Semi-natural habitats and Ecological Focus Areas on cereal, beef and dairy farms in Ireland

Julie Larkin, Helen Sheridan, John A. Finn, Hannah Denniston and Daire Ó hUallacháin

Land Use Policy, 2019, vol. 88, issue C

Abstract: Biodiversity and associated ecosystem services have declined globally with agricultural intensification identified as a major driver of this loss. The most recent reform of the Common Agricultural Policy resulted in the introduction of three mandatory ‘Greening’ measures aimed at improving the environmental performance of EU agricultural legislation. The Ecological Focus Area (EFA) measure within Greening was intended to help improve biodiversity associated with European tillage farms. To improve understanding of the implementation of this measure, data are needed on the areas within tillage farms that qualify as EFA. We also consider a scenario that implements an EFA measure on pastoral farming enterprises, assessing the percentage area of wildlife habitats contained within grassland farms. These data will aid in the implementation of appropriate management strategies to attempt to halt the decline of biodiversity and associated ecosystem services.

Keywords: Greening; Ecological Focus Areas; Biodiversity; Sustainability; Semi-natural habitats; Intensive farmland (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:lauspo:v:88:y:2019:i:c:s0264837718318210

DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2019.104096

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