Key message: 11,872 km2 of agricultural land in Serbia is a high natural value
Assessment: The first step towards applying the HNV farming concept in Serbia involves developing and applying indicators to identify distribution of HNV farmland. The mapping of High Nature Value (HNV) Farmland in Serbia was carried out in several steps, as described below. The mapping has included several institutions managed by the Environmental Protection Agency. Relevant classes from CORINE land cover (CLC) inventory were selected and divided into two groups on the basis of available botanical data. The first group includes land cover classes 231, 321 and 411, and the second includes classes 211, 221, 222, 242, 243, 324, 333. The mapping of the first group of CLC classes was based upon a comprehensive set of literature and other data sources relating to grassland vegetation. This group includes the habitats and plant communities of pastures (231), natural grasslands (321) and inland saline habitats, i.e. inland salt marshes (411) for which phyto-sociological records are available (data collected and kept at the Department of Applied Botany, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade). The second group of CLC classes serves as an indicator of all other potential HNV farmland types, for which no detailed botanical data exist. The CORINE land cover data, information on Important Bird Areas (IBA), Important Plant Areas (IPA), Prime Butterfly Areas (PBA) and Protected Areas (PA) were transformed into a national coordinate system so that these data could be analysed and represented spatially. The location and distribution of IPA, PBA, PA, Important Bird Areas (IBA) and protected areas in Serbia, including national parks, nature parks, landscapes of outstanding features and nature reserves (where data are available), were mapped. A layer of habitat areas was added to the map. This process was performed using botanical (phyto-sociological) records of grassland communities from individual sites and localities situated within broader geographical units, such as mountains, lowlands, sands, plateaus, canyons and gorges, and so on. In biological and ecological sense, habitats usually fully correspond to particular vegetation types, including types of grassland and their related grassland communities.
The corresponding layers were created and translated into a single coordinate system. The indicative location and distribution of HNV farmland in Serbia was identified as follows:
- areas identified by the following CORINE land cover classes – 231, 321 and 411;
- areas identified by the following CORINE land cover classes – 211, 221, 222, 242, 243, 324, 333 – AND which overlap with one of the IPA, PA, IBA, PBA or Habitats layers.
The CORINE land cover classes 231, 321 and 411 were automatically assumed to correspond to HNV farmland. Class 231 (Pastures) does not distinguish between pastures grazed at low intensity and those under more intensive grazing. Therefore, this broad identification of HNV farmland should be considered as indicative only and further analysis is warranted in the process of targeting agro-environment measures in the future. That said, it is likely to be a fairly good estimate of Type 1 HNV farmland given that the area of intensively-grazed grasslands has dramatically decreased in recent decades and the majority of grasslands are grazed extensively at very low stocking densities.
Approximately 11,872 km2 of agricultural land in Serbia is High Nature Value. This is equivalent to approximately 19% of the total agricultural area, and 13% of the total territory of Serbia. It should be stressed that the area of HNV farmland in Serbia is probably significantly higher, as the approach followed supports the identification of Type 1 HNV farmland (farmland with a high proportion of semi-natural vegetation), and does not fully capture Types 2 and 3 HNV farmland (farmland with a mosaic of low intensity agriculture and natural and structural elements or that which supports rare species or a high proportion of European or World populations).
Indicator Name: Mapping of High Nature Value (HNV) Farmland in Serbia
Institution/Author: Environmental Protection Agency/Dragana Vidojević
Use and interpretation:
The Environmental Protection Agency of Serbia in its annual reports on the state of the environment.
Subindicators:
1. Distribution of HNV farmland;
2. Share of HNV farmland in total agricultural land
Key question(s) which indicator helps to answer:
The indicator shows the High Nature Value farmland areas and their share in total agricultural land.
Use of indicator:
Agricultural policy monitoring and evaluation of measures for biodiversity conservation and environmental protection in agricultural areas.
Scale of appropriate use: National level
Potential for aggregation:
Meaning of upward or downward trends („good or bad“)
Meaning of upward trend: good.
Possible reasons for upward or downward trends:
– Implementation of measures to support agriculture and rural development and to Increase the contribution of agriculture and forestry to maintaining and enhancing biodiversity.
Implications for biodiversity management of change in the indicator:
– Increase of areas under HNV farmland contributes of preservation and improvement of the environment and natural resources.
Units in which it is expressed:
– Hectares (ha)
– Percentages (%)
Description of source data:
Institute of Nature Protection of Serbia and Institute of Nature Protection of Vojvodina Province, Faculty of Biology of the University of Belgrade, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade, Institute of Biology and Ecology of the University of Kragujevac
Collection periodicity: periodicaly
Calculation procedure:
The indicative location and distribution of HNV farmland in Serbia was identified as follows:
• areas identified by the following CORINE land cover classes – 231, 321 and 411;
• areas identified by the following CORINE land cover classes – 211, 221, 222, 242, 243, 324, 333 – AND which overlap with one of the IPA, PA, IBA, PBA or Habitats layers.
Most effective forms of presentation:
The best way to represent this indicator is through maps that provide an opportunity to identify the distribution of HNV farmland and through table data.
Updating the indicator:
The data is updated periodicaly
Closely related indicators:
– Agricultural land in protected areas
– Diversity of species (Population trend of autochthonous domestic species, Birds population trend..)
– Data on farmland species
– Protected areas
Additional information and comments:
The Environmental Protection Agency collects data through the Environmental Information System, as well as through direct cooperation with relevant institutions. The mapping of High Nature Value (HNV) Farmland in Serbia was carried out in several steps, as described below. Relevant CORINE land cover classes were selected and divided into two groups on the basis of available botanical data. The first group includes land cover classes 231, 321 and 411, and the second includes classes 211, 221, 222, 242, 243, 324, 333. Mapping of the first group of CLC classes was based upon a comprehensive set of literature and other data sources relating to grassland vegetation. This group includes the habitats and plant communities of pastures (231), natural grasslands (321) and inland saline habitats, i.e. inland salt marshes (411) for which phyto-sociological records are available. The second group of CLC classes serves as an indicator of all other potential HNV farmland types, for which no detailed botanical data exist. CORINE land cover data, information on Important Bird Areas (IBA), Important Plant Areas (IPA), Prime Butterfly Areas (PBA) and Protected Areas (PA) were transformed into a national coordinate system so that these data could
be analysed and represented spatially. A layer of habitat areas was added to the map. This process was performed using botanical (phyto-sociological) records of grassland communities from individual sites and localities situated within broader geographical units, such as mountains, lowlands, sands, plateaus, canyons and gorges, etc. In a biological and ecological sense, habitats usually fully correspond to particular vegetation types, including types of grassland and their related grassland communities.
Approximately 11,872 km2 of agricultural land in Serbia is High Nature Value. This is equivalent to approximately 19 % of the total agricultural area, and 13 % of the total territory of Serbia. It should be stressed that the area of HNV farmland in Serbia is likely significantly higher, as the approach followed supports the identification of Type 1 HNV farmland (farmland with a high proportion of semi-natural vegetation) and does not fully capture Types 2 and 3 HNV farmland (farmland with a mosaic of low intensity agriculture and natural and structural elements or that which supports rare species or a high proportion of European or World populations.
