Promoting the grassland diversity of habitats & species

in respect of farming

– examples at the European level –

Dr. Rainer Oppermann

Institute for Agroecology and Biodiversity (IFAB)

oppermann@ifab-mannheim.de

Presentation in Madrid, 29.09.2015,

at the “Natura 2000 Farmland Management and Biodiversity Conference”

2

What is grassland diversity of habitats & species?

Almost all kind of extensively managed grassland

(mostly species- and flower-rich):

- meadows: mostly 1 – 2 (3) cuts /year

- pastures: mostly 1 – 3 pasturings/ year

- only small amounts of or no fertiliser used

3

95 % 5

%

Species number plants (25 m2): 5 – 20 20 – 60 20 – 80

Extent in extensive regions 70 % 25 % 5 %

Extent in intensive regions 95 % <5 % <1 %

70 – 95 % 5 - 25 % 0.1

-5%

0.1 -5%

What is grassland diversity of habitats & species?

Example Germany in general (not in Natura2000-areas)

Current

state

Target

- Meadow competitions

- PR work, newspapers, etc.

- TV, radio

- Events, festivals

- Public support (AEM)

- Buying products

Promotion of grassland diversity

appreciation added value

- Agrienvironm. measures (AEM)

- Tourism

- Private partnerships + foundations

- Innovative products

- Cheese and meat products

- Hay and hay products

Getting farmers proud

Public appreciation and awareness rising appreciation

Meadow competitions in Europe

Examples of meadow competitions are from

Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland

Several work steps:

1. Preparation with different partners

2. Public information of farmers and public

3. Participation and evaluation

4. Jury decision

5. Rewarding the prices / public event

6. Accompanying press release

over the whole season

Public competition for farmers looking for

species rich and good fodder value meadows or pastures

→ at the same time high ecological value

and

high fodder value

Good balance between ecology and productivity

Public appreciation: meadow competitions

To be achieved e.g. by so called Meadow competitions or meadow championships

Public appreciation and awareness rising

Rewarding

the prices

to the farmers

Public appreciation and awareness rising

Perfect work on this issue in France, see

http://prairiesfleuries.espaces-naturels.fr

Public appreciation and awareness rising in France

11

Financial issue:

“result-orientated” agri-environm. measures

Example s Germany , Switzerland and France

2000 first programme in Baden-Württemberg

for species-rich grassland

2007 further programmes in 4 regions in Germany

2015 additional 3 further regions in Germany

and differentiated payments 4, 6 and 8 key species

From 2001 also in Switzerland

(whole country with regional differentiations)

From 2007 also in France

(national parks and parcs naturels)

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What is species-rich grassland?

Extensive grassland in Baden-Württemberg

- 7 types of extensive grassland (meadows and pastures)

- all 7 types are covered by an indicator list with 28 species / species groups

13

Catalogue of indicator species in Baden-Württemberg

The catalogue comprises 28 key species for extensive grassland,

- mainly flower species /genera that are easy to identify

Programme called MEKA till 2014, and FAKT since 2015 (30 species now)

14

Agri-environment measures in Baden-Württemberg

First evaluation of MEKA in 1996/1997 concerning support of extensive grassland

Discontentment with measure-related support

of extensive grassland

on the part of the farmers: difficulties with fixed specifications

(e.g. number of cuts, in their view partly “absurd”)

on the part of the ecologists: achievement of conservation aims is not assured, in

contrast ecological quality decreases

on the part of the administration: difficulties to carry out the controls

(e.g. several visits for control of number of cuts)

Proposal from NGO-side for a result-based approach in 1997

15

support of species rich grassland “result-orientated”

Procedure for registration in the countryside

inspection on an diagonal through the parcel (transect)

If there are at least 4 of 30 species in every

third of a transect through the whole parcel,

the farmer can apply for € 230 /ha

for 6 key species € 260 /ha

16

Result-orientated grassland-support

Farm management and dealing with new approach

Farmers do a self-evaluation of the species

richness on the transects

There is advice with leaflets and advisors

Measure is for continuation of the traditional

management of meadows and pastures

- Easy to integrate in farm management

- No specifications for utilisation and

specific dates for cut

Management according to weather and growth

Autonomy of farmers on location:

knowledge, time availability, quality factors

17

Evaluation results

- species-rich grassland

on average 21 % of all grassland

- Very species rich grassland with a

share of about 8 %

- Differentiation for different natural

regions:

- share of grassland

- species composition

- etc.

18

Different meadow championships in Germany since 2005

Further links to the result based grassland support

Meadow championships as PR-measure

- PR-work: newspapers, radio, TV

- Jury-decision involving diff. stakeholders

Proud winners in public presentation

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- farmers are proud on their species-rich grassland

- they are payed for the product “biodiversity”

- they keep an eye on diversity of species

- they get to know species and the diversity

- they see a sense in this kind of support

- many farmers can be achieved

- the ecological effects are better

- monitoring of actual biodiversity

- image effect for farmers and government and NGOs

- win-win-situation for all participants

Important to do both – public appreciation and financial rewards

Conclusions: Promotion of species rich grassland

Thank you very much

for your attention

More information: www.ifab-mannheim.de --- oppermann@ifab-mannheim.de

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Indicator species of

the result-orientated

supportof extensive

grassland in Baden-

Württemberg

(OPPERMANN &

BRIEMLE 2002).

Deutscher Name Wissenschaftlicher Name Blütenfarbe Blühzeit Typ W M F R N

Margerite Leucanthemum vulgaris weiß 5-10 1,2,3 2 6 4 x 3

Bocksbart Tragopogon spec. gelb 5-7 1,2,3 4 6 4 7 6

Witwenblume, Knautie Knautia arvensis blau 5-7 1,2,3 2 5 4 x 4

Klappertopf Rhinanthus spec. gelb 5-9 2,3 -1 4 4 x 3

Wiesen-Salbei Salvia pratensis blau 4-8 2 2 5 3 8 4

Glockenblumen Campanula spec. blau 5-9 1,2,3 3 5 5 x 5

Storchschnabel Geranium spec. blau/lila 5-8 1,2,3 2 5 5 x 7

Rotklee Trifolium pratense rot 6-9 1,3 7 7 5 x x

Flockenblumen Centaurea spec. blau/lila 6-9 2,3,4 3 4 5 x 4

Teufelskralle Phyteuma spec. blau/weiß 5-7 3,4 5 4 5 x 5

Bärwurz Meum athamanticum weiß 5-6 4 3 5 5 3 3

Tag-Lichtnelke Silene dioica rot 4-9 1,5 3 5 6 7 8

Pippau Crepis biennis, C. mollis gelb 5-8 1,3 4 5 6 x 5

Kohl-Kratzdistel Cirsium oleraceum weiß/grün 6-9 5,6 4 5 7 7 5

Großer Wiesenknopf Sanguisorba officinalis rot 6-9 5,6 5 5 6 x 5

Trollblume Trollius europaeus gelb 5-6 6 -1 5 7 6 5

Wiesen-Schaumkraut Cardamine pratensis weiß 4-5 5,6 -1 6 6 x x

Sumpf-Dotterblume Caltha palustris gelb 4-6 6 -1 4 9 x 6

Wiesen-Knöterich Polygonum bistorta rot/rosa 5-7 5,6 4 6 7 5 5

Kuckucks-Lichtnelke Lychnis flos-cuculi rot 5-7 5,6 1 4 7 x x

Bach-Nelkenwurz Geum rivale rot/braun 4-7 5,6 2 4 8 x 4

Augentrost Euphrasia rostk., -stricta weiß 5-10 7 -1 5 x x 4

Flügel-Ginster Genista sagittalis gelb 5-6 7 0 4 4 4 2

Blutwurz Potentilla erecta gelb 6-8 7 2 3 x x 2

Kreuzblumen Polygala spec. blau/lila 5-8 4,7 1 4 4 x 2

Feld-Thymian Thymus pulegioides purpurrot 5-8 4,7 1 4 3 x 1

Kleines Habichtskraut Hieracium pilosella gelb 5-10 4,7 2 4 4 x 2

Milch- und Ferkelkräuter Leont. spec., Hypoch. radic. gelb 6-9 4,7 5/1 5/7 5 4 4

Erläuterungen:

Blühzeit = Blütemonate (z.B.

4= März);

Typ = Zugehörigkeit zu einem

der 7 Grünlandtypen;

W = Futterwertzahl (nach

Klapp et al. 1953);

M = Mahdverträglichkeitszahl

(nach Briemle & Ellenberg

1994),

F = Feuchtezahl,

R = Reaktionszahl,

N = Nährstoffzahl (nach

Ellenberg et al. 1992);

x = indifferentes ökologisches

Verhalten der Art

Bonitierung

Aus mehreren

Bonitur-Einzelwerten

wird ein Gesamtwert

oder ein Mittelwert

gebildet

Bonititur-Kriterien

Wiesenmeisterschaften in Baden-Württemberg und Frankreich Wissenschaft und Praxis im Rahmen von Wiesenmeisterschaften

Gesamtboniturwert

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

1 6 11 16 21 26 31 36 41 46 51 56 61 66 71 76 81 86 91 96 101 106

Gesamtaufnahmen n=107

Bon

iturw

erte