bundesamt für Umwelt. 67 S. Weber, D.; Hintermann, U.; Zangger, A., 2004: Scale and trends in species richness: considerations for monitoring biological diversity for political purposes. Global Ecol. Biogeogr. 13: 97–104. Wohlgemuth, T.; Nobis, M.; Kienast, F.; Plattner, M. (accepted): Model predictions of vascular plant diversity on a landscape scale based on a systematic sample. J. Biogeogr.
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21 Change of ecosystems – 10 years monitoring program for the ecosystems of the UNESCO biosphere reserves in Brandenburg
Luthardt V.1, Brauner O., Dreger F., Friedrich S., Hirsch A.-K., Hoffmann C., Hofmann G., Jenssen M., Kabus T., Meisel J., Reutter C., Vahrson W.-G., Witt B. and Zeidler M. 1 University of Applied Sciences Eberswalde, Department for landscape use and nature
conservation, Fr.-Ebertstr. 28, D-16225 Eberswalde [email protected]
The monitoring of ecosystems is one of the essential functional criteria for the acknowledgement of biosphere reserves (BR) by the UNESCO. For the biosphere reserves Schorfheide-Chorin (SC), Spreewald (SW), Flusslandschaft Elbe (FE) situated in the federal state of Brandenburg, Germany, we developed in 1997 a concept of such a monitoring program for ecosystems. It is feasible and realistic, not expensive and divides the different observations between the BRs. Its methodology is transferable to other large scale protected areas. The concrete ecosystems were selected from the different groups of mayor ecosystems: woods and forests, fens, lakes, rivers, grassland and fields. They were combined with the most important forms of landuse to “ecosystem-landuse-combinations”, which reflect the natural conditions of the BRs as well as the human impact. For these ecosystem-landuse-combinations the observation targets have been defined and the specific monitoring programs have been deducted accordingly. All the monitoring programs take into their account biotic parameters and non-biotic parameters as well. Thus, they document the main tendencies and development-trends of the characteristic ecosystem-landuse combinations we selected in the different BRs. After the first and second investigation cycle we evaluated the measuring programs. We give highest importance to the documentation of the exact methods applied and the very accurate determination of the sampling points, applying a Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS). The measurements are to be repeated at different time intervals, varying from every three years for sensible parameters over six year up to twelve years for parameters considered more stable. A complex time schedule for the measurements has been developed. At the moment, 136 different ecosystem- landuse- combinations are monitored. Some of them are now in the third investigation cycle. The first and second report of the state and changes of the investigation areas is published. This project is financed by the Landesumweltamt Brandenburg.
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22 Beech coppices in the montane belt of the Central Apennines: monitoring for ecological management guidelines according to structure and biodiversity status
Merolli A.1, Bartha S.2, Canullo R.1 and Campetella G.1
1 Department of Environmental Science, Botany and Ecology Sect., University of
Camerino, Italy [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
2 Institute of ecology and Botany of the Academy of Sciences, H2163 Vácrátot, Hungary [email protected]
In Italy coppice area accounts for about 3.9 million hectares. The majority are cop-pices with standards of different time-rotation. In our study area (Sibillini mountains National Park) this forest management is still predominant, including several small stands covered by compound coppices, which are a mixture of coppices and high forests with different standards released. In this forests the coppicing occur after ca. 20–30 years. This short-term time-rotation of disturbance induced by human practices could have some negative effects interfering with self-regulating pro-cesses and species diversity. Therefore there is an urgent need for data on the relationship between forests management and biodiversity status. The related hom-ogeneous regional monitoring system reflecting the structural complexity and spatial dependence of vegetation is still missing, at least in Italy. Our aims are to under-stand the disturbance mechanisms, to describe the variability due to different bed-rocks, altitudinal belts etc., and to establish a baseline for plant diversity monitoring using coenostate descriptors. Stratified sampling was performed based on SIM (a mountain information system: cadastral and geographical data) together with his-torical land use information resulting in various patch sizes and management types and high diversity of landscape parameters. Our results suggest that such high spatio-temporal variability of forest management is accompanied with high land-scape-scale heterogeneity and complexity of stand structures and maintains rich regional species pool. Little directional changes were found in the composition, cover and diversity of herb layer vegetation over the turnover cycle that we can interpret as an indication of relative adaptation and stability of these coppiced beech forests to the long-term disturbance regime.
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23 Use it or loose it: sustainable wild collection of medicinal plants: the case study of Arnica montana in the Apuseni mountains in Romania
Michler Barbara1, Fischer Hagen 1 and Florin Pacurar2
1 ifanos Landscape Ecology, Forchheimer Weg 46, D-91341 Röttenbach, Germany.
[email protected], [email protected] 2 USAMV Cluj-Napoca, Calea Manastur nr.3, cod postal 4600, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
[email protected] Keywords: sustainable wild collection, resource assessment, resource monitoring, on site value adding Sound nature and extraordinary beautiful landscape characterise the investigation area in the Apuseni mountains (www. proiect-apuseni.org, www.arnica montana.ro). Arnica montana is the flagship species of the region. Since more than 50 years Arnica flower heads are collected. The revenues from selling fresh flower heads are quite low: 0,27–0,49 € per kg. One kg consists of 1006±128 flower heads. Since 2000 research is performed. Over harvesting and habitat loss are major threats for the remaining Arnica population. The WWF initiated in 2004 a conservation project to develop a pilot project for sustainable production and trade of Arnica montana, in Gârda de Sus commune (Michler, Kathe, Schmitt, Rotar 2004). Resource assess-ment was performed to set harvesting quota for sustainable production and to define a baseline for resource monitoring. Research on Arnica ecology, dry matter productivity, biodiversity, soil and management of Arnica habitats and on sustainability through monitoring, harvesting methods and training of the locals have been done. Sustainable trade is based on local value adding and links the producer directly to the manufacturer (Straub and Walle 2007). Quality, level of processing and price of the Arnica material are close related issues. Drying is a value adding and improves both the quality of the product and revenues from its sale. On site drying requires facilities that can be managed by the locals, mostly farmers, under local conditions. Drying experiments have been performed and facilities in order to dry 6000 kg of fresh Arnica flower heads were constructed. A local resource and trade management organisation was established. References: Michler, B.; Kathe, W.; Schmitt, S.; Rotar, I., 2004: Conservation of Eastern European Medicinal plants: Arnica montana in Romania. Buletin USAMV-CN, Seria Agricultura 60: 228–230. Michler, B., 2005: Arznei- und Gewürzpflanzen. In: Rusdea, E.; Reif, A.; Povara, I.; Konold, W. (Hrsg) Perspektiven für eine traditionelle Kulturlandschaft in Osteuropa. Ergebnisse eines inter- und transdisziplinären, partizipativen Forschungsprojektes in Osteuropa. Culterra 34: 172–180. Straub, M.; Walle, E.M., 2007: Heilpflanzenforschung der WELEDA. Eine Samm-lung der Forschungsprojekte über Heilpflanzenanbau und Wildsammlung der Weleda AG/Weleda Naturals GmbH und Kooperationspartnern.
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24 Monitoring and conservation of ecosystems in drylands
Nedjraoui Dalila and Kadi-Hanifi Halima Université des Sciences et de la Technologie Houari Boumediène, BP 32 El Alia Bab Ezzouar Alger Algérie [email protected] In drylands, the follow-up mechanism of desertification is based on scientific related to the changes of the ecological systems. To understand the various phenomena and the mechanisms responsible for these changes and the desertification will allow constituting reliable and relevant databases on the various compartments of the systems, biophysic environment and anthropogene activities. The processing and the analysis of these data will have for purpose to emphasize the biophysics and socio-economic indicators- expression of various constraints and disturbances implied in the increase of the process of degradation, to evaluate their impacts, to test them, to validate them and to propose them like tools to the decision makers in charge of combating desertification and sustainable development.
The ecological observation and its follow-up have to be based on a monitoring plan, essential to the implementation of a national project of combating desertification, through: – Reference systems, i.e., a network of observation sites on the field in a national
scale, – A spatiotemporal information system based on the analysis of the satellite data, – Knowledge of the mechanisms, causes, consequences and scope of
desertification. In order to make the knowledge usable for decision-making – a plan of decision-making aid based on actions of information, research and
building of institutional capacities.
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25 From systematic samples to model-predicted richness maps and swiss biodiversity hot spots
Nobis Michael1 and Kohli Lukas2
1 Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, CH-8903 Birmensdorf
[email protected] 2 Coordination office of the Biodiversity Monitoring in Switzerland
Hintermann & Weber AG, Marzilistr. 8a, CH-3005 Bern [email protected]
Keywords: biodiversity, species richness, monitoring, modelling, prediction, multi-taxa hot spots, Switzerland Switzerland is one of the first countries to monitor its biological diversity. For this purpose the Federal Office for the environment (FOEN) has launched a programme called Biodiversity Monitoring in Switzerland (BDM). The aim of the BDM is to provide evidence of biodiversity changes for as large areas as possible. It is therefore important to survey the typical species of our normal landscape. One of the central indicators of the BDM focuses on surveying the “species richness in landscapes” (Z7). In a systematic sampling grid 520 sampling areas of 1 km2 are surveyed, thus ensuring reliable data for the whole country and for its biogeographical regions. Up to now, the survey records vascular plants, birds (both since 2001), and butterflies (since 2003). However, the information is restricted to the 520 km2, a small portion of the countryside.
We predict the species richness for the complete landscape by modelling. Generalized Linear Models (GLMs) were applied to a set of 80 topographical, geological, climate, and land-use correlates of species richness. The models explain 71% of the variability in vascular plant species richness (451 plots; 7 model variables), 78% for birds (445 plots; 5 variables) and 69% for butterflies (270 plots; 8 variables), respectively. Nationwide species richness maps were generated by applying the models and a moving window approach (1 km2 window, 100 meter-steps). For each taxon the map shows a clear broad-scale species richness pattern. However, the spatial patterns for vascular plants, birds and butterflies richness differ considerably. Merging all three taxon maps reveals belt-like patterns of high species richness – especially along mountain valleys.
In conclusion, modelling species richness based on systematic (monitoring) samples, GLM and a moving window approach is a suitable tool to visualize broad-scale patterns of species richness. Against the background of total species richness the results make clear, that a single taxon can not indicate the relevance of a region for its whole biodiversity. Cantons with biodiversity hot spots of several taxa, e.g. the canton Valais, have a particular responsibility to conserve and improve corresponding habitats. The future results will allow evaluating the impact of measures taken in favour of biodiversity. References: Koordinationsstelle Biodiversitätsmonitoring Schweiz 2006: Zustand der Biodiversität in der Schweiz. Umwelt-Zustand Nr. 0604. Bern, Bundesamt für Umwelt. Wohlgemuth, T.; Nobis, M.; Kienast, F.; Plattner, M. (in revision). Model predictions of vascular plant diversity on a landscape scale based on a systematic sample. J. Biogeogr.
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26 Pros and cons of game impact in the landscape Petřík Petr, Boublík Karel and Černý Tomáš Institute of Botany, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, 25243 CZ-Průhonice [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Keywords: browsing, Czech Republic, deciduous forest, dry grasslands, game impact, nature conservation At present, the National Forest Programme is being prepared in the Czech Republic and scientists from BioPlatform (www.ibot.cas.cz/biop) participate in a negotiation process with foresters and policy makers. The main tasks of the BioPlatform group are (i) reduction of game population and using assessment of game stock with respect to damaged vegetation and (ii) alternative management (e.g. forest grazing or coppicing) proposed for some old and open forests included in the Natura 2000 network due to halting biodiversity loss. In order to assess the impact of game we have monitored the species composition of different communities in various enclosures in the Křivoklátsko Biosphere Reserve.
(1) Since 1993, both fenced plots and unfenced plots have been documented annually in three forest types. The shrub in the oak-hornbeam forest has strongly developed on a fenced plot while the cover and numbers of forbs have decreased. In the oak forest, there has been only a slight increase in the species number on the fenced plot, in contrast to the unfenced plot. The total cover of the herb layer within the beech fenced plot has not significantly changed, while on the unfenced plot the cover has increased mainly due to the spread of aliens.
(2) Since 2004, similar design has been proposed for dry species-rich grasslands with significant changes revealed in the past 20 years. The soil is disturbed and eutrophicated seriously from the excrements of over-populated mouflons.
(3) A long-term (ca 300 years) grazing of fair game is carried out within large enclosure in the study area. Hence, plant species composition differs from this outside.
The browsing of game in the forests is responsible for soil disturbances and ecesis of non-forest plants. The game keeps forest understorey open (which is important for the survival of some threatened species) and suppresses juvenile growth. In the xerothermophilous vegetation, the over-populated game acts in a similar way. The large herbivores may influence biodiversity in both positive and negative ways depending on the vegetation type. The project shows that monitoring techniques developed for forest ecosystems can be successfully applied to the non-forest ones. The assessed changes contribute to knowledge about wildlife behaviour and lead to better ability to evaluate its impact. Furthermore, adaptation of management should be assessed case by case including decision makers if dealing with game.
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27 Will the climate change favour threatened Atlantic plants in Europe?
André Python1 and Gregor Kozlowski2
1 University of Fribourg, Department of Geosciences, Ch. du Musée 4,
CH-1700 Fribourg, Switzerland. [email protected] 2 University of Fribourg, Department of Biology, Ch. du Musée 10, CH-1700 Fribourg,
Switzerland. [email protected] Keywords: threatened plants, aquatic macrophytes, Atlantic Europe, Baldellia ranunculoides, Alismataceae, global warming, predicted species distribution, range shift Nowadays, bioclimatic models are largely used for the prediction of distribution of threatened species (Guisan et al. 2006). The majority of recent experimental and descriptive studies, however, deal with the negative effects resulting from climate change (e.g. extinction of rare and endangered species, spread of invasive organisms) (Dukes and Mooney 1999; Parmesan 2006). Until now, the influence of climate change on organisms adapted to oceanic climate (mild winter, high precipitation, etc.) as well as on aquatic plants has been poorly studied. The main aim of our study was to test the applicability of existing bioclimatic models and effectiveness of available indicators for the Atlantic plant group. We have used B. ranunculoides as a model species. It is an aquatic plant (Alismataceae) on the brink of extinction in many countries across its range (including Switzerland with 5 only populations).
From the climatic data collected across the whole range we extracted the five most important climatic factors. We modelled a current potential map of the distribution of B. ranunculoides and created maps for the period 2071–2100 (A2 and B2 scenarios). The results show a significant range shift towards the eastern part of Europe. Thus, according to our model, the populations of B. ranunculoides in western and central Europe could significantly benefit from the global warming (along with ca. 200 other plant species with a similar Atlantic distribution pattern and climatic preferences).
Such bioclimatic models and predictions may produce, however, inaccurate results when important factors are missing from the input data (e.g. habitat fragmentation, habitat availability) (Thuiller et al. 2004). Therefore, new conser-vation, planning and monitoring strategies have to be developed in order to come into scope with the ongoing dynamic range shifts of threatened taxa. We discus further some new or neglected concepts such as the Patrick-Principle (Lovejoy and Hannah 2005) and the Minimum-Dispersal Corridors (Williams et al. 2005).
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28 Spatial diversity of sal (Shorea robusta Gaertn. f) in pure and mixed sal forest areas at Madhupur, Bangladesh
Rahman Md.Mizanur1, Nishat Ainun2, Rahman G.M.Mujibar3, Herwig Ruprecht1 and Vacik Harald1 1 Institute of Silviculture, Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, University of Natural
Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
2 The World Conservation Union (IUCN) Bangladesh Country Office [email protected]
3 Department of Agroforestry, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh [email protected]
Keywords: contagion, mingling, dominance, differentiation, aggregation The Madhupur Sal forests in the centre of Bangladesh, comprising of pure and mixed stands more or less dominated by Sal (Shorea robusta Gaertn.f) is a highly valuable timber species. Sal plays a significant role for the livelihood of the people and is of major importance in maintaining the biodiversity of these ecosystems. Spatial diversity is a matter of concern for forest management. The aggregation of tree species is important for space and growing conditions for each individual. The applicability of indicators to assess the spatial diversity of Sal forests has not been evaluated at present. Therefore, a study was undertaken to assess the spatial diversity of pure and mixed Sal forests at Madhupur by a number of diversity indicators developed for species poor systems in Europe. Based on 60 sample plots an analysis of 180 sample trees and related 720 neighbours were done. Species mingling, size dominance, contagion, and size differentiation were calculated.
The results indicated that within the pure Sal forests 95% of the trees were Sal and within the mixed forests 78% of the trees were Sal. The contagion of Sal in mixed and pure Sal forests was 0.49 and 0.66 respectively, which indicated tendency towards random dispersion of trees in mixed and clumped dispersion of trees in pure Sal forests. The results revealed that size dominance were regular in both pure and mixed Sal forests; and the size differentiation was less in pure Sal forest than in mixed forest. The mean distance from a sample tree to the neighbours indicated that pure Sal forests were more densely populated than mixed Sal forests.
It was found that indicators supporting neighbourhood analysis can be effectively used as simple, easy and quick method for estimating spatial diversity of Sal forest of Bangladesh. The use of these techniques and the combination of different indices supports an integrative assessment of these forest ecosystems, which can lead to a better evaluation of management practices in respect to naturalness, ecosystem stability or sustainability.
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29 A gap analysis comparing Natura 2000 vs national protected area system effectiveness with potential natural vegetation
Rosati Leonardo, Marignani Michela and Blasi Carlo Department of Plant Biology, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, Piazzale Aldo Moro, 5-00185 Rome, Italy [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Keywords: conservation biogeography, gap analysis, ecoregions, Natura 2000 network, protected areas, Italy A gap analysis of Protected Areas in Itay was performed to evaluate the representativeness of the Potential Natural Vegetation types and the effectiveness of the Natura 2000 vs National Protected Area system. In this context, the PNV map, reflecting the diversity and spatial arrangement of the natural terrestrial ecosystems, can be considered as an appropriate proxy of environmental and biogeographical diversity of Italy.
In Italy, 775 protected areas are officially registered in the Official List of Protected Areas (OLPA) and 2281 sites are listed as Sites of Community Interest (SCIs) and 590 as Special protection areas (SPAs), constituting the Natura 2000 network.
The adopted target considered that any PNV included for less than the 10% in the PAs system (OLPA, Natura2000, and the overall system) was defined as a gap in the system.
Digital overlays of PNV and PAs systems were separately performed and statistics produced, indicating the current state of protection of Potential Natural Vegetation types in the two systems (OLPA and Natura 2000).
Results show that more than 59% of PNV types recognised on the Italian territory is not protected by the OLPA system. On the contrary, regarding Natura 2000 network, 68% of PNV are protected, accounting for 27% more than OLPA.
Our results show that compared to the National system of OLPA, the European system Natura 2000 is characterized by a larger percentage of territory in terms of area (18% of the Italian territory for N2000 vs 10% of OLPA) but also by a smaller size of the sites, allowing for a more coherent distribution and efficiency in the protection of habitat remnants (68% PNV protected by N2000 vs 41% by OLPA).
The proposed PNV approach can help guiding decisions on where and how to spend scarce conservation management resources.
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30 Surveying the distribution of a fossorial lizard that is not always available for detection
Schmidt Benedikt karch, Passage Maximilien-de-Meuron 6, CH-2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland Zoologisches Institut, Universität Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland [email protected] Keywords: Anguis fragilis, availability for detection, bias, detection probability, reptile, site occupancy, survey, red list Monitoring serves to assess the status of a species or natural resource. Obviously, status and trends will be assessed reliably only if the species is detected if it is truly present at a site. Otherwise non-detection will be confounded with absence or species decline. Although this may seem trivial, few monitoring programs account for this fact. Non-detection has two components: detection probability and availability for detection.
I will use data from the update of the Swiss red list of reptiles to illustrate the effects of imperfect detection (i.e. detection probability < 1) and low availability for detection on estimates of site occupancy of a fossorial lizard. Estimates of site occupancy are biased low if non-detection and availability for detection are not taken into account. Simple likelihood-based methods (MacKenzie et al. 2002, Ecology 83: 2248–2255) can (and should) be used to adjust for both components of non-detection.
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31 How monitoring species turnover can provide early warning of species loss: a case study
Somodi Imelda1, Virágh Klára2 and Podani János1
1 Department of Plant Taxonomy and Ecology, Biological Institute, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter s. 1/C, 1117 Budapest, Hungary. [email protected]
2 Institute for Ecology and Botany of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Alkotmány str. 2–4, 2163 Vácrátót, Hungary. [email protected]
Keywords: abandonment, Calamagrostis epigejos, grasslands, spatial scales, species richness, vegetation dynamics Studies of species turnover in intact grasslands have contributed greatly to our understanding of fine-scale vegetation dynamics of natural grasslands. Never-theless, their potential in following and predicting changes remained unexplored. Composition change and species loss in abandoned grasslands are among the most striking changes of grassland vegetation today. Species loss is often caused by intrusion or increasing dominance of aggressively spreading grasses, both alien and indigenous. One of the most problematic species in this aspect is Calama-grostis epigejos, which is in the focus of this study too.
In our investigations we aimed at following changes in species turnover pattern along gradually increasing performance of C. epigejos. Another goal of our investigations was to determine the aspect of C. epigejos performance, which is in the closest correspondence with changing turnover attributes. Candidate variables were: cover of living shoots and litter, abundance of living shoots and length of presence.
Data were collected in a subplot-plot system in an abandoned pasture, with known history of 25 years. Turnover values were calculated for subplots for pairs of years between 2002 and 2005. These values were related to C. epigejos performance at two scales: in subplots and plots. A previous investigation has shown that only one specific turnover component, the appearance rate of species, is influenced by the dominance of C. epigejos in our case. Therefore, only this variable was used to follow turnover changes here. The relationship between appearance rate and performance variables was assessed via Monte Carlo randomization.
The pattern of turnover change was similar for all the measures of C. epigejos performance. After the establishment of the species there was a significant increase in appearance rate in affected plots followed by a rapid drop later. As for the relative explanatory power of performance variables, percentage cover had the closest relationship with turnover changes. Cover values measured at the plot scale explained turnover in subplots much better, than those measured at subplot scale.
These results demonstrate how important tool the monitoring of species turnover can be. Since far before a decline of species richness, an enhancement of appearance rates can be observed and taken as a diagnostic sign. Furthermore, our results also underline the importance of viewing affecting factors on different scales, since a top-down control can be present in the dynamics, which can remain hidden otherwise.
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32 Effects of traditional coppicing and game density on epigeic fauna
Spitzer Lukas1, Tropek Robert1, Konvicka Martin2, Benes Jiri2, Tuf H. Ivan3 and Tufova Jana3 1 Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice,
Czech Republic. [email protected], [email protected] 2 Institute of Entomology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budějovice, Czech
Republic. [email protected], [email protected] 3 Faculty of Science, Palacky University, Olomouc, Czech Republic
[email protected], [email protected] Keywords: deciduous woodlands, Carabidae, Chilopoda, Diplopoda, Oniscidea, Opiliones, Aranea, biodiversity conservation Evidences from birds, butterflies, higher plants and saproxylic beetles support the hypothesis that natural deciduous woodlands of lowland temperate Europe would be sparser and more open than both non-intervention reserves and commercially grown high forests prevailing in present (Buckley 1992; Vera 2000; Benes et al. 2006). This hypothesis is consistent with dependency of many woodland species on such traditional management methods as coppicing or forest pasture. Effects of such methods on epigeic arthropods are little known and concerns for such groups are sometimes evoked as argument against traditional management.
We used pitfall traps to sample carabid beetles, arachnids (spiders, harvestmen) and non-insect mesofauna (millipedes, centipedes and woodlice, herein ‘epi-bugs’) in the Milovicky wood, Czech Republic, a former coppice now partly used as intensive deer park and partly still coppiced. A complete two factorial design allowed simultaneous assessment of effects of forest openness (closed, open) and game density (high, low). All three groups had significantly more species and individuals in open stands. Differences concerned game density. Arachnids preferred open stands and avoided high game density. Carabids and epi-bugs preferred open stands with low game; close stands were intermediate independently of game, while open stands with high game were least preferred. Ordinations (CCA) showed that both openness and game density affected species composition of carabids and arachnids, only openness had an effect on epi-bugs.
In all three groups, species of conservation concern were associated with open stands. Parallel analysis showed that cover of vegetation strata was responsible for the pattern.
The results unequivocally support the necessity of restoring of traditional management methods to maintain woodland diversity, at least in selected protected areas. The recently prevailing non-intervention management in protected woodlands of European lowlands may soon prove as a gigantic failure. On the other hand, they also show that high ungulate densities in intensive game parks are intolerable for conserving woodland epigeic invertebrates, possibly because supplementary feeding allows the animals to reach higher biomass, and execute stronger effects on vegetation, than under occasional low-density pasture of domestic animals.
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33 Statistical power and optimal sample design in ecological monitoring
Vos Paul1 and Meelis Evert2
1 Department of Environmental Biology, Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden
University, Netherlands [email protected]
2 Research group Theoretical Biology, Institute Biology Leiden, Leiden University, Netherlands [email protected]
Keywords: ecological monitoring, time-series, statistical power, ANOVA, linear regression, optimal design, aquatic vegetation, macro-invertebrates, meadowbirds. Many ecological monitoring schemes are aimed at the detection of long-term trends in the size of local and regional populations of species. Since field observations constitute a substantial part of the total effort and costs, it is useful to examine statistical power and optimal design for such schemes. Power obviously depends of the statistical analysis methods applied. For the analysis of short time-series, we use different models for regression embedded in an ANOVA-approach.
We consider basic time x space x replicates schemes. Both factors describing time (years) and space (locations) can be considered fixed or random, leading to 4 different distinguishable models and thus 4 differents tests for linear trend. For simplicity autocorrelation in the data is ignored and only linear trends are examined. Most methods of statistical tests found in the literature are based on models with either years of locations as random model terms. For inferences about the general trend of the population under consideration this can be considered as pseudo-replication with subsequent misleading results. For the model with both time and space as random factors, the standard ‘approximate F-test’ for this test often does not perform very well due to negative F-values. We developed and tested an alternative “approximate F-test” which avoids this problem.
Optimal design and power based on this method was calculated using data from different sources: monitoring schemes for meadow birds, aquatic submerse vegetation and aquatic macro-invertebrates. Results show that for a wide range of ecological variables and field methods a high frequency of measurement years rather than a wide spatial coverage, i.e., large numbers of measurement locations will lead to maximum costs-effectiveness, i.e. maximum statistical power for minimum effort.
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34 Indicators for nature friendly ditch management by farmers
Vos Paul and Musters, C.J.M. (Kees) Dep. of Environmental Biology, Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, The Netherlands [email protected], [email protected] Keywords: AES, ditch plants, indicator system, sensitivity, specificity, predictive value, changes in time Ditches are important and characteristic landscape elements in the western and northern parts of the Netherlands. Although they are needed to drain agricultural areas, they have no direct productive value, and therefore, they may offer an opportunity for nature conservation within agricultural areas. From previous studies on dairy farms it is known that ditch management of farmers has a direct influence on vegetation and macro-fauna. Yet, no Environmental-Agricultural Schemes (EAS) are available for the conservation or enhancing of biodiversity in these aquatic systems.
To enable the evaluation of future EAS for ditches, a simple and reliable measurement of biodiversity is needed. Such a measurement could also be used in direct payment schemes. We studied a set of 16 plant species as an indicator system for Weighted Plant species Richness (WPR) of ditches in peat areas.
We found that in a spatial analyses the number of species of this set with a threshold value of four is a sensitive and specific predictor for above average WPR, using Murtaugh’s method. However, in temperal analyses the indicator performs rather poor.
This result seems related to the approach of Murtaugh, transforming basically continuous variables into dichotomous ones using an arbitrary cutoff. Typically, relevant changes over time move close to the cutoff, i.e., the region where the indicator performs poorly.
We developed an extension of Murtaugh’s method using more then two classes for both WPR and the indicator. Our multiple class approach seems more satisfying, since misclassifications only have limited consequences. Moreover, it enables the search for another set of indicator species that can perform better. Reference: Murtaugh, P.A., 1996: The statistical evaluation of ecological indicators. Ecol. Appl. 6, 1: 132–139.
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35 Long-term monitoring of biodiversity in the canton Aargau
Weber Darius Hintermann & Weber AG, Postfach, CH–4118 Rodersdorf [email protected] Keywords: biodiversity monitoring Quantification of the changes in biodiversity is important to convince decision makers to implement nature conservation programs. Moreover, such monitoring schemes are important to assess the overall effect of nature conservation programs. The canton Aargau covers 1440 km2 in the lowland-part of Switzerland. During the decades of 1970 and 1980 biodiversity decreased sharply because of intensified farming practices and sprawling urban areas.
Since 1995 a monitoring program is in effect that quantifies the changes in biodiversity systematically. At 517 evenly distributed points species number is determined for plants, snails, butterflies and birds. In a shifting-site routine, one fifth of all plots are probed each year. Specially trained professionals conduct fieldwork.
First preliminary results indicate, that between 1995 and 2006 overall species richness in the canton Aargau was constant or slightly increasing. Although initial values in 1995 were already low, butterflies showed a significant decrease in species richness. The monitoring design turned out to be extremely suitable not only to answer the question of changes in overall biodiversity, but also to recognize general patterns of changes by systematic data mining.
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36 Development of remote sensing derived tool to assess the impact of conservation policy measures and drought on east african ecosystems – the endeleo project
Westra Toon1, Swinnen Else2, De Wulf Robert1 and Lambrechts Christian3 1 Laboratory of Forest Management and Spatial Information Techniques, Ghent
University, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium. [email protected], [email protected]
2 Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Boeretang 200, BE-2400 Mol, Belgium. [email protected]
3 United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations Avenue, Nairobi, Kenya. [email protected]
Keywords: drought, conservation policy, remote sensing, change detection, participative management In view of the importance of the services provided by natural ecosystems to key sectors, such as energy, tourism, and agriculture, there is an increasing interest from a large number of stakeholders to actively participate in natural ecosystems management and conservation. Access to updated information on the state of these ecosystems and the efficiency of conservation policy is a prerequisite to ensure effective participative management processes.
The ENDELEO project will address some of the key obstacles to well-informed participatory management processes in drought vulnerable areas in eastern Africa. The project’s objectives are to: (1) Assess the impact of changes in conservation policy and practices in drought vulnerable areas using time series of both high and low spatial resolution space borne Remote Sensing (RS) imagery; (2) Define, develop and put in place RS based information tools to enhance the capacity of managers and the civil society in monitoring the impacts of conservation policy and practices and to help them participate actively in environment conservation and management.
Results of a consultative workshop to be held in Kenya in July 2007 will be presented. The aim of this workshop is to get feedback from stakeholders on information needs, preferred data formats, available infrastructure, training level, regions of interest, and previous experiences with RS data and products. At the workshop, we will present several case studies, in which the possibilities of RS based methods are demonstrated on selected study sites, both rangelands and forests. In these case studies, both low spatial resolution (SPOT-VEGETATION, AVHRR), and high spatial resolution (Landsat, ASTER) satellite data, together with ancillary data are used to detect changes in land cover/ land use (LCLU), as well as changes in vegetation condition within a certain LCLU class. Furthermore, it will be analyzed if the detected changes were caused by human influence (e.g. policy, population pressure) or environmental factors (e. g. droughts) and the effectiveness of conservation policy will be evaluated.
In a next stage of the project, the feedback from the workshop will used for selection of the methods and data formats, and for the development of the RS based information tools.
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37 A new vision for ecological network: integrating landscape and species data to support local planning decisions
Zavattero Laura1, Marignani Michela2, Copiz Riccardo2, Rosati Leonardo2, Smiraglia Daniela2 and Blasi Carlo2 1 Department of S.T.A.T, University of Molise, Contrada Fonte Lappone 86090 Isernia
Italy. [email protected] 2 Department of Plant Biology, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, Piazzale Aldo Moro, 5
I-00185 Rome, Italy. [email protected] Keywords: hierarchical classification, species level, multivariate analysis, Italy We present a new methodology for the identification of the Ecological Network that rely on the idea of integrating landscape and species data to support local planning decisions. The study area is the Province of Rome (Italy) characterized by an area of 5,352 km², and a total population of 3,807,992. We adopted a multi-taxa ap-proach with hierarchical landscape classification for the identification of ecological networks elements, together with the classical species specific approach (Groot Bruinderink et al. 2003), aiming to use the information regarding the distribution on the territory of vascular flora and fauna.
Species level was analyzed considering species occurrence of vascular plants, mammals, amphibians, reptiles and birds (grid database 2x2 Km) and their level of protection, rarity and threatened status. Landscape level was performed using CORINE land cover map, within homogeneous units, i.e land units sensu Blasi et al 2000. We evaluated the landscape with indexes of structure, composition and conservation, elaborated with multivariate analysis (PAM, Kaufman et al. 1990). To define the Ecological Network elements we integrated species level (richness and higher conservation priority) with landscape level (e.g. land units conservation status, fragmentation, complexity etc.) with the distribution of protected areas. During the selection process we reclassified the existing polygons (e.g. land unit, protected areas…) following the species and landscape value parameters, to define core area, buffer and connections without introducing any new polygons and boundaries. Results show that 85% of species records are located in landscape unit classified as “top conservation value” by multivariate analysis, demonstrating that landscape hierarchical classification can be efficiently used to individuate the elements of Ecological Network. In this context, selected land units and protected areas can be defined as planning unit to support local planning decisions.
Ecological Network defined with an integrated species data and landscape approach is a proposal towards an effective conservation planning at local and regional scale.
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38 A proper inventory method to study the biodiversity Zobeiri Mahmoud and Alijanpour Ahmad Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, IRAN [email protected] and [email protected], [email protected] Keywords: Arasbaran, inventory method, biodiversity, transect Arasbaran forest is scattered in the north-west of Iran. Its surface area is about 164000 ha that is located in Eastern Azarbayjan province. There are about 785 plant species in this forest that 97 species are woody. Some of the woody species are hornbeam, oak, maple, cherry and yew tree. A part of this forest (72400 ha of 164000 ha) was declared as Protected Forest in 1976.
A suitable inventory method is necessary to collect statistical data to investigate the plant biodiversity in protected and non-protected Arasbaran forest. Visiting the study area, three inventory methods with circular and rectangular sample plots and transect were chosen. The area of the plots was 3 Ar and the length of transect was 30 meters.
In the protected part a 867.6 ha area was chosen and studied by 140 sample plots in a 150 × 300 meter network. Number of trees per hectare, basal area at dbh, regeneration status and species composition were measured in each plot. Statistical tests (Duncan and t-test) showed that there was no significant difference among the means of basal area and number of trees but the difference among the time of sampling (T) was significant. Then A% (E%2×T) was calculated for three methods and transect method as the index to compare the methods. Transect method was chosen as the best because of the least A%.
Using 1968 aerial photographs which were taken 8 years before declaration of the boundary of protected area, a 485.6 ha study area was chosen in non-protected forest similar to the study area in protected part and compared with a 481.9 ha study area in protected part. 92 samples were taken in both areas in the same network (150 × 300 m). The t-test showed that quantitative data (mean basal area and number of trees per hectare) and qualitative data (species composition percentage, verticality of stems, coppice and high forest percentage and regeneration health) were significantly higher in protected forest. Transect method is a suitable inventory method in Arasbaran forests for qualitative and quantitative data collection. There was a significant difference among the results of three methods (considering the time of sampling in three methods). Also A% was the least for transect method. References: Alijanpour, A., 1996: Arasbaran qualitative and quantitative studies. M.Sc. thesis. University of Tehran, Iran. Javanshir, K., 1976: Woody Species of Iran. Natural Resources Preservation Organization, Iran. Vries, P.G., 1986: Sampling Theory for Forest Inventory. Berlin, Heidelberg, Springer. Zobeiri, M., 2002: Forest Biometry. University of Tehran Press, Iran.
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39 Biomonitoring of protected ground-dwelling beetle species by mark-release-recapture method
Peregovits László1, Kövér Szilvia1, Soltész Zoltán1 and Bérces Sándor2
1 Department of Zoology, Hungarian Natural History Museum, H-1088 Budapest,
Baross u. 13, Hungary [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
2 Duna–Ipoly National Park Directorate, 2509 Esztergom, Strázsa-hegy, [email protected]
Keywords: protected species, beetle, monitoring, pitfall trap, capture-recapture The aim of these studies were to provide scientifically reliable but still feasible sampling methods to be used in every day nature conservation management practice.
The following methodological questions concerning live-catching pitfall trap sampling have been studied: the number and density of traps, the frequency of sampling, the movement and mixing up of marked and unmarked individuals and the potential bias caused by attraction between the sexes.
Populations of Dorcadion pedestre, D. fulvum cervae (strictly protected) and D. scopolii were sampled in Kiskunság NP, in an intensively grazed sheep and a less intensively used cow pasture. In both habitats a dense (2.5 × 2.5 m, 243 traps) and a sparse (5 × 5m, 75 traps) grid of triplets of traps were settled (each grid was 20 × 20 m). Traps were emptied in every 2–4 days (14 samplings in 2005 and 21 in 2006). The strictly protected C. hungaricus was sampled in the Duna–Ipoly NP, using a grid (4 × 4 m, on 0.37 ha) of 270 live-catching traps with bait.
We found only minor differences in the densities and seasonal dynamics of Dorcadion species between the two habitats. The accuracy of estimation from the dense trapping grids was appropriate, however, the standard errors of estimations from the sparse grids was too high.
A bias may occur if attraction between the sexes influences capture probability, e.g. the presence of a female in a trap might increase the capture probability of males and result in not independent capture of individuals. We calculated the distribution of traps according to the number of caught male and female individuals to test this hypothesis for the four beetle species. The empirical distributions were not significantly different from the theoretical ones generated assuming independent catch of males and females, so this bias could not be verified in our study.
Movement patterns were also examined by determining the distribution of distances walked by the individuals between consecutive capture occasions. Positive relationship found between the movement intensity and capture probability for both species and sexes. Since majority of the beetles were not recaptured in the nearby traps this indicates that the marked and released individuals mixed up with the unmarked ones so live-catching pitfall trap can be used for population estimations.
This research has been funded by the National R&D Programme, entitled “The origin and genesis of the fauna of the Carpathian Basin” (no: 3B023-04).
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40 Monitoring biodiversity in Austrian agricultural landscapes to assess the impact of agro-environmental measures
Wrbka Thomas, Schindler Stefan. Schmitzberger Ingrid, Peterseil Johannes, Pollheimer Martin, Bartel Andreas and Zehtner Gerhard University of Vienna – Institute of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Althanstr.14, A-1090 Vienna. [email protected] Keywords: biodiversity assessment, birds, vascular plants, bryophytes, landscape structure, Austria, agro-environmental program, landscape change, repetitive sampling The project “Comparative biodiversity investigations in selected areas for the evaluation of the efficiency of measures according to ÖPUL 2000” aimed to analyse the measures within the Austrian agro-environmental program (ÖPUL) in respect to their effects on biodiversity and landscape. The objectives were twofold: to develop and test a methodology for analysing these effects, and to apply the method to evaluate the agro-environmental measures in selected areas. In the framework of the research program “Austrian Landscape Research”, landscape and biodiversity were thoroughly mapped in 39 test sites of 1km² during the year 1998. Ten of those were again sampled in 2003, so that the temporal changes could be documented. Vascular plants, birds and bryophytes were used as biodiversity indicators, a set of landscape richness variables was used to characterize landscape structure and habitat, and socio-economic data from the INVEKOS-database were employed to identify the agreements of the parcels in question. Two analytical approaches were followed: In the simultaneous approach, parcels with agro-environmental measures were compared to parcels without such agreements. The temporal approach demonstrated changes under the influence of certain measures. Additionally, landscape ecological parameters were examined in smaller sections (raster cells), and cells with higher or lower proportion of agro-environmental measures were compared. The reduction of agricultural inputs showed positive effects on species biodiversity of both vascular plants and birds. But, whereas abdication measures proved successful, other reduction measures did not appear to positively influence diversity. This differentiation was more pronounced in arable landscapes than on grassland. Measures that directly address the support of species in need of protection were much less accepted and only occurred on very small area proportions. They consistently showed positive effects on threatened birds, whereas the influence on threatened plants was more obscure. Contradicting developments became apparent for ecological infrastructures. Whereas the trend of linear features, woodlots and single trees was predominantly negative, infrastructures with wider area extension, especially set aside areas, increased in several test areas. Landscape qualities, like coherence, differentiation and cultural identity were partly improved partly deteriorated. The analysis uncovered contradictory trends among different habitat types in the same test area. Again, setting aside of agricultural land was among the causes of positive effects. Especially in arable landscapes species and habitat diversity is greatly enhanced by this measure. The loss of linear infrastructures in some areas despite agro-environmental measures, on the other hand, is the main drawback to become evident.
