Evaluating impact on ranges of species

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Scope

Does the option reduce the number of species/varieties/races in any area (i.e. reduce biological diversity) or increase the range of species (e.g. by promoting conservation)?

Definition

Biodiversity loss, e.g. reduction of number of species/varieties/races in any area, has in large part been attributed to habitat loss and fragmentation of natural landscapes. By habitat conservation, the reduction of biological diversity can be altered and through renaturation of former humanly occupied land, especially at ecologically important vertices and recreation of buffer zones, ecological corridors at strategic sites and creation of natural retreats the process of biodiversity loss can even sometimes be reversed, at least in parts.

Result

Indicators:

The following Eurostat Structural Indicators are relevant to address the key question:

It is difficult to find indicators that demonstrate the decrease/increase of species in any area if the indicator is supposed to show the development in more than one species. But strong influence on biodiversity is exerted by the amount of protected areas to allow high biodiversity:

• Sufficiency of sites designated under the EU Habitats Directive
• Farmland bird index

The following Eurostat Sustainable Development Indicators are relevant to address the key question:

Population trends of wild farmland birds reveal that the number of farmland bird species has crashed across Europe by more than 30 per cent since 1980. Tree defoliation affects endangered species as well as other species depending on the damaged trees. Relevant indicators which are covered by Eurostat data are:

• Common bird index
• Percentage of forest trees damaged by defoliation

Through catches outside biological limits fish species get endangered and the number of survivable species decreases. Therefore the following Sustainable Development Indicator might provide a hint on this subject:

• Fish catches from stocks outside 'safe biological limits'

Additional Links:

European Environment Agency Indicators

EEA Biodiversity Indicators

• Change in area and use of grasslands
• Pressures on grasslands (lowland and mountain areas)
• Protection of grasslands
• Species in dry grasslands

See also

IA TOOLS

References

This text is for information only and is not designed to interpret or replace any reference documents