Evaluating the nature conservation value of field habitats: A model approach for targeting agri-environmental measures and projecting their effects

Birte Bredemeier, Christina von Haaren, Stefan Rüter, Michael Reich and Thomas Meise

Ecological Modelling, 2015, vol. 295, issue C, 113-122

Abstract: Agricultural practice is one of the most important factors leading to biodiversity loss. EU policies addressing this problem involve the provision of incentives for agri-environmental measures (AEM) and setting of targets for AEM on the national scale (e.g. for the amount of organic farming according to the German sustainability strategy), as well as monitoring their success. For AEM to most efficiently target, implement and monitor, they require comparable evaluation of results, describing their quantitative effects on biodiversity and nature conservation. However, there is a dearth of regional data about species and habitats, parts of biodiversity that are relevant for nature conservation. Thus, quantitative analyses are not typically feasible. Furthermore, impacts of agricultural practices on biodiversity cannot be analysed and evaluated merely from individual cases. Comparisons with average or maximum achievements on different spatial scales (benchmarking) are needed. However, meaningful state and pressure indicators are lacking for modelling the nature conservation value of agricultural fields and the consequences of changing pressures from agricultural practice.

Keywords: Farming system; Organic farming; NUTS 3; Field flora; Species richness (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecomod:v:295:y:2015:i:c:p:113-122

DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2014.08.010

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