Habitats habitat concept, identification, methodology for habitat mapping, organization of mapping

Transcription

1 Habitats habitat concept, identification, methodology for habitat mapping, organization of mapping Rastislav Lasák & Ján Šeffer Training Implementation of Habitats Directive - Habitats and Plants 1

2 What is all about? EU wants to protect nature in Europe. EU has prepared directives to fulfill this idea: Bird Directive - Council Directive 79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979 on the conservation of wild birds Habitat Directive - Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora Water Framework Directive - Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy EU member states are required to follow these directives Training Implementation of Habitats Directive - Habitats and Plants 2

3 Habitat Directive Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora EU member states are mandatory to create a network of sites for protecting of natural habitats and wild species listed in annexes of the Directive: over 230 habitat types over 1000 wild species Accessing countries can add new habitats or species Training Implementation of Habitats Directive - Habitats and Plants 3

4 What is habitat in general? A habitat (in 18 th century from Latin word habitáre= it dwells ) is an ecological or environmental area that is inhabited by a particular species of animal, plant, or other type of organism. (It does not need to be a geographic area) According Merriam-Webster and Oxford Dictionary it can be defined as the natural environment of an organism, the place in which it is natural for it to live and grow. This is similar in meaning to a biotope (defined by Ernst Haeckel in 19 th century from Greek bios= life and topos= place ), an area of uniform environmental conditions associated with a particular community of plants and animals. (In Slovakia we translate Habitat Directive to Smernica o biotopoch ) Training Implementation of Habitats Directive - Habitats and Plants 4

5 Many different habitats in nature Training Implementation of Habitats Directive - Habitats and Plants 5

6 Many different habitats need classification Forest Alluvial forest (Salicion albae) Alluvial forest with Salix alba (Salicetum albae) Training Implementation of Habitats Directive - Habitats and Plants 6

7 Many different habitats need classification 2 Grassland Hay meadow mesic grassland (Arrhenatherion elatioris) Hay meadow mesic grassland with Polygala comosa (Anthoxantho-Agrostietum tenuis) Training Implementation of Habitats Directive - Habitats and Plants 7

8 Habitats classification in EU Palearctic Habitat Classification Hierarchical classification of habitats of European Community elaborated by Devillers and Devillers-Terschuren It is a main backbone for classifications in CORINE-BIOTOPES project. EUNIS (European Nature Information System) Classification Hierarchical comprehensive pan-european system to facilitate the harmonised description and collection of data across Europe elaborated by EEA (European Environmental Agency) in Covers all types of habitats natural, semi-natural and artificial Classification of habitats from Habitat Directive Annex I Covers only natural habitats Hierarchical system but higher levels are for grouping only 8

9 EUNIS habitat type hierarchical view (all habitat types) 9

10 Habitat Annex I Directive hierarchical view (only natural habitats) 10

11 How Habitat Directive defines habitats? Natural habitats means terrestrial or aquatic areas distinguished by geographic, abiotic and biotic features, whether entirely natural or semi-natural. European Nature Information System (EUNIS) addition to this definition: a place where plants or animals normally live, characterized primarily by its physical features (topography, plant or animal physiognomy, soil characteristics, climate, water quality etc.) and secondarily by the species of plants and animals that live there. 11

12 What do mean those names of habitats in the Habitat Directive Annex I? (Or how to identify habitats?) Interpretation Manual of European Union Habitats Elaborated by Habitats Committee in cooperation with national experts Last version is EUR27 from July 2007 (after EUR25, EUR15 and EUR12 versions) Habitats description, characteristic species, correspondence with other classifications, associated habitat types, references 12

13 Example from Interpretation Manual of EU Habitats 13

14 Interpretation of habitats definition on National Catalogues of habitats Designate classification level for habitat/biotope Cover all, not only natural, habitat types of country Very important for field mapping national level 14

15 Habitat mapping Why to map? To be able to delineate SAC (Special Areas of Conservation) To be able to prepare management plans for sites To be able to monitor and report status of habitats/species Member states are required to fulfill these tasks 15

16 Habitat mapping How to map? Habitat mapping methodology requires: 1. Definition of mapping units => list of habitats 2. Definition of mapping objects => field map 3. Choosing correct method for data gathering => field form, steps of field work 4. All mapped data digitalization => mappers and central databases, GIS steps 5. Setting up proper logistic for overall process => personal, financial and time management All points correlate together Everything depends on purpose of mapping 16

17 Habitat mapping 1. Definition of mapping units Level of hierarchical classification have to be designated Biotopes from national catalogue, if exists Or 3 rd level of EUNIS classification Or alliances from Syntaxonomical classification As absolute minimum are habitats from Annex I of Habitat Directive List of mapping units with description and characteristic species is main output of this point 17

18 Habitat mapping 2. Definition of mapping objects The main purpose of this step, is to get information layer, which will be used for identification of habitats in the field Homogenous polygons have to be delineated onto aerial photos Objective delineation of borders of habitat types is in majority cases mission impossible due mosaic and ecotone character of distribution of habitat (vegetation) types. By delineation of homogenous habitats we can use clear physiognomic borders between different habitats (e.g. forest shrub, forest grasslands, terrestrial water habitats). We can use also human made borders as roads, fences, settlements, etc. The mapped polygons will be in majority cases habitat complexes. Aerial photo map with delineated homogenous areas 18

19 Example of habitats field view Training Implementation of Habitats Directive - Habitats and Plants 19

20 Example of habitats bird view Training Implementation of Habitats Directive - Habitats and Plants 20

21 This project is funded by the European Union Example of delineation of homogenous areas Training Implementation of Habitats Directive - Habitats and Plants 21

22 This project is funded by the European Union Example of delineation of homogenous areas 2 Training Implementation of Habitats Directive - Habitats and Plants 22

23 Delineated homogenous areas for field mapping 23

24 Habitat mapping 3. Choosing correct method for data gathering Criteria for evaluation Species list Site inventory Types of biological data Semi-quant. Releves & hab. mapping Pres./abs. Grid sampling Biomass Quantitative charactrtist. Individuals Populations size Sampling area large large medium small small Cost of sampling low low medium high high Precision low low medium high high Statistic evaluation no yes yes yes yes Bias of monitoring results low low medium medium high 24

25 Habitat mapping 3. Choosing correct method for data gathering Field mapping form Detailed steps of mapping 25

26 Example of field mapping form used in field work 26

27 Habitat mapping 4. All mapped data digitalization User friendly mappers databases (MS Access) digital representation of the field form habitat checklist ensure correct entry species checklist correction of typos or synonyms steps for area border correction Data manager database (MS Access) Central database for collecting all mappers data mappers names list GIS environment field maps digitalization 27

28 Example of digitalized field mapping form filled in database 28

29 Habitat mapping 5. Setting up proper logistic for overall process Mapper 1 field mapping Mapper data 2 field mapping Mapper data 3 field Several mapping field forms data Several field forms Several field forms Mapper 1 database Database Mapper form 2 database Database Mapper form 3 database Database form Central Database All mappers databases and their GIS Layers Field map Field map Field map Field map GIS processing DataFlow Manager(s) Outputs Data evaluation Maps of distribution Status monitoring Others

30 Habitats habitat concept, identification, methodology for habitat mapping, organization of mapping Thank you for your attention Rastislav Lasák, GIS and Database Expert, DAPHNE Institute of applied ecology, Slovakia Training Implementation of Habitats Directive - Habitats and Plants