Background The foundation for life on our planet are all the resources we can draw upon: sunlight, clean water, fresh air and many more. But one existential resource a lot of people are not aware of, is the rich variety of life forms on earth. Biodiversity surrounds us every day: It is in the clothes we wear, the food we eat and the medicine we take. It is also an important driver for tourism, economy and technology: Various technological innovations are directly inspired by nature.But biodiversity is degrading rapidly caused by the rising land consumption in many countries. In Germany, this pressure is exceedingly high: 70% of natural habitats are endangered, 40% of animal species are on the IUCN red list and every second bird species is threatened.Using scientific methods and inventive technology, SPAN helps to monitor bird protection areas in Germany and to collect data as a basis to enforce conservation supported by European legislation. / Methods Involving all important stakeholders was inevitable to make sure the result will fit their needs. In meetings with coordinators of different existing caretaker networks in Berlin I learned about the organizational aspects and got an holistic perspective on the topic. The creation of blueprint drafts and stakeholder maps in an early phase was an effective way to figure out what kind of touchpoints are needed by which users.Voluntary caretakers who monitor protection areas are the primary users, so I conducted interviews with caretakers of other networks to learn everything about their monitoring work, their needs and experiences.An in-depth analysis and synthesis of my research findings led to the ideation phase where I explored in which ways I could involve, educate, bond and assist caretakers with diverse profiles. Getting their feedback on the ideas helped me to select the most promising concepts and consolidate the final result. / Result SPAN consists of a web-application and a smartphone app performing a wide range of functions for caretakers of protection areas. With their help they can retrieve information, network with other caretakers, conduct monitoring activities and submit reports about the condition of protection areas.With SPAN, caretakers can learn about habitats, species, and other caretakers who help with monitoring them. Together they can plan their activities and exchange information with the shared schedule and annotation tools.With the smartphone app, caretakers can take notes or retrieve location based information while being out in the field. Another mobile feature are customizable print-out forms making the caretakers independent from access to power or signal-coverage.Filled-in forms are digitalized and put into the database with the help of an image recognition scanning tool.With SPAN, caretakers can also lend unmanned photogrammetry vehicles to conduct aerial monitoring in a feasible and easy-to-use way. / SPAN - A platform to monitor bird protection areas.

På grund av klimatförändringarna och den globala uppvärmningen sker en pågående havsnivåhöjning. IPCC har i sina klimatscenarier kommit fram till att havet förväntas stiga mellan 28 cm och 98 cm till år 2100, vilket kommer att leda till stora konsekvenser för människa och samhälle. Förhöjda havsnivåer förväntas även ha en stor påverkan på kustnära naturvärden, bland annat för ett flertal Natura 2000-naturtyper. Den här studien visar för första gången vilka nationella effekter en havsnivåhöjning kan ha på skyddad natur i Sverige. Studien har undersökt hur stor andel av svenska naturreservat och Natura 2000-naturtyper som kommer att påverkas vid de projicerade havsnivåförändringarna i tre av IPCC:s klimatscenarier. Mellan 34 och 102 reservat kommer att förlora minst 5% av sin totalyta beroende på scenario, detta motsvarar landförluster med ca 750-4640 hektar. Av Sveriges totala yta kommer minst 5% hos 14-15 naturtyper att hamna under havsytan. Fyra av de naturtyper som förväntas drabbas hårdast vid det högsta scenariot är; Driftvallar (46%), Glasörtstränder (85%), Salta strandängar (42%) och Strandängar vid Östersjön (44%). Forskning har däremot visat på att en god förvaltning av omgivande mark är av yttersta vikt för naturtypers och arters överlevnad, exempelvis kan vissa naturtyper förflytta sig inåt land när havet stiger. Det krävs därför en klimatanpassad och adaptiv naturvård där hotade naturtyper och naturvärden ges möjlighet att sprida sig till lämpligare miljöer allteftersom klimatet förändras. / Due to climate change and global warming, there is an ongoing sea level rise. IPCC has published four climate scenarios that show the projected changes in climate until the year 2100. The global sea levels are estimated to rise between 28 and 98 cm, which will result in great consequences for coastal landscape and protected nature. This study is the first in Sweden to analyze which consequences a sea level rise will have on protected nature in Sweden. A geographical analysis has been made of how much of the Swedish nature reserves and Natura 2000-habitat types that are going to be covered by the sea in three of the climate scenarios. The sea will cover more than 5% of the total area in 34-102 nature reserves depending on which scenario takes place, which means a loss of 750-4640 hectares. More than 5% of 14-15 Natura 2000-habitat types in Sweden will be covered by the sea. Four of the habitat types that are most affected in the worst scenario are; Annual vegetation of drift lines (46%), Salicornia and other annuals colonizing mud and sand (85%), Atlantic salt meadows (42%) and Boreal Baltic coastal meadows (44%). Recent research has shown that habitat loss due to climate change and sea level rise can be avoided if species and habitats are allowed to move inland, and that management of surrounding areas are of high importance in conservation biology. It is therefore essential to use conservation strategies that are adapted to sea level rise.

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 detecting shifts in habitat distribution and composition at large spatial scales. Remote sensing observations facilitate such efforts as they enable cost-efficient modelling approaches that utilize publicly available datasets and can assess the status of habitats over extended periods of time. In this study, we introduce a modelling framework for habitat monitoring in Germany using readily available MODIS surface reflectance data. We developed supervised classification models that allocate (semi-)natural areas to one of 18 classes based on their similarity to Natura 2000 habitat types. Three machine learning classifiers, i.e., Support Vector Machines (SVM), Random Forests (RF), and C5.0, and an ensemble approach were employed to predict habitat type using spectral signatures from MODIS in the visible-to-near-infrared and short-wave infrared. The models were trained on homogenous Special Areas of Conservation that are predominantly covered by a single habitat type with reference data from 2013, 2014, and 2016 and tested against ground truth data from 2010 and 2019 for independent model validation. Individually, the SVM and RF methods achieved better overall classification accuracies (SVM: 0.72–0.93%, RF: 0.72–0.94%) than the C5.0 algorithm (0.66–0.93%), while the ensemble classifier developed from the individual models gave the best performance with overall accuracies of 94.23% for 2010 and 80.34% for 2019 and also allowed a robust detection of non-classifiable pixels. We detected strong variability in the cover of individual habitat types, which were reduced when aggregated based on their similarity. Our methodology is capable to provide quantitative information on the spatial distribution of habitats, differentiate between disturbance events and gradual shifts in ecosystem composition, and could successfully allocate natural areas to Natura 2000 habitat types.

[EN] The Natura Network 2000 (RN 2000) created by the Board of Directors 92/43/CEE constitutes the biggest ecological network in the world of the biodiveristy conservation and consists of two clearly different areas, Special Conservation Areas established in accordance with the Habitat Board Directive and Special Protection Areas for the birds (ZEPA) designated under the Birds Directive. The conformation process RN 2000 proved to be very hard and complicated. In fact, we are still in the approval stage of the Management and Control Rules, regarding to terrestrial areas in fully process of demarcating marine areas. Even so, currently, form part in the RN 2000, the 18,36% of the surface of the Member Estates of the European Community, the 27,21% and more tan 30% corresponding to the Valencian Community. The importance of both, qualitative and quantitative of the surfaces and lands included in the RN 2000, affects within its fields and inclusive in its protective environment, the development of activities in both, present and future. This, in many cases, causes confrontations of difficult solutions between the environmental interests and protection, derivated from the Board Direction and other interests, both, as general and particular matters, that must be susceptible of attention and valorization. In the present investigation work, a sequencial approach to the RN 2000 is carried out. On the basis of the European environmental law, the background and management that served to its creation, the first diagnosis of the current situation of the RN 2000 and the status of its objectives of conservation are accomplished. Subsequently, the work focuses on the analyse of the protective system of the RN 2000, as well as on the mechanism plannned by the Board Directive for possible alteration of urban projects. For that, a study about transposition and development regulations have been carrried out, not only at the State level, but also as autonomic Valencian and in the light of the different interpretative skills of the European commisssion, the juridisprudence made up to this regard in the communitary and internal field, and this doctrine that has been involved in this matter. Finally, it concluded on the process of conformation and the status of the RN 2000 at present, also on the main problems detected on the study and proposals of the improvements in order to get a system of protection which could be considered effective, active and clear. / [ES] La Red Natura 2000 (RN 2000) creada mediante la Directiva 92/43/CEE constituye la mayor red ecológica mundial de conservación de la biodiversidad y se compone de dos zonas diferenciadas, las Zonas Especiales de Conservación (ZEC) establecidas de acuerdo con la Directiva Hábitat y las Zonas de Especial Protección para las Aves (ZEPA) designadas en virtud de la Directiva Aves. El proceso de conformación de RN 2000 ha resultado arduo y complicado, de hecho aún nos encontramos en la fase de aprobación de los Planes y Normas de Gestión respecto de las zonas terrestres, y en pleno proceso de delimitación de las zonas marinas. Aun así y en la actualidad, se engloban en la RN 2000 el 18,36% de la superficie de los Estados miembros de la Unión Europea, el 27,21% del territorio nacional y más del 30% del correspondiente a la Comunitat Valenciana. La importancia tanto cuantitativa como cualitativa de las superficies y terrenos incluidos en la RN 2000, condiciona dentro de su ámbito e incluso en sus entornos de protección, el desarrollo de actividades tanto presentes como futuras lo que, en muchos casos, provoca confrontaciones de difícil resolución entre los intereses medio ambientales y de protección derivados de la Directiva y otros intereses, tanto de carácter general como particular, que también deben ser susceptibles de atención y valoración. En el presente trabajo de investigación, se realiza una aproximación secuencial a la RN 2000. Partiendo de las bases del derecho medioambiental europeo y los antecedentes y directivas que sirvieron para su creación, se realiza una primera diagnosis del estado actual de la RN 2000 así como del estado de sus objetivos de conservación. Con posterioridad, el trabajo se centra en el análisis del sistema de protección de la RN 2000 así como el mecanismo previsto por la propia Directiva para posible alteración por motivo, esencialmente, de planes y programas urbanísticos. Para ello, se efectúa un estudio de la normativa de trasposición y desarrollo, tanto a nivel estatal como autonómico valenciano, y a la luz de las diferentes guías interpretativas de la Comisión Europea, la jurisprudencia conformada al respecto (tanto en el ámbito comunitario como interno), así como la doctrina que ha tratado sobre la materia. Finalmente, se concluye sobre el proceso de conformación y el estado de la RN 2000 en la actualidad, sobre los principales problemas detectados en el estudio y sobre las propuestas de mejora en aras a conseguir una sistema de protección más eficaz y a la vez ágil y claro. / [CA] La Xarxa Natura 2000 (RN 2000) creada mitjançant la Directiva 92/43/CEE constitueix la major xarxa ecològica mundial de conservació de la biodiversitat i es compon de dues zones diferenciades, les Zones Especials de Conservació (ZEC) establides d'acord amb la Directiva Hàbitat i les Zones d'Especial Protecció per a les Aus (ZEPA) designades en virtut de la Directiva Aus. El procés de conformació de RN 2000 ha resultat ardu i complicat, de fet encara ens trobem en la fase d'aprovació dels Planes i Normes de Gestió respecte de les zones terrestres, i en ple procés de delimitació de les zones marines. Així i tot i en l'actualitat, s'engloben en la RN 2000 el 18,36% de la superfície dels Estats membres de la Unió Europea, el 27,21% del territori nacional i més del 30% del corresponent a la Comunitat Valenciana. La importància tant quantitativa com a qualitativa de les superfícies i terrenys inclosos en la RN 2000, condiciona dins del seu àmbit i fins i tot en els seus entorns de protecció, el desenvolupament d'activitats tant presents com a futures el que, en molts casos, provoca confrontacions de difícil resolució entre els interessos mitjà ambientals i de protecció derivats de la Directiva i altres interessos, tant de caràcter general com a particular, que també han de ser susceptibles d'atenció i valoració. En el present treball de recerca, es realitza una aproximació seqüencial a la RN 2000. Partint de les bases del dret mediambiental europeu i els antecedents i directives que van servir per a la seua creació, es realitza una primera diagnosi de l'estat actual de la RN 2000 així com de l'estat dels seus objectius de conservació. Amb posterioritat, el treball se centra en l'anàlisi del sistema de protecció de la RN 2000 així com el mecanisme previst per la pròpia Directiva per a possible alteració per motiu, essencialment, de plans i programes urbanístics. Per a açò, s'efectua un estudi de la normativa de trasposició i desenvolupament, tant a nivell estatal com a autonòmic valencià, i a la llum de les diferents guies interpretatives de la Comissió Europea, la jurisprudència conformada sobre aquest tema (tant en l'àmbit comunitari com a intern), així com la doctrina que ha tractat sobre la matèria. Finalment, es conclou sobre el procés de conformació i l'estat de la RN 2000 en l'actualitat, sobre els principals problemes detectats en l'estudi i sobre les propostes de millora en llaures a aconseguir una sistema de protecció més eficaç i alhora àgil i clar. / Trinidad Tornel, Á. (2016). La protección de la Red Natura 2000 y sus alteraciones como consecuencia de los planes y programas urbanísticos (especial referencia a la Comunidad Valenciana) [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/61664

The doctoral thesis is thematically focused on a particular area of the environmental law, nature conservation. The first chapter presents selected significant international conventions and EU regulations, e.g. the Birds Directive and the Habitats Directive. The other parts deal with a comparison of the constitutional framework of environmental protection and nature conservation including the introduction of the general principles of the nature conservation in Federal Act on the Conservation of Nature and Landscape. Other chapters are focused on a comparison of general and specific nature conservation. The thesis contains selected decisions of the Court of Justice of the European Union against Germany. In the conclusion, the answers to questions are given, the introduced legislation is compared and substantial differences in both legal systems are discussed.

Biodiversity is a concurrent part of the nature inheritance. The human’s activity (development of cities, industry, agriculture, transport infrastructure, pollution, etc) is influencing the nature’s disbalance. Natural areas of habitats are on the way to disappear or their status is getting worse. There is a need for special means to ensure the protection of many species of fauna and flora and their natural habitats, because they are in danger of disappearing. The network “Natura 2000” has few goals: to cover the fragile and valuable natural habitats and species of particular importance for the conservation of biological diversity within the territory of EU and to guarantee sustained efforts to protect the most important areas properly. The main objective of the “Natura 2000” network is to ensure the survival of species that are threatened or rare throughout Europe. These legal EU documents ensure the creation of the above-mentioned European network of protected territories in public territories as well as in private lands. Economic and farming activities are restricted in these areas as a way to protect natural habitats types, rare animals as well as are plants habitats. That way the interests of land owners become quite different from the nature protectionists and the prohibitions of land or forest property rights. It is quite difficult to evaluate the economical loss while establishing some new protected areas in public and private lands. The evaluation is specific for... [to full text]

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Der Regionale Planungsverband Leipzig-Westsachsen hat für den Tagebau Vereinigtes Schleenhain einen Braunkohlenplan (BKP) in der Fassung vom 25.08.2011 /1/ aufgestellt und für diesen eine Strategische Umweltprüfung (SUP) durchgeführt.