Conservation status of forest inhabiting species under the EU habitats directive
Summary
The conservation status of most forest species (38 species) under the EU Habitats Directive in Finland is not at an adequate level. In the most recent assessment, a little over one-third of the evaluated species were found to have a favorable conservation status, while the rest were assessed as inadequate or poor. There has been no significant change in the overall conservation status.
Status
The status of the indicator is very bad. This status is determined based on the most recent reporting, relative to the goal that all assessments of forest species listed in the Habitats Directive should be at a favorable conservation status. Of the 38 assessments included in the indicator, only a little over one-third were considered favorable according to the most recent directive report (see Information about the service and Indicator Calculation). In over half of the cases, the status was assessed as inadequate, and nearly 14 percent were assessed as poor.
Trend
There is no significant change in the proportion of favorable conservation status assessments between the different reporting periods in the indicator. A small part of the fluctuation can be attributed to variations in the number of species for which sufficient data was available for assessment during different reporting periods.
Significance
The indicator includes 38 species from different biological groups (mammals, amphibians, beetles, butterflies and moths, vascular plants, and mosses). These species are primarily rare and/or have a limited distribution range. Many of the insects and plants in this group have specific habitat requirements, including species that depend on old-growth forests and groves.
The indicator reflects trends in the populations, distribution ranges, and habitat quality of species considered particularly significant for conservation. It provides insight into whether conservation efforts and the sustainable use of natural resources are sufficient to ensure the favorable conservation status of these species. A conservation status is considered favorable if the species is viable in its natural habitats and is expected to remain so in the long term. The EU Biodiversity Strategy aims for at least 30 percent of species currently not in favorable conservation status to achieve favorable status by 2030.
References
Data used
The indicator is based on Finland’s national reports to the European Union’s Habitats Directive from three different reporting periods (2001-2006, 2007-2012, and 2013-2018). These reports assess the conservation status of various species based on the extent of their distribution range, estimated population size, habitat availability, and future prospects. The conservation status of a species can be assessed for multiple biogeographical zones (Boreal, Alpine, and Baltic).
The species assessed in these reports are listed in Annexes II, IV, and V of the European Union’s Habitats Directive. Annex II lists animal and plant species, subspecies, or species groups considered of community interest, for which special conservation areas (Natura 2000 network) must be designated. Annex IV includes animal and plant species, subspecies, or species groups considered of community interest that require strict protection. Annex V lists animal and plant species, or species groups of community interest, whose removal from the wild and exploitation may require regulation to ensure that their conservation status is not threatened.
From the species listed in the Habitats Directive, only those whose primary habitat was assessed as a forested environment in the most recent Red List assessment have been selected for this indicator.
The species from the EU Habitats Directive annexes that are included in the indicator (with conservation status in the boreal region in parentheses):
Wolverine – Gulo gulo (Unfavorable, Inadequate)
Lynx – Lynx lynx (Favorable)
Brown bear – Ursus arctos (Favorable)
Brown big-eared bat – Plecotus auritus (Favorable)
Siberian flying squirrel – Pteromys volans (Unfavorable, Inadequate)
Mountain hare – Lepus timidus (Favorable)
Finnish forest reindeer – Rangifer tarandus fennicus (Favorable)
Pine marten – Martes martes (Favorable)
Northern bat – Eptesicus nilssonii (Favorable)
Wolf – Canis lupus (Unfavorable, Inadequate)
Great crested newt – Triturus cristatus (Unfavorable, Inadequate)
Common frog – Rana temporaria (Favorable)
Moor frog – Rana arvalis (Favorable)
Hermit beetle – Osmoderma eremita (Unfavorable, Inadequate)
Xyletinus tremulicola (Unfavorable, Inadequate)
Stephanopachys linearis (Unfavorable, Inadequate)
Powder post beetle – Stephanopachys substriatus (Unfavorable, Inadequate)
Phryganophilus ruficollis (Unfavorable, Inadequate)
Agathidium pulchellum (Unfavorable, Inadequate)
Boros schneideri (Unfavorable, Inadequate)
Oxyporus mannerheimii (No assessment in the latest report)
Cucujus cinnaberinus (Unfavorable, Bad)
Mesosa myops (Unfavorable, Inadequate)
Scarce fritillary – Euphydryas maturna (Favorable)
Xestia borealis (Unfavorable, Inadequate)
Marsh fritillary – Euphydryas aurinia (Unfavorable, Bad)
Aradus angularis (Unfavorable, Inadequate)
Drooping woodreed – Cinna latifolia (Unfavorable, Inadequate)
Eastern pasqueflower – Pulsatilla patens (Unfavorable, Bad)
Common clubmoss – Lycopodium clavatum (Favorable)
Mountain twinsorus fern – Diplazium sibiricum (Favorable)
Fairy slipper – Calypso bulbosa (Unfavorable, Inadequate)
Lady’s slipper – Cypripedium calceolus (Unfavorable, Inadequate)
Macoun’s cephalozia – Cephalozia macounii (Unfavorable, Bad)
Large white-moss – Leucobryum glaucum (Favorable)
Drummond’s plagiomnium moss – Plagiomnium drummondii (Unfavorable, Inadequate)
Dicranum moss – Dicranum viride (Unfavorable, Inadequate)
Green shield-moss – Buxbaumia viridis (Unfavorable, Inadequate)
Indicator calculation
The proportions of different conservation statuses in the indicator are directly based on the results from the European Union’s Habitats Directive reporting periods. In the Habitats Directive reporting, assessments are conducted according to the EU’s biogeographical divisions, specifically for the Alpine, Boreal, and Baltic regions. For the forest species indicator, only the results from the Boreal region have been used.
From the species listed in Annexes II, IV, and V of the Habitats Directive, only those species primarily occurring in forested habitats on mineral soils have been selected for inclusion in this indicator (see Data used). Species from wooded mires have been excluded from this analysis, as they are included in the Habitats Directive’s peatland species indicator. The most recent Red List assessment, which identified primary habitats for over 20 000 species, was used as the source for determining the habitats used by these species.
For the indicator, the proportion of favorable conservation status assessments out of all assessments was calculated for each of the three reporting periods. Since only Boreal zone assessments have been selected for this indicator, each species has only one assessment, which directly represents the proportion of forest species under the Habitats Directive in favorable conservation status.
The proportion of assessments in favorable conservation status from the most recent reporting period (2013-2018) directly determines the indicator’s status relative to the scenario where all assessments would be in favorable conservation status. Thus, any deviation from the scenario where all assessments are favorable lowers the indicator’s status assessment (see Information about the service).
The indicator’s trend is calculated based on how the proportion of favorable conservation status assessments has changed across different reporting periods. The trend evaluation is conducted using a generalized linear model based on a binomial distribution.
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Ulla-Maija Liukko
Senior coordinator, group manager (Syke), Red List Assessment, EU directives reporting