Natura 2000 is a network of European protected areas, established under the provision of two directives of the European Union: the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) and the Birds Directive (79/409/EEC; 2009/147/EU). The Natura 2000 network can be consid...
Protected areas have a key role in preserving biodiversity at different scales, as well as in providing ecosystem services to rural communities. Natura 2000 is the primary conservation network at the EU level, with the aim of protecting the most valu...
The Natura 2000 network, which is one of the largest networks of protected areas in the world, is the core pillar in the European Union’s biodiversity conservation policy. To achieve the national enforcement of Natura 2000 and to overcome imple...
The Natura 2000 network of protected areas is the backbone of species conservation in the European Union. We investigated whether Austrian-hatched white-tailed eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla) make particular use of this multinational network during the...
The present paper aims to evaluate if the Natura 2000 sites in Romania are placed over dynamic areas from a land cover changes perspective, or if they are placed in areas with low human interest and what the impact of these changes are. The effective...
The Natura 2000 is a network of protected areas established in the European Union on the basis of EU Directives. Simultaneously it is the youngest form of protected areas in Poland. Hence conflicts between conservation objectives and opportunities as...
Natura 2000 Habitat Conservation Status is currently evaluated based on fieldwork. However, this is proving to be unfeasible over large areas. The use of remote sensing is increasingly encouraged but covering the full range of ecological variables by...
ROSCI0135 Bârnova-Repedea Forest, covering 12,236.20 ha, is a relatively large Natura 2000 site from Romania, though not as large as other Natura 2000 sites. However, in terms of the number of invertebrate species of community importance, with...
This study defines and discusses a spatial planning approach, which can be integrated into conservation measures, regarding the sites of the Natura 2000 Network—established under the provisions of Directive No. 92/43/EEC (the “Habitats&rd...
Accurately identifying Natura 2000 habitat areas with the support of remote sensing techniques is becoming increasingly feasible. Various data types and methods are used for this purpose, and the fusion of data from various sensors and temporal perio...
There is no doubt that the NATURA 2000 network has been one of the most relevant tools for nature protection. However, the designated areas within the borders of large cities are subjected to many threats. Traffic noise takes on a very important role...
Plantations of fast-growing Eucalyptus trees have become a common sight in the western Iberian peninsula where they are planted to exploit their economic potential. Negative side-effects of large scale plantations including the invasive behavior of E...
This article focuses on the role that the provisions of the Natura 2000 Network play in affecting land-taking processes by looking at the Italian region of Sardinia, where strict rules on land development have been enforced since 1993 through regiona...
Financing protected areas is crucial for guaranteeing the flow of ecosystem services (ES) provided by natural and semi-natural ecosystems, which are the basis of human well-being. In the last two decades, together with traditional conservation tools,...
The Natura 2000 network was established as a tool to preserve the biological diversity of the European territory with particular regard to vulnerable habitats and species. According to recent studies, a relevant percentage of Natura 2000 sites are ex...
Spatial monitoring tools are necessary to respond to the threat of global biodiversity loss. At the European scale, remote sensing tools for NATURA 2000 habitat monitoring have been requested by the European Commission to fulfill the obligations of t...
There is increasing demand for reliable, high-resolution vegetation maps covering large areas. Airborne laser scanning data is available for large areas with high resolution and supports automatic processing, therefore, it is well suited for habitat...
Mapping forest tree species is vital for the habitat assessment, ecosystem services estimation, and implementation of European environmental policies such as the Habitats Directive. This study explores how repeated satellite observations over time, k...
Coastal lagoons are considered important habitats both for ecological functions and biodiversity worldwide. Thus, they provide relevant ecosystem services and valuable natural resources. However, coastal lagoons are highly susceptible to anthropogeni...
The Rompas–Prajapat (Au-Co) and Sakatti (Ni-Cu-PGE) mineral deposits are among the only important discoveries of the last few decades in Finland. Both are partially located in Natura 2000 areas, which are among the most sensitive land use conte...
The seeming dichotomy between the protection of biodiversity and the supply of ecosystem services (ESs) represents an outstanding field of research that requires a structured and detailed analysis. The paper analyzes and discusses the role of ESs wit...
23 March 2022
Agricultural land accounts for approximately 40% of the total Natura 2000 (N2K) network area. Therefore, many habitats and species protected under the Habitats and Birds Directives are dependent on or linked to agricultural practices. This implies th...
Human impact on natural ecosystems is unsustainable and has led to a significant loss of biodiversity, highlighting the importance of protected area networks such as the European Union’s Natura 2000 (N2000). This study assesses the effectivenes...
Based on the example of wintering waterbirds in the Baltic Sea, we show an approach that is useful in defining priority species for management. The Value Factor (VF) is the quantitative method for evaluating the importance of an area for a species. E...
Invasive species are a major threat to biodiversity worldwide. Controlling their rapid spread can only be effective if we consider the geographical factors that influence their occurrence. For instance, roads, railway networks, green and blue infrast...
28 October 2021
The artificial light at night (ALAN) present in many cities and towns has a negative impact on numerous organisms that live alongside humans, including bats. Therefore, we investigated if the artificial illumination of the historic Wisłoujście Fortre...
The Natura 2000 network is an ambitious European project aimed at nature conservation. Nevertheless, the identification and delimitation of habitats is a complex task and simultaneously essential for correct ecosystem management. In this study we com...
Anthropogenic climate and land use change is causing rapid shifts in the distribution and composition of habitats with profound impacts on ecosystem biodiversity. The sustainable management of ecosystems requires monitoring programmes capable of dete...
Stakeholder participation has become an important driving force in policy decision-making and implementation, particularly in the nature conservation sector, where complex interactions and conflict of interest between stakeholders are common. A stake...
Appropriate management of (semi-)natural areas requires detailed knowledge of the ecosystems present and their status. Remote sensing can provide a systematic, synoptic view at regular time intervals, and is therefore often suggested as a powerful to...
Natura 2000 is the largest coordinated network of protected areas in the world, which has been established to preserve rare habitats and threatened species at the European Community level. Generally, tools for habitat quality assessment are based on...
The scientific exploration of Mallorca Channel seamounts (western Mediterranean) is improving the knowledge of the Ses Olives (SO), Ausias March (AM), and Emile Baudot (EB) seamounts for their inclusion in the Natura 2000 network. The aims are to map...
Freshwater systems are among the most threatened ecosystems worldwide, and fish species inhabiting them are increasingly endangered by different pressures. One of the most important tools in the European Union (EU) to halt this decline is the Natura...
Water erosion is a major threat to biodiversity, according to the European Commission’s Soil Thematic Strategy, as it negatively affects soil structure, soil fertility and water availability for plants. The island of Crete (Southern Greece) has...
The use of hyperspectral (HS) and LiDAR acquisitions has a great potential to enhance mapping and monitoring practices of endangered grasslands habitats, beyond conventional botanical field surveys. In this study we assess the potentiality of recursi...
Islands in the Atlantic Ocean (spread across the Atlantic and Macaronesian biogeographical regions) have been identified as one of the most biodiverse areas in the EU. Thanks to the combination of climatic conditions alongside their edaphic and coast...
The planned construction of a steam–gas unit at the Adamów Power Plant raises questions about the potential hydrological impact on the neighboring Natura 2000 protected areas, particularly the Middle Warta Valley (PLB300002) and the Jezi...
This study examines the adverse environmental impacts of solar photovoltaic parks located in established protected areas, aiming to determine the level of landscape fragmentation through the calculation of relevant landscape metrics. For this purpose...
The dispersion of commercial plastics in the marine environments is a major threat to biodiversity and ecosystem services of the last decades. The lower density of the plastics with respect to marine water density determines their floating, transferr...
A modular electrocoagulation unit, supported by Ca(OH)2 addition to treated water, was operated in the vicinity of a Natura 2000 site for the removal of Cr6+ or Ni2+ from contaminated groundwater. The process was performed at a constant flow rate of...
There is currently a lack of knowledge regarding the effectiveness of the Natura 2000 (N2000) network in providing protection against biological invasion by invasive alien species (IAS). In this study, we analyzed two Salix alba and Populus alba ripa...
LIFE FLUVIAL project (LIFE16 NAT/ES/000771) is a transnational project between Spain and Portugal, whose overall objective is the improvement in the conservation of Atlantic Natura 2000 river corridors and associated wetlands, mainly targeting the 91...
Free-roaming cats may contribute to zoonotic risk via parasites and other eukaryotic taxa, yet surveillance in protected island settings is limited and conventional coprology can miss low-intensity or degraded signals. We conducted a cross-sectional...
The NaturaSat software integrates various image processing techniques together with vegetation data, into one multipurpose tool that is designed for performing facilities for all requirements of habitat exploration, all in one place. It provides dire...
Riparian habitats provide a series of ecological services vital for the balance of the environment, and are niches and resources for a wide variety of species. Monitoring riparian environments at the intra-habitat level is crucial for assessing and p...
Natura 2000 is the European Union’s key strategy to address the current sharp decline in biodiversity. However, according to a recent survey, most Europeans have never heard about it. The present study intended to further explore the perception...
Accurate mapping of forest habitats, especially in NATURA sites, is essential information for forest monitoring and sustainable management but also for habitat characterisation and ecosystem functioning. Remote sensing data and spatial modelling allo...
The aim of this study is to investigate the flood management and mitigation measures in ungauged NATURA protected watersheds. The examined watersheds are located in one the most European significant NATURA areas (Prespa Natural Park North Greece). SC...
16 February 2018
Soft water lakes, or so-called lobelia lakes, which are inhabited by a specific vegetation composed of isoetids, have been subjected to intense research aimed at evaluating their condition and conservation status for many years in Poland. At the time...
Within the ecosystem services framework, cultural ecosystem services (CES) have rarely been applied in state-wide surveys of protected area networks. Through a review of available data and online research, we present 22 potential proxy indicators of...
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