Transcript High Nature Value farming in Western Stara Planina

High Nature Value farming
in Western Stara Planina
Koen De Rijck - for EFNCP / WWF-DCP seminar, 14-15 April 2008
Outline
• Western Stara Planina
– Introduce key characteristics
• Land use
• Agriculture
• Biodiversity
– High Nature Value farming
Western Stara Planina
• Total area of WSP region: about 4000 sq.
km in Bulgaria and Serbia
• Upland and mountaineous region
Land use
• about 80% of WSP: forests
– Old-growth beech and spruce forests
Land use
• about 80% of WSP: forests
• about 20% of WSP: agricultural land
– 68%: meadows and pastures
Land use
• about 80% of WSP: forests
• about 20% of WSP: agricultural land
– 68%: meadows and pastures
– 27%: arable land
Land use
• about 80% of WSP: forests
• about 20% of WSP: agricultural land
– 68%: meadows and pastures
– 27%: arable land
– 5%: orchards
– abandoned farmlands: 15-42%
Land ownership
• over 80% of forests in state ownership
• ownership of agricultural land is less clear
– over 50% of people in WSP own land
– only 10% owns grasslands
– most meadows and pastures are in state or
municipal ownership
Farm characteristics
• High share of semi- and subsistence farms
– Vegetable gardens, perennial crops
– Livestock rearing
• Sheep, goat
• Average farm size: 1,6 ha
Biodiversity
• WSP has outstanding rich biodiversity
– 1658 higher plant species
• 121 Balkan and 10 Bulgarian endemics
• 330 of conservation importance
– 77 butterflies of conservation importance
– 136 + 61 bird species
• 37 of conservation importance
– 61 mammal species
– 11 species of amphibians and 16 of reptiles
Biodiversity
• WSP is included in Natura 2000 network
Biodiversity
• WSP is included in Natura 2000 network
• Proposal for designation as nature park
• Rich biodiversity reflected in rich cultural
heritage!
– Chiprovtsi carpets
HNVF Concept
• High Nature Value farmland are those
areas in Europe where agriculture is a
major (usually the dominant) land use and
where that agriculture supports, or is
associated with, either a high species
and habitat diversity or the presence of
species of European conservation
concern, or both
HNVF Typology
• Type 1: Farmland with a high proportion of
semi-natural vegetation
• Type 2: Farmland dominated by low
intensity agriculture or a mosaic of seminatural and cultivated land and small-scale
features
Key features of HNVF
• Always low-intensity
• Always high proportion of semi-natural
vegetation
• Often a mosaic of habitats
High Nature Value farming
in Western Stara Planina
Koen De Rijck - for EFNCP / WWF-DCP seminar, 14-15 April 2008