The failure of agri-environment measures to promote and conserve grassland biodiversity in Slovenia |
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| Institution: | 1. Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Maribor, Koro?ka Street 160, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia;2. Star?e 78c, 2205, Star?e, Slovenia;3. Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, University of Maribor, Pivola 10, 2311, Ho?e, Slovenia;1. University Twente, Faculty of Geo-Informaiton Science and Earth Observation, Department of Urban and Regional Planning and Geo-Information Management, Enschede, The Netherlands;2. Swinburne University of Technology, Department of Business Technology and Entrepreneurship, Melbourne, Australia;1. College of Economics and Management, Northwest A&F University, Shaanxi, China;2. Soil Physics and Land Management Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands;1. RSPB Centre for Conservation Science, RSPB Scotland, Etive House, Beechwood Park, Inverness IV2 3BW, UK;2. 5 Drimsdale, Isle of South Uist, Western Isles HS8 5RT, UK;3. Balranald Nature Reserve, 9 Grenitote, North Uist, Western Isles HS6 5BP, UK;4. RSPB Centre for Conservation Science, RSPB Scotland, 2 Lochside View, Edinburgh Park, Edinburgh EH12 9DH, UK;1. Italian Common Birds Monitoring Program, Italy;2. DREAM Italia, Via Garibaldi 3, I-52015 Pratovecchio Stia, AR, Italy;3. Studio Pteryx, Via Risorgimento 9, I-20060 Basiano, MI, Italy;4. Lega Italiana Protezione Uccelli (LIPU/BirdLife Italia), Via Udine 3/a, I-43122, Parma, PR, Italy;5. CREA, Research Centre for Agricultural Policies and Bioeconomy, Via Po, 14, 00198 Roma, Italy |
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| Abstract: | The effectiveness of four grassland-specific agri-environment measures (AEM), implemented in the frame of the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) in the period 2007–2013 in Slovenia was studied. We questioned whether the measures – “extensive grassland maintenance”; “preservation of special grassland habitats”; “preservation of grassland habitats for butterflies” and “bird conservation in humid extensive meadows in Natura 2000 sites” did genuinely support the conservation (maintenance or improvement) of high nature value (HNV) grasslands in Slovenia. The HNV grasslands were defined on the basis of national fine-resolution field mapping of habitat types. Two main outcomes emerged: AEM did not reach the vast majority of HNV grasslands in Slovenia (only 3%); the proportion of HNV grassland area included in AEM was negligibly low (1). Moreover, even this very limited interest in AEM did not target only grasslands of HNV, but any permanent grasslands regardless of their conservation value: forty-one percent (41%) of the grassland areas included in the AEM were actually non-HNV grasslands (2). The absence of pre-selection criteria for grasslands along with an absence of monitoring of the effectiveness and efficiency of the measures and low interest in the subsidies among farmers, led to almost complete failure of the AEM to promote and conserve species-rich extensive grasslands in Slovenia between 2007 and 2013. Even with some minor differences, the same concept was maintained for the currently running EAFRD 2014–2020, which raises serious concern. |
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| Keywords: | Agri-environment measures Grassland conservation Habitat mapping Slovenia Subsidies |
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