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Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) is crucial for biodiversity conservation. Although it should be assessed by monitoring the diversity of multiple taxonomic groups, most current SFM criteria and indicators account only for trees or consider indirect biodiversity proxies.Several projects performed multi-taxon sampling to investigate the effects of forest management on biodiversity, but through heterogeneous sampling approaches that hamper the identification of general trends, and the broad-scale inference for designing SFM.The COST Action BOTTOMS-UP (CA18207) established a network of researchers involved in 41 projects on European forest multi-taxon biodiversity across 13 European countries. We provide an overview of the sampling approaches to multi-taxon biodiversity, standing trees and deadwood in the form of an operational handbook for nine different taxonomic groups and for the sampling of standing trees and lying deadwood. For each of these forest components, we provide two standards that differ in spatial scale and effort, and give specific instructions for the comparability across standards, taxonomic groups and studies. This handbook derives from an effort of networking and synthesis and represents a pragmatic synthesis and an important step forward to direct monitoring of forest biodiversity, in Europe and elsewhere

The Dutch government wants to make additional investments to improve the ecological water quality of the rivers, lakes ans estuaries. This is arranged in a programmatic investment approach, entitled PAGW. In addition a strategy is in preparation to ensure a better coordination with area-specific frameworks of Natura 2000. This research is part of this and aimed to provide a prognosis for 2050 about both the ecological potential and the remaining Natura 2000 objectives to be achieved. This is an interim report that focuses on the remaining Natura 2000 objectives., Het Rijk wil een extra impuls geven aan het verbeteren van de ecologische waterkwaliteit in de grote wateren met de Programmatische Aanpak Grote Wateren (PAGW). Het Natuurwinstplan Grote Wateren is een nieuw initiatief, waarmee LIFE IP Deltanatuur en PAGW willen zorgen voor een betere afstemming tussen maatregelen voor ontwikkeling van robuuste natuur en de gebiedspecifieke kaders van Natura 2000. Dit onderzoek is hier een onderdeel van en had als doel een prognose te geven over de potenties (natuurwinst) en de resterende VHR-opgaven voor de grote wateren in 2050. Dit rapport is een tussenrapportage en richt zich op de resterende opgaven.

This study analyses the potential of the Dutch river network to support viable populations of typical riverine species. The Dutch river network entails the river Rhine, Meuse, Waal and IJssel. In four ‘focal’ areas’ or hotspots cultivated land is being converted into more natural habitats or biotopes. The aim is to realise a robust river ecosystem with all its typical biotopes and its typical flora and fauna. Species were selected that are representative of terrestrial and aquatic, high- and low-dynamic river ecosystems (indicator species). Using the knowledge system LARCH it was evaluated whether, in the present configuration of habitat and for the predicted situation for 2050, viable populations can develop. LARCH quantifies the available habitat and evaluates the configuration of habitat for species. Selected indicator species are: Eurasian otter, Bittern, Common spadefoot, Black Stork, Arctosa cinerea or Northern bear spider, Great Reed Warbler, Bluethroat, Corncrake and Common barbel. The 2050 projection does not lead (yet) to viable populations of the indicator species. This projection [land division] was therefore optimized in order to achieve sustainability for most of the species. This resulted in a change in the share of different biotopes for each hotspot, whereby all indicator species can find their niche. For almost all species viable populations are possible with the changed distribution in biotopes. A range of other species groups, for which the species selected here are indicative, will also be able to find favourable conditions within the riverine network. An indication is also given for the potential contribution of the Water Framework Directive in relation to providing a positive framework for management, and how the proposed measures will contribute to the Natura 2000 targets., In deze studie is een analyse gedaan van de potentie van het rivierengebied voor het ontwikkelen van duurzame populaties van kenmerkende rivierfauna. Het gaat om de rivieren Maas, Rijn, Waal en IJssel, en specifiek om een viertal hotspots waar gericht agrarisch gebied omgezet worden in natuurlijker ecotopen. De hotspots zijn de Grensmaas, Gelderse Poort, IJssel- en Vechtdelta en de Biesbosch. Doel is om een robuust rivierecosysteem te realiseren, waarin de kenmerkende ecotopen voorkomen en de typerende flora en fauna. Soorten zijn geselecteerd die indicatief zijn voor terrestrische en amfibische hoog- dan wel laagdynamische riviernatuur (indicatorsoorten). Met het kennissysteem LARCH is beoordeeld of zich in de huidige situatie en in de 2050-situatie duurzame populaties kunnen ontwikkelen. LARCH kwantificeert het beschikbare oppervlakte en beoordeelt de ruimtelijke configuratie van leefgebied voor specifieke soorten. De indicatorsoorten zijn de Otter, Roerdomp, Knoflookpad, Zwarte Ooievaar, Grindwolfspin, Grote karekiet, Blauwborst, Kwartelkoning en Barbeel. Het 2050-beeld uit de natuurverkenning leidde nog niet voor alle gidssoorten tot voldoende duurzame populaties. Daarom is vervolgens de 2050-situatie geoptimaliseerd, om voor alle soorten duurzame populaties te krijgen. Dit heeft geresulteerd in een betere ecotopenverdeling van het rivierengebied per hotspot waar de kenmerkende riviersoorten hun plek vinden. Nagenoeg alle soorten kunnen duurzaam voorkomen binnen het rivierengebied, en daarmee ook een plethora van andere soorten waar deze model voor staan. Vervolgens is aangegeven wat de bijdrage is van de Kaderrichtlijnwater en hoe dit beleid bijdraagt aan het Natura 2000 beleid.

Understanding complex processes of landscape change is crucial to guide the development of future landscapes and land resources. Through Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping, we studied the processes of landscape change of six different environmental zones in Europe. Results show that landscapes are complex systems, with many interactions. Except for one, all regions show a strong decline in landscape quality. Dominant drivers are EU policy and the global economy, sometimes in conjunction with environmental drivers or the governance system. The process of change differs for all cases, through urbanisation or land abandonment in some cases, and agricultural intensification in others. The (un)intended effects of policies are difficult to predict. Although some EU Policies directly improve landscape quality, their indirect effects as well as other EU policies outweigh this positive influence and jointly result in a decrease of landscape quality. To counter these negative side effects, targeted landscape policies are urgently needed.

This thesis explores the processes of change in European rural landscapes. Landscapes have evolved over millennia as a result of human influence on the physical environment. Europe has a wide variety of landscapes that can alter within a relatively short distance, and which often form part of the national cultural identity of a European country. Central to this thesis, however, are insights into the processes of landscape change. In this context, the overall objective of this thesis is: To assess the dynamics of landscape change and increase the scientific understanding of the underlying processes and policies that have shaped the rural landscapes of Europe after establishment of the EU. The focus is on the period following the establishment of the European Economic Community in 1965, which is hypothesised as the main driver of landscape change. European policies have an important direct impact on national and regional policies. The way that European policy transposition took place, existing governance structures and policy cultures also defined how ‘European policy’ influenced countries and regions. The object of this study is in particular the changing rural landscape, including the role of European agricultural policies, such as the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and conservation policies (for example Natura2000) in these changes. The thesis uses an integrated approach to assess the various processes of landscape change: land use transitions, urbanisation of the countryside, land use intensification, extensification or abandonment. These processes are linked to drivers of landscape changes, the role of policies, and how these affect the landscape processes. Research questions The research objective requires unravelling the correlations between land-related policies and landscape change in the EU, the drivers of landscape change and in particular how policies affect the European landscape. To operationalise this objective, the following research questions are ad

Many of the semi-natural landscape elements found in rural areas, such as woodlots, hedgerows and grasslands, were originally maintained as part of the agricultural system. During the 20th century, they lost most of their functions and were often removed or transformed. Presently, production concerns are less dominant and many landscape and land use changes are undertaken to improve public goods or fulfil personal and family ambitions and values. This paper investigates the patterns of farm-level land use changes that occurred between 2002 and 2012 in three different landscape regions of Europe (peri-urban landscapes, areas with marginal potential for agriculture, post-socialist landscapes) and the drivers behind, based on a questionnaire survey in six study areas. A second objective is to analyse landowners’ decision-making and endogenous factors that are correlated with their engagement in land use changes. Common to all areas is that agricultural production is under pressure due to physical or socio-economic challenges. The results indicate that relatively more nature or landscape features have been added by landowners than removed by them in the six study areas. Furthermore, the analysis revealed that full-time landowners were responsible for the largest proportion of landscape change and that the areas involved differed greatly. The analysis also underlined the variety of European landscapes, as many landscape activities exhibited strong geographical patterns. A multivariate analysis of the relationship between ten farm and landowner characteristics confirmed the geographical diversity, as only a dummy variable representing the geographical location was statistically significant. When location was omitted from the analysis, two factors were significant: farm size and ownership of livestock. In addition, the results suggest that landowners in peri-urban locations were more engaged in landscape activities than landowners in other locations.

In recent decades the intensification of agricultural production in many European countries has been one of the key components of land-use change. The impact of agricultural intensification varies according to national and local contexts and a greater understanding of the drivers of intensification will help to mitigate against its negative impacts and harness potential benefits. This paper analyses changes in land use intensity in six case studies in Europe. A total of 437 landowners were interviewed and their responses were analysed in relation to changes in land use intensity and agricultural production between 2001 and 2011. In the case studies in Western and Eastern Europe we observed stabilisation during the last decade, and no clear tendency of increase or decrease of land use intensity. The use of fertilizers and pesticides seems to have decreased in our cases in Western Europe, which is contrary to trends in Eastern Europe. Agricultural production remained stable in almost all cases, except for an increase in Austria and Romania which may indicate that the farming efficiency has increased. A statistical analysis showed a division between study areas in Romania and Austria (increasing land use intensity) versus those in the Netherlands, Denmark and Greece (decreasing). In the Mediterranean cases we observe a process where agriculture is becoming increasingly marginalised, at the same time as changes in function with regard to urbanisation and recreational land uses have taken place. Logistic regression highlighted the importance of farm size and farmer type in understanding changes in land use intensity. The dominant pattern of stabilisation which has occurred over the past 10 years may also partly be a result of effective EU and national environmental and agricultural policies, which are increasingly concerned with improving environmental conditions in rural areas.