Eco-innovation through public involvement: everyone s nature conservation Aveliina Helm aveliina.helm@ut.ee www.botany.ut.ee/macroecology University of Tartu Estonia
We have not halted biodiversity loss in Europe Continuing loss of biodiversity Threat to persistence of ecosystem services, including food security Unsustainable agriculture, adverse land-use changes landscape-scale lack of habitat isolation of habitats Trends of all common and farmland birds 1990-2010 More than 75% loss of flying insect biomass in protected areas in Germany Hallmann et al. 2017 Trends of grassland butterflies 1990-2011 The Wild Bird Index for Europe 1980 2010, European Bird Census Council/RSPB/BirdLife International/ Statistics Netherlands. EEA, grassland butterfly indicator for Europe
Our approach to biodiversity conservation has to change Conservation areas alone cannot prevent loss of biodiversity and vital ecosystem services Landscape surrounding conservation areas has to be biodiversity-friendly Aichi Strategic Goal A: Address the underlying causes of biodiversity loss by mainstreaming biodiversity across government and society Application of any nature based solution should simultaneously consider benefitting biodiversity rikaselu.blogspot.com
Solution for future landscapes Everyone's Nature Conservation - everyone should be incentivized to be involved in coservation First step - promotion of voluntary conservation actions in private and public lands support by state and municipalities with know-how, knowledge on local ecosystems, science-based planning, development and provision of databases, councelling service Valuing biodiversity and recognizing nature's benefits to people in society
NECESSITY: IMPROVE LANDSCAPE-SCALE CONNECTIVITY AND INCREASE LANDSCAPE- SCALE PRESENCE OF SPECIES All landscape elements designed to benefit local biodiversity road-verges, field-margins, parks, private and public gardens, infrastructure elements, constructions, urban areas etc HOW? Use of accumulated knowledge of LOCAL BIODIVERSITY identify which habitats/species groups are present currently in the region and need to be supported? grassland species, species related to agricultural landscapes, old-growth forest species, wetland species etc. Historically, which habitats were present - likely highest conservation need and most success in enhancing! If diverse plant communities are there, other biodiversity will follow!
Habitats in 1930s Alnus incana shrubland Species-rich wooded meadow Species-rich alvar grassland Agricultural land
Tall herb fringe community Remnant of wooded meadow Developing species rich grassland Remnant of wooded meadow
Tall herb fringe community Remnant of wooded meadow Developing species rich grassland Remnant of wooded meadow
Tall herb fringe community Restored wooded meadow Remnant of wooded meadow Garden that grows some threatened species Flower lawns with local species Restored alvar grassland Restored agroecological system Remnant of wooded meadow Road-verges supporting wooded meadow species Developing species rich grassland
Connected landscape historical habitats novel habitats restored everyone's nature conservation Novel and restored habitat patches, together with landscape elements created within everyone's conservation, can contribute to improvement of habitat connectivity
"Concrete" example Restoration of habitats increases people's awareness and alters their life-choices
Estonian alvar grasslands in 1930s - 50 000 ha
Estonian alvar grasslands in 2011-7000 ha
GIS-solutions for site selection - maximizing the efficiency of landscape-scale connectedness LIFE to Alvars - Restoring 2500 hectares of grasslands facebook/elualvaritel
Restoring 2500 hectares of grasslands 1300 ha private lands, 1200 public lands removing shrubs and trees re-introduction of grazing
Impact on local awareness on biodiversity 2-day learning courses for 150 land-owners and restoration practicioners 600 private land-owners participate in the project information boards (59) and other information materials 4 families have changed their profession and are now farmers 60 stories in 3 local newspapers
Easy to fix: road-verges supporting grassland biodiversity Road verges - linear elements that enable to support local biodiversity when managed knowingly (i.e. minimum width 3 m (Aavik & Liira 2010), mowing twice per year+ hay removal, connectedness with existing semi-natural grassland ). Lenght of roads in Estonia: 55 371 km. Enables to add 33 222 ha of habitat to support biodiversity of dry grassland habitats (that cover only 13 579 ha in Estonia) - 2.5 times more habitat for species! Road-verge in agricultural landscape in Estonia, supporting little biodiversity. Road-verge in UK, road A46. Photo: Steven Falk
CHANGES IN LEGISLATION TO CONSIDER BIODIVERSITY IN EVERY ACTION + INCREASED PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE SOLUTIONS: Integrating local and regional conservation goals into landscape and urban planning knowable planning of constructions and infrastructure by preserving and facilitating biodiversity Encouraging (and subsidising?) in private and public landsc creation of landscape elements supporting local biodiversity small-scale hobby farming with biodiversitysupporting elements creation of wildflower meadows of species with local genotypes establishment of small-scale private forest/wetland/grassland conservation areas creation of cavities and dead-wood habitats supporting regional abundance of threatened species by using them in flowerbeds and in urban/garden greening means to support active dispersal of native seeds in the landscape
Conclusions New approaches for conservation are needed to prevent and reverse loss of biodiversity and decline in important nature's benefits to people Public engagement, science-based biodiversity mainstreaming - Everyone's Nature Conservation Use of biodiversity-enhancing solutions designed for particular region - conglomerating science-supported know-how and tools. GOAL: integration of local and regional conservation goals into landscape and urban planning