Development of the EUNIS Habitat Classification: why and how?DORIAN MOSS
British Trust for Ornithologyformerly at
Centre for Ecology & HydrologyDorian Ecological Information Ltd,
UK
1982 1985 1988 1991 1995 1998 2001 2004 2007 2011
CORINE Biotopes
classification 2 levels
Habitats Directive Annex I
CORINE Biotopes
Manual vol. 2EC
CORINE Biotopes development
DG-XI CORINE Programme
CORINE team meetings
EUNIS predecessors• CORINE Biotopes habitats• 1982: 2 levels, just a list of names• Developed so as to record habitats in
conservation sites• 1988: 4+ levels, descriptions,
references to literature and phytosociology
• 1991: over 3000 habitat types• 1993-6: extended to rest of
Europe with CoE funding
Problems with CORINE• CORINE was only intended as a pilot• Habitat list not planned to have life outside the
project• Extracts from unpublished version Annex I• EC lost ownership on expansion to PHARE area• Delays from 1991-94 in starting up EEA• However EEA picked up commitment for
development of habitat classificationin 1996
• Source: Ulla Pinborg, Monks Wood, 1996
Criticisms of CORINE• No clear consistent statement of methodology• No responsible authoritative scientific body• Wide differences in importance of habitat types
classified at same level in hierarchy• No clear consistent criteria for each division• Habitat types apparently separated only on
geographical and not ecological grounds• Not comprehensive, omits especially many
marine, freshwater and man-made habitat types
• Sources: Rodwell et al, c.1995, Moss & Roy 1995, etc
Aims of EUNIS
EUROPEAN NATURE INFORMATION SYSTEM
Content: to be a reservoir of information on environmentally important matters in Europe
Tools: to facilitate use of data by promoting harmonisation of terminology and definitions
Species:
• focus on legislative lists
• nomenclature
• distribution
• conservation status
Habitats:
•a European standard for habitat nomenclature
•cross-references to other systems including EU Habitats Directive Annex I
Sites:
•Common Database on Designated Areas
•internationally designated sites
•CORINE Biotopes database
EUNIS: EUROPEAN NATURE INFORMATION SYSTEM
1982 1985 1988 1991 1995 1998 2001 2004 2007 2011
CORINE Biotopes
classification 2 levels
EEA and ETC/NC
EUNIS initial plans
EUNIS habitat workshops
Habitats Directive Annex I
CORINE Biotopes
Manual vol. 2EC
Black Sea workshop
CORINE Biotopes development
EUNIS habitat classification
publishedCEH
1st EUNIS habitat website
EUNIS website
EEA workshop on governance
OSPAR/ICES workshops
Baltic Sea workshop
DG-XI CORINE Programme
Crosswalks to other
classifications
CORINE team meetings
Aims of the EUNIS habitat classification:
• provide a “common language” • enable mapping of units at a regional level• comprehensive and applicable at different
levels of complexity• allow aggregation, evaluation and
monitoring of habitat units• provide a common framework: new
information and links to other classifications
Development of EUNIS• International consultative workshops, Paris &
Monks Wood, 1995 & 1996• Several meetings of experts’ groups 1996-98• Criteria for first 3 levels proposed• Palaearctic habitats re-arranged to fit criteria• Concentrated on levels 3-4, lower levels
‘attached’ from other classifications• Inputs from marine and vegetation scientists
to fill in gaps• Sources: Davies & Moss 1998-2001
Principles of the classification (1)
• Classification is hierarchical • Units at a given hierarchical level to be of
similar importance• Clear criteria for each division to level 3• Units at level 4 and below follow criteria
of higher levels• Logical sequence of units • Use clearly defined non-technical
language
Principles of the classification (2)
• Ecologically distinct habitat types supporting different plant and animal communities should be separated
• Habitats from different locations differing on the basis of geographical range only should not be separated
• Habitat units and habitat complexes are separated
Development of EUNIS: widening consultation,
gathering expertise• Searchable parameter frame developed• Workshops:
– OSPAR/ICES marine habitat mapping workshops– ICES scientific conference paper– Workshop on Baltic Sea habitats (HELCOM)– 1st Black Sea science conference poster– Workshop on Black Sea habitats (Black Sea
Commission)• Sources: Davies & Moss 2001-2004, Moss 2006-2008
Dissemination of EUNIS• First website hosted by Wallonie region,
2001• Lists of cross-references to Annex I,
Palaearctic and CORINE Land cover, 2002• Cross-references to European Vegetation
Survey, 2002• EUNIS website, 2003-07• ‘Snapshot’ of classification published by
CEH, 2004
Relationships between classifications
EUNIS HABITATSpan-Europeanmarine & terrestrialcomprehensive to level 3/4non-legislativelinks to other classifications1996-2007
CORINE/PALAEARCTICEU -> Palaearctic realmmainly terrestrialcomprehensive and detailednon-legislative1986-2001 ...
HELCOMBaltic Seamarine and coastalmainly abioticHelsinki Convention1998
BARCELONA CONVENTION
Mediterranean Seamarineselective1998
BioMar/JNCCBritish and Irish seasmarinecomprehensivenon-legislative1997, updated 2004
Habitats Directive Annex IEUmarine & terrestrialvarying levelsEU Habitats Directive (incl. NATURA2000)1992 (from CORINE, 1989)augmented 1995 and 2004
EMERALD Annex Ipan-Europeanmarine & terrestrialvarying levelsBern Conventionfrom Palaearctic, 1995
CORINE Land Coverpan-Europeanmarine & terrestrial3 levels, 44 classesland cover mapping1986-1994
OSPAR/ICESNE Atlanticmarinestarted 1999
EUROPEAN VEGETATION
SURVEY•Crosswalk to Syntaxa
BLACK SEA CONVENTIONBlack Seamarinecomprehensive or selective?2006+?
Governance of EUNIS• Ownership of the classification should be
vested in the collective team responsible for its validation and evolution.
• In view of the long-term nature of the task and the value of a coherent and widely applicable habitat classification at the European level, the work of this team should be underwritten by the European Environment Agency through its European Topic Centre on Nature Conservation.
• Source: Moss & Roy 1995
Governance of EUNIS 2• A small standing working group should
oversee the development of the classification and ensure quality checking. This group should involve other individual or corporate experts selected regionally or thematically as appropriate.
• A larger central management and coordination committee should be constituted involving a range of developers from the scientific community and of users from scientific and conservation organisations
• Source: Moss & Hopkins 1997
EUNIS Habitat Classification level 1
A
MARINE HABITATS
E
GRASSLANDS AND LANDS
DOMINATED BY FORBS, MOSSES
OR LICHENS
D
MIRES, BOGS AND FENS
C
INLAND SURFACE WATERS
B
COASTAL HABITATS
J
CONSTRUCTED, INDUSTRIAL AND
OTHER ARTIFICIAL HABITATS
I
REGULARLY OR RECENTLY
CULTIVATED AGRICULTURAL, HORTICULTURAL AND DOMESTIC
HABITATS
H
INLAND UNVEGETATED OR SPARSELY VEGETATED HABITATS
G
WOODLAND, FOREST AND
OTHER WOODED
LAND
F
HEATHLAND, SCRUB AND
TUNDRA
X HABITAT COMPLEXES