Natura 2000 is the network of nature protection areas designated through the European Union and comprises Special Protection Areas (SPAs) designated under the Birds Directive and Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) designated under the Habitats Directive.

The Natura 2000 aims to conserve the most seriously threatened habitats and species across Europe with 27,312 protected sites extending over 787,606 km2 (18% of the total EU land area).  In the UK, Natura 2000 sites cover 17,245,900 hectares of land and marine habitat, with 655 SACs and 275 SPAs.

In addition to conserving the designated features of interest, one would hope that the Natura 2000 network also plays a valuable role in protecting non-target species and habitats; which may be important both in terms general biodiversity conservation and in ecosystem structure and functioning1.

There have been relatively few studies on the effectiveness of Protected Areas in general in conserving biodiversity in the UK2, though, for example, there is some evidence to show that SPAs have had a positive impact on target bird species3.  More widely, studies in France have shown that the abundances of most of the non-target bird and bat species were higher in Natura 2000 areas than in the wider countryside4,5.  Clearly more studies are needed.

Once such study6 has recently been completed, led by Vincent Pellissier of Sorbonne Université, Paris, using long-term bird and butterfly monitoring data from long-term volunteer-based schemes across Europe, including UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme data. In total 37 partner organisations, which included Butterfly Conservation, contributed to the research.

Bird data was provided for 155 species from 14 Breeding Bird Surveys (BBS) established in Austria, Catalonia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden and the UK from 9,602 sites over the period 2001 to 2011.  Butterfly data for 104 species were gathered from six Butterfly Monitoring Schemes (BMS) established in Catalonia (Spain), France, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands and UK, across 3,439 monitoring sites from 2001 to 2012.

Bird and butterfly data was used to evaluate the effects of Natura 2000 extent within the landscape on species abundance, whether variability in abundance could be explained by species specialisation and the degree of variation in species abundance according to biogeographical regions (Atlantic, Boreal, Continental and Mediterranean).

The study found that for almost half of the 155 bird species assessed (and especially amongst woodland specialists), abundance increased with the proportion of Natura 2000 sites in the landscape. Positive effects for specialist species were to be expected given that Natura 2000 sites are focussed on specialist habitats.  The corresponding positive relationship was found for 27 of the 104 butterfly species, although most of these species were generalists.  The positive effects of Natura 2000 cover were not apparent when land‐cover covariates were taken into account, indicating that land‐cover is a primary factor influencing the positive effects of the Natura 2000 network.

The lower number of specialist butterfly species showing a positive association with Natura 2000 extent indicates that the condition and quality of Natura 2000 habitats is a concern, especially for open habitat species requiring traditional management practices. These have been reduced due to land abandonment or intensification of management.  It is noteworthy that nearly half of Natura 2000 sites management plans have still to be implemented7,8.

The results do show encouraging signs that Natura 2000 site are protecting wider biodiversity, though the future condition and quality of sites in relation to maintenance management costs and in allowing species to adapt to climate change (where they can), remain causes of concern.

Professor Tom Brereton

Associate Director Monitoring and Research, Butterfly Conservation

 

References

  1. Gaston K.J. (2010) Valuing common species. Science 327:154–155. DOI: 10.1126/science.1182818

 

  1. Gaston, K.J., Charman, K., Jackson, S.F., Armsworth, P.R., Bonn, A., Briers, R.A., Callaghan, C.S.Q., Catchpole, R., Hopkins, J., Kunin, W.E., Latham, J., Opdam, P., Stoneman, R., Stroud, D.A. & Tratt, R. (2006) The ecological effectiveness of protected areas: the United Kingdom. Biological Conservation, 132, 76-87. doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2006.03.013

 

  1. Sanderson, F. J., R. Pople, C. Ieronymidou, I. J. Burfield, R. D. Gregory, S. J. Willis, C. Howard, P. A. Stephens, A. E. Beresford, and P. F. Donald. 2016. Assessing the performance of EU nature legislation in protecting target bird species in an era of climate change. Conservation Letters, 9, 172-180. doi.org/10.1111/conl.12196

 

  1. Pellissier, V., Touroult, J., Julliard, R., Siblet, J.P., Jiguet, F. (2013) Assessing the Natura 2000 network with a common breeding birds survey. Animal Conservation, 16, 566–574. doi.org/10.1111/acv.12030

 

  1. Kerbiriou, C., Azam, C., Touroult, J., Marmet, J., Julien, J.F., & Pellissier, V. (2018) Common bats are more abundant within Natura 2000 areas. Biological Conservation, 217, 66–74. doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2017.10.029

 

  1. Pellissier, V., Schmucki, R., Pe'er, G., Aunins, A., Brereton, T., Brotons, L., Carnicer, J., Chodkiewicz, T., Chylarecki, P., del Moral, J., Escandell, V., Evans, D., Foppen, R., Harpke, A., Heliölä, J., Herrando, S., Kuussaari, M., Kühn, E., Lehikoinen, A., Lindström, Å., Moshøj, C., Musche, M., Noble, D., Oliver, T., Reif, J., Richard, D., Roy, D., Schweiger, O., Settele, J., Stefanescu, C., Teufelbauer, N., Touroult, J., Trautmann, S., van Strien, A., van Swaay, C., van Turnhout, C., Vermouzek, Z., Voříšek, P., Jiguet, F. & Julliard, R. 2019.Effects of Natura 2000 on nontarget bird and butterfly species based on citizen science data. Conservation Biology. DOI:10.1111/cobi.13434

 

  1. Kati, V., Hovardas, T., Dieterich, M., Ibisch, P.L., Mihok, B., Selva, N. (2014) The challenge of implementing the European network of protected areas natura 2000. Conservation Biology, 29, 260–270. doi.org/10.1111/cobi.12366

 

  1. Milieu, IEEP. (2016) Evaluation Study to support the Fitness Check of the Birds and Habitats Directives. European Commission.