Most semi-natural open habitats in Europe have been traditionally maintained by anthropogenic activities, such as grazing or mowing, preventing the establishment of woody vegetation. These habitats ...harbour a remarkably rich biodiversity in terms of both plant and animal species, but are also highly threatened, mainly by agricultural intensification and land abandonment. With this Editorial we introduce a Special Issue initiated by the European Dry Grassland Group (EDGG) at the Open Landscapes Conference (Hildesheim, 2013) and the 11th European Dry Grassland Meeting (Kulikovo Pole, 2014). We aim to give a short introduction to the current conservation status, significance and research of semi-natural open habitats in Europe and present the collected articles of the Special Issue. These papers cover a wide range of different semi-natural open habitats, including wood-pastures, heathlands, steppes, semi-dry and dry grasslands across the Palearctic region and address issues related to the assessment methods, threats, management and restoration of these habitats. We conclude that, in order to ensure their conservation and to monitor the changes in open habitats, integrative approaches are needed that take into account not only vegetation records, but also multiple animal taxa, abiotic factors, management practices, ecosystem services and modelling simulations for anticipating possible future scenarios. We also recommend that decision-makers should support actions to conserve open habitats in Europe by addressing such major challenges as the encroachment of woody vegetation. We are convinced that the present Special Issue will contribute to a better understanding of ecosystem functions and support the biodiversity conservation and management of semi-natural open habitats.
Večino pol naravnih odprtih habitatov v Evropi tradicionalno vzdržuje s svojim delovanjem človek, kot na primer s pašo ali košnjo, in tako preprečuje zaraščanje z lesnato vegetacijo. Ti habitati so biodiverzitetno zelo bogati z rastlinskimi in živalskimi vrstami, vendar tudi močno ogroženi zaradi intenzifikacije kmetijstva in opuščanja obdelave. V uvodu želimo predstaviti posebno številko revije, ki jo je vzpodbudila Evropska skupina za suha travišča (EDGG) na konferenci Open Landscapes (Hildesheim, 2013) in na 11. srečanju skupine (Kulikovo Pole, 2014). Predstaviti želimo trenutni varstveni status, pomen in raziskave pol naravnih odprtih habitatov v Evropi in zbrane članke v posebni številki. Ti članki obravnavajo širok nabor različnih pol naravnih odprtih habitatov, med njimi gozdne pašnike, resave, stepe, pol suha in suha travišča palearktične regije in obravnavajo metode njihove presoje, njihovo ogroženost, gospodarjenje in obnovo. Zaključimo lahko, da moramo poleg vegetacijskih popisov upoštevati tudi številne živalske vrste, abiotske dejavnike, načine gospodarjenja, ekosistemske usluge in modeliranje predvidenih možnih prihodnjih scenarijev, če želimo zagotoviti njihovo ohranjanje in spremljanje sprememb. Predlagamo tudi, da nosilci odločanja podprejo prizadevanja za ohranjanje odprtih habitatov v Evropi z obravnavanjem tako velikih izzivov kot je zaraščanje z lesnato vegetacijo. Prepričani smo, da bo posebna številka prispevala k boljšemu razumevanju ekosistemskih funkcij in omogočila ohranjanje biodiverzitete in gospodarjenje spol naravnimi odprtimi habitati.
The floristic investigation of the Ionian island of Kalamos resulted in the addition of 275 specific and infraspecific taxa, which are reported here, to a present total of 502 taxa. For each newly ...recorded taxon local distribution and habitat types are presented. Convolvulus pentapetaloides and Malcolmia graeca subsp. hydraea are reported for the first time from the Ionian islands. Some of the new records concern rare taxa in Greece or regional endemics, which are, therefore, chorologically significant, such as Alkanna corcyrensis, Stachys ionica, Heptaptera colladonioides. A brief description of some of the vegetation types of the island is given. The results of floristic analysis and phytogeographical aspects demonstrate the pronounced Mediterranean character of the island’s flora.
Na otoku Kalamos smo s floristično raziskavo odkrili 275 novih taksonov na nivoju vrste in nižje ob do sedaj že poznanih 502 taksonih. Za vsak novo odkrit takson predstavljamo lokalno razširjenost in habitatni tip. Taksona Convolvulus pentapetaloides in Malcolmia graeca subsp. hydraea smo na ionskih otokih našli prvič. Nekatere nove najdbe so redki taksoni ali lokalni endemiti, kot so Alkanna corcyrensis, Stachys ionica, Heptaptera colladonioides in so horološko pomembni. Podali smo tudi kratek opis nekaterih vegetacijskih tipov otoka. Rezultati floristične analize in fitogeografskih vidikov kažejo izrazito mediteranski značaj preučevanega rastlinstva.
The region of Tarnava Mare in Southern Transylvania contains extensive semi-natural open landscapes maintained by predominantly low-intensity farming, which is widespread in Romania and indeed many ...areas of Eastern Europe. Threats to these species-rich habitats from agricultural intensification and land abandonment have been increasing in recent years, to a large extent linked with Romania’s accession to the EU in 2007. At the same time, however, the opportunities for biodiversity conservation in the area have expanded. In 2008, the region became a Site of Community Importance (SCI) as part of the Natura 2000 network, and farmers have applied agri-environment schemes as part of the EU Common Agricultural Policy since 2006. Furthermore, the Tarnava Mare region has been the location of several EU and nationally funded projects combining research, practical and information measures. In this article, we review these various instruments from the practical perspective of an NGO that has been working since 2004 to support High Nature Value farmland and rural communities in this region. We focus on three major support measures - agri-environment schemes, Natura 2000, and publicly funded conservation projects - and consider their effects individually and collectively. We conclude that the presence of multiple instruments can have synergistic effects on the conservation of semi-natural open habitats such as HNV farmland, and that this overlap provides a certain amount of resilience: if one instrument fails, another may fill the gap. Cross-cutting projects combining research with activities to tackle the “problem” of the socio-economic undesirability of low-intensity farming as well as the “symptom” of the loss of HNV farmland are also particularly important in this context.
Na območju Tarnava Mare v južni Transilvaniji najdemo ekstenzivno polnaravno odprto krajino, ki se ohranja predvsem z nizko intenzivnim kmetijstvom, ki je splošno razširjeno v Romuniji in številnih drugih območjih v vzhodni Evropi. Ogroženost teh vrstno bogatih habitatov se v zadnjih letih povečuje zaradi intenziviranja kmetijstva in opuščanja obdelovanja kar je v veliki meri povezano z vstopom Romunije v EU leta 2007. Obenem pa so se na tem območju povečale možnosti za ohranjanje biodiverzitete. V letu 2008 je regija postala območje pomembno za skupnost (SCI) kot del omrežja Natura 2000 in kmetje so se vključili v kmetijsko- -okoljske sheme kot del skupne kmetijske politike EU od leta 2006. Dodatno so v regiji Tarnava Mare izvajali številne evropske in nacionalne projekte v kombinaciji z znanstvenimi raziskavami, praktičnimi ukrepi in osveščanjem. V članku predstavljamo različne praktične inštrumente z vidika NVO, ki podpira kmetijstvo z visoko vrednostjo narave (HNV) od leta 2004 in podeželsko skupnost v tej regiji. Osredotočili smo se na tri glavne podporne ukrepe - kmetijsko-okoljske sheme, Naturo 2000 in javno financirane naravovarstvene projekte in preučili njihove posamične in skupen učinek. Zaključimo lahko, da imajo lahko številni inštrumenti sinergistične učinke na varstvo pol naravnih odprtih habitatov, kot je na primer kmetijstvo z visoko vrednostjo narave (HNV). To prekrivanje ukrepov zagotavlja določeno odpornost, saj če en inštrument ni uspešen, ga lahko nadomesti drugi. Interdisciplinarni projekti, ki združujejo raziskave z dejavnostmi, ki rešujejo probleme socio-ekonomske nezaželenosti kmetovanja z nizko intenzivnostjo in zmanjševanja kmetovanja z z visoko vrednostjo narave (HNV) so še posebej pomembni v tem okviru.
The term biodiversity has become a mainstream concept that can be found in any newspaper at any given time. Concerns on biodiversity protection are usually linked to species protection and extinction ...risks for iconic species, such as whales, pandas and so on. However, conserving biodiversity has much deeper implications than preserving a few (although important) species. Biodiversity in ecosystems is tightly linked to ecosystem functions such as biomass production, organic matter decomposition, ecosystem resilience, and others. Many of these ecological processes are also directly implied in services that the humankind obtains from ecosystems. The first part of this book will introduce different concepts and theories important to understand the links between ecosystem function and ecosystem biodiversity. The second part of the book provides a wide range of different studies showcasing the evidence and practical implications of such relationships.
The article provides the list of localities of Letharia vulpina in the eastern Julian Alps (northwestern Slovenia) that were recorded by the authors in 2010. Prior to this year the knowledge on the ...occurence of this lichenized fungus in Slovenia was insignificant (only one known locality, recorded already in the 19th century). With a phytosociological table we present the species composition and structure of natural subalpine larch stands (Rhodothamno-Laricetum deciduae) in which the species Letharia vulpina grows as an epiphyte on old and thick trees. It can also be expected in other Alpine regions in Slovenia where similar natural larch stands are preserved and the air is not over polluted.
Članek podaja seznam nahajališč vrste Letharia vulpina v vzhodnih Julijskih Alpah (severozahodna Slovenija), ki so jih avtorji popisali v letu 2010. Pred tem letom je bila vednost o pojavljanju te lihenizirane glive v Sloveniji zelo majhna (eno samo znano nahajališče, opaženo že v 19. stoletju). S fitocenološko tabelo prikazujemo vrstno sestavo in zgradbo naravnih subalpinskih macesnovih sestojev (Rhodothamno-Laricetum deciduae) v katerih vrsta Letharia vulpina raste kot epifit na starih in debelih drevesih. Pričakujemo jo lahko tudi v drugih alpskih območjih v Sloveniji, kjer so ohranjeni podobni naravni macesnovi sestoji in kjer ozračje ni preveč onesnaženo.
Od Barentsovega do Črnega morja je železna zavesa Evropo delila skoraj štirideset let. Bila je politična, ideološka in fizična ovira, še najbolj izrazito v Nemčiji. Čeprav je bila docela nečloveška, ...je omogočila naravi premor: narava se je razbohotila in razvilo se je nekaj izjemno redkega v intenzivno uporabljeni krajini – t. i. zeleni pas. Od padca železne zavese leta 1989, poteka prek Evrope popkovina habitatov, dolga skoraj 8.500 km. Z izhodišči v projektu Green Belt Germany, nastalem na pobudo BUND, se je razvil projekt Zeleni pas Evrope ali Green Belt Europe. Lahko postane hrbtenica ekološkega omrežja, ki bo globalni simbol čezmejnega sodelovanja in ohranjanja narave ter vzdržnega razvoja. Še več, povezuje ljudi in kaže, da ima lahko povečana Evropska unija poleg kulturne tudi skupno naravno dediščino. To je enkratna priložnost za premagovanje starih meja in ovir med vzhodom in zahodom – živo znamenje skupne rasti v Evropi.
La communauté internationale prétend freiner la perte de biodiversité et maintenir les services rendus par les écosystèmes. Ces termes à la mode expriment-ils une nouvelle façon de concevoir la ...nature ? L’auteur analyse l’évolution des idées depuis le début du xxe siècle, où l’on se préoccupait de protéger la nature, jusqu’à nos jours, où il est question de gérer la biodiversité. Les bouleversements récents dans la façon dont les sciences appréhendent la nature mettent en évidence un renouvellement de paradigme. L’idée d’équilibre naturel a longtemps prévalu en écologie. Aujourd’hui, s’impose celle de changement permanent, qui appelle une réflexion éthique : comment repenser les valeurs qui fondent les relations homme-nature, sachant que la biodiversité s’inscrit dans une trajectoire ? Dans un contexte marqué par de nouveaux repères conceptuels et par l’urgence des prises de décision, les scientifiques se trouvent de plus en plus impliqués dans la mise en oeuvre de projets qui inscrivent une biodiversité « choisie » dans leurs objectifs. L’auteur ouvre la réflexion sur l’évolution qui en résulte nécessairement dans la pratique du métier de chercheur.
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