Towards cost-effective indicators to maintain Natura 2000 sites in a favourable conservation status
Context
Natura 2000 (Habitat Directive, 92/43/EEC) represents one of the main actions being undertaken on a European level to assist in the maintenance of biodiversity, which is now recognised as a global priority. Its main aim is the conservation of natural habitats and wild plants and animal species of Community interest through the maintenance of favourable conservation status (FCS).
Forests represent a significant proportion of Europe’s biological diversity, covering 47% of the total land surface and more than half of the 18,000 Natura 2000 sites. Therefore, specific attention needs to be paid to integrating conservation objectives into forest management, ensuring a FCS of the sites to be maintained.
Approach
The successful maintenance of FCS depends on undertaking monitoring to assess conservation status. Few monitoring methods have been developed, tested and evaluated to date, and their cost-effectiveness has not been examined. This poses a major challenge for the scientific community and represents an urgent research priority.
The research therefore aims to improve the assessment of the conservation status of forested Natura 2000 sites by developing, testing and evaluating different monitoring methods based on cost-effective indicators.
Publications
Cantarello, E., Newton, A.C., 2008. Identifying cost-effective indicators to assess the conservation status of forested habitats in Natura 2000 sites. Forest Ecology and Management 256, 815-826.
Cantarello, E., 2007. Towards cost-effective indicators to maintain Natura 2000 sites in a favourable conservation status. PhD thesis, University of Padova, Italy. Supervisors: Prof. Franco Viola, Prof. Adrian Newton
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