Contribution to EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020

Main results 2014/2015

Raquel Ubach – raquel.ubach@uab.cat Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) / European Topic Centre on

Spatial Information and Analysis (ETCSIA)

The European Commission has adopted an ambitious strategy (EC, 2011) to halt the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services in the EU by 2020. The new strategy aims at reaching Aichi targets of Biodiversity Convention (CBD).

The EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 headlines are:• Halting the loss of biodiversity and the degradation of ecosystem services in the EU by 2020,

and restoring them in so far as feasible, while stepping up the EU contribution to averting global biodiversity loss

• By 2050, European Union biodiversity and the ecosystem services it provides – its natural capital – are protected, valued and appropriately restored for biodiversity's intrinsic value and for their essential contribution to human wellbeing and economic prosperity, and so that catastrophic changes caused by the loss of biodiversity are avoided.

Policy context

The Strategy is divided into 6 targets, with 20 concrete actions to achieve them

Policy context

Implemented by the Working group MAES (Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services) – a joint body of European Commission and Member States with EEA participation.

1. Major Ecosystems Map in Europe2. Ecosystems assessment3. Urban and periurban GI

Main topics

1 Major Ecosystems Map in Europe - Aims

Ecosystem mapping shall provide reliable information for identification of Europe’s major ecosystems types.

It shall provide both:Ecosystems map + method for ecosystem mapping

1 Major Ecosystems Map in Europe - Methods

Crosswalk between EUNIS classes and CLC

Marine environmentCLC classes -> A1 : Littoral rock and other hard substrata

A2 : Littoral sedimentA3 : Infralittoral rock and other hard substrataA4 : Circalittoral rock and other hard substrataA5 : Sublittoral sedimentA6 : Deep-sea bedA7 : Pelagic water columnA8 : Ice-associated marine habitats

Marine ecosystems

Coastal environment

Deep seabed (A6)

Pelagic water column (A7)Ice-associated marine habitats (A8)

Coastal littoral*

Shelf

Open ocean

Marine Inlets and transitional waters

Infralittoral rock and other hard substrata (A3)Circalittoral rock and other hard substrata (A4)Sublittoral sediment (A5)

Littoral rock and other hard substrata (A1)Littoral sediment (A2)

Estuaries (X1)Coastal lagoons (X2-X3)

Terrestrial coast**Coastal dunes and sandy shores (B1)Coastal shingle (B2)Rock cliffs, ledges and shores (B3)

Marine environment

MAES classification EUNIS classification

Marine wet ecosystems

*class name modified by ETC-SIA (original ‘coastal areas’)** Not defined by MAES classification but by ETC-SIA to include the terrestrial habitats of coastal environment considered by EEA assessments

2 - Available substrate data?

YesEUROSION, MEDINA and Halpern

3 - MarineCombination of slope and coastal exposure

6 - Inland

5 - 1st km of coast

7 - Estuaries

8 - Coastal lagoons

9 - Fjords

CLC 522 to EUNIS X01

Considered ‘soft substrate’ by expert criteria

4 - Marine ecosystem rules

No

1 - Classified as ‘Marine waters ‘ by CLC?

Yes

No Terrestrial ecosystem

Rules criteria

EUSeaMap and MeshAtlantic

SubstrateDepthSea Ice

((EUROSION not available))

CLC 521 to EUNIS X02-X03

Map of ecosystem types

2 Ecosystems AssessmentMarine environment

The rationale of the assessment should be focused on applying the knowledge available to address those drivers of pressures producing changes in biodiversity within ecosystems, causing loss of species and biological diversity, and affecting the wellbeing of ecosystem’s health.

The main direct drivers of ecosystem change causing major pressures on ecosystems as set by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA, 2005) are:• habitat change• climate change • pollution and nutrient enrichment • invasive species• resource exploitation

Assessing pressuresHabitat change is a driver of change that produces habitat loss or degradation.

Assessing pressures

𝐸𝑥𝑝𝑙=( fishing+aquaculture

2 )+energy+shipping3

3 Urban and periurban GI

GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE• Definition“a strategically planned network of natural and semi-natural areas with other environmental features designed and managed to deliver a wide range of ecosystem services. It incorporates green spaces (or blue if aquatic ecosystems are concerned) and other physical features in terrestrial (including coastal) and marine areas. On land, Green Infrastructure is present in rural and urban settings.”

Urban Potential – the case of Barcelona (ES002)It shows the intensity of urbanisation in the region as the probability of a certain pixel to be ‘urban’ considering the influence of the surrounding pixels (within a radius of 5 km).

3 Urban and periurban GI

Green Potential – the case of Barcelona (ES002)3 Urban and periurban GI

It shows the intensity of urbanisation in the region as the probability of a certain pixel to be ‘green’ considering the influence of the surrounding pixels (within a radius of 1 km).

A more conservative approach!

Effective Green Infrastructure – the case of Barcelona (ES002)To elude the negative impacts of built-up areas, the potential intensity of built-up will be computed and subtracted to the green potential, configuring the effective green infrastructure.

To subtract the urban potential to the green infrastructure potential, it has been removed those pixels where the urban impact is high (those where urban effects are equal or higher than 25%)

mean EGI – the case of Barcelona (ES002)For each city it is possible to calculate the distribution of EGI from the city centre to the city fringe (here it has been used a buffer of 50 km).

Mean EGI is the sum of the EGI in each ring of the city, divided by the area.

Hotspots – the case of Barcelona (ES002)The detection of hotspot areas is defined by those areas where a high green infrastructure potential and a considerable urban effect coincide.

These areas are interesting in terms of management, as they have an important green potential that can be enhanced by reducing the impact of urban negative effects of fragmentation, habitat reduction, noise pollution, etc.

EGI & Hotspots – the case of Barcelona (ES002)

City factsheets – the case of Barcelona (ES002)