Improving conservation planning for semi-natural grasslands: Integrating connectivity into agri-environment schemes

• Published in: Biological conservation 2013-04, Vol.160, p.234-241
• Main Authors: Arponen, Anni, Heikkinen, Risto K., Paloniemi, Riikka, Pöyry, Juha, Similä, Jukka, Kuussaari, Mikko
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: agricultural land; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Biodiversity; Biological and medical sciences; computer software; Conservation; Conservation effectiveness; Conservation policy; Conservation, protection and management of environment and wildlife; contracting; Contracts; European Union; farmers; Farmland biodiversity; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agroecology; General agroecology. Agricultural and farming systems. Agricultural development. Rural area planning. Landscaping; General agronomy. Plant production; General aspects; Generalities. Agricultural and farming systems. Agricultural development; Grasslands; Habitats; issues and policy; Management; Management contract; Networks; Parks, reserves, wildlife conservation. Endangered species: population survey and restocking; planning; prioritization; Spatial conservation prioritization; Zonation software
• ISSN: 0006-3207; 1873-2917
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2013.01.018

► Spatial planning could improve the effectiveness of agri-environment schemes (AESs). ► We use Zonation software for allocation of AES for semi-natural grasslands. ► Connectivity and conservation value of each site influence prioritization. ► Highest ranking areas are partly different from what is currently managed. ► Policy and management practices need revising to facilitate spatial planning. Agricultural intensification is a major driver of biodiversity decline throughout Europe. Agri-environment schemes governed by EU regulation are a significant tool in combating this decline but despite high spending, experiences of their effectiveness have been mixed. Their effectiveness might be improved by targeting them to locations with high biodiversity value, and particularly by spatial coordination to enhance habitat connectivity and the associated ecological processes, such as dispersal. We show, with an example of semi-natural grassland conservation in South-Western Finland, how spatial conservation planning tools, here the Zonation software, could help in assessing the habitat connectivity and allocating management actions. We assign highest priority to sites that have been classified as nationally important and that have been under management, and let connectivity influence the Zonation prioritizations. According to Zonation outputs, 25–30% of highest-ranking grasslands in our study area are without management contracts, indicating weak connectivity of managed sites, whereas Natura 2000 areas are spatially better located. A 50% expansion of the current network would be adequate to bring its value close to that of a network created from scratch, but as the contracts are temporary, reallocation of the contracts from the least valuable, funded sites to more valuable, unfunded ones would be even more effective. Current policy instruments supporting farmland biodiversity are strongly constrained by EU regulation, and appear to be too inflexible to take the spatial differences in conservation values into account. Better communication and incentives to encourage farmer participation to these voluntary programs are needed.