Current European policies are unlikely to jointly foster carbon
sequestration and protect biodiversity

J 2016

Current European policies are unlikely to jointly foster carbon sequestration and protect biodiversity

BURRASCANO, Sabina, Milan CHYTRÝ, Tobias KUEMMERLE, Eleonora GIARRIZZO, Sebastiaan LUYSSAERT et. al.

Basic information

Original name

Current European policies are unlikely to jointly foster carbon sequestration and protect biodiversity

Authors

BURRASCANO, Sabina (380 Italy), Milan CHYTRÝ (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution), Tobias KUEMMERLE (276 Germany), Eleonora GIARRIZZO (380 Italy), Sebastiaan LUYSSAERT (528 Netherlands), Francesco Maria SABATINI (380 Italy) and Carlo BLASI (380 Italy)

Edition

Biological Conservation, Elsevier, 2016, 0006-3207

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Článek v odborném periodiku

Field of Study

10600 1.6 Biological sciences

Country of publisher

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

References:

URL

Impact factor

Impact factor: 4.022

RIV identification code

RIV/00216224:14310/16:00091612

Organization unit

Faculty of Science

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2016.08.005

UT WoS

000384782800044

Keywords in English

Afforestation; Carbon management; Climate change mitigation; Common Agricultural Policy; Grassland biodiversity; Habitats Directive

Abstract

V originále

The extension of forest area is a globally accepted tool to offset CO2 emissions from deforestation and the combustion of fossil fuels. The common assumption is that in addition to the perceived climate benefits increasing forest area will also support biodiversity, thus making afforestation a “win-win scenario”. Based on the existing scientific evidences, we show that joined climate and biodiversity benefits are strongly context-dependent and that the outcome of afforestation is often highly questionable. In Europe, grasslands managed at low intensity contribute substantially to biodiversity conservation and carbon storage. However, many of these grasslands have been lost due to abandonment and subsequent spontaneous succession towards woody vegetation, or due to land use intensification. Moreover, grasslands are the ecosystems most often deliberately afforested in the context of EU carbon-centered policies that may thus counteract biodiversity conservation programmes. By reviewing the main EU policies targeting forests and grasslands, we found a striking ambivalence between policies and funding schemes addressing grassland conservation on the one hand (e.g. Habitats Directive, green payments within the Common Agricultural Policy) and those supporting afforestation on the other (e.g. rural development funds). We suggest three measures towards a better harmonization of the European Union policies that target forest and grassland ecosystems: (1) promoting the alignment of the decisions taken across different policy sectors; (2) focusing on the whole range of ecosystem services and biodiversity issues rather than on carbon management only; (3) valuing systems managed at low-intensity for their multifunctionality.

Citovat

BURRASCANO, Sabina, Milan CHYTRÝ, Tobias KUEMMERLE, Eleonora GIARRIZZO, Sebastiaan LUYSSAERT, Francesco Maria SABATINI and Carlo BLASI. Current European policies are unlikely to jointly foster carbon sequestration and protect biodiversity. Biological Conservation. Elsevier, 2016, vol. 201, September, p. 370-376. ISSN 0006-3207. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2016.08.005.

@article{1359879,
   author = {Burrascano, Sabina and Chytrý, Milan and Kuemmerle, Tobias and Giarrizzo, Eleonora and Luyssaert, Sebastiaan and Sabatini, Francesco Maria and Blasi, Carlo},
   article_number = {September},
   doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2016.08.005},
   keywords = {Afforestation; Carbon management; Climate change mitigation; Common Agricultural Policy; Grassland biodiversity; Habitats Directive},
   language = {eng},
   issn = {0006-3207},
   journal = {Biological Conservation},
   title = {Current European policies are unlikely to jointly foster carbon sequestration and protect biodiversity},
   url = {http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320716303081},
   volume = {201},
   year = {2016}
}

TY  - JOUR
ID  - 1359879
AU  - Burrascano, Sabina - Chytrý, Milan - Kuemmerle, Tobias - Giarrizzo, Eleonora - Luyssaert, Sebastiaan - Sabatini, Francesco Maria - Blasi, Carlo
PY  - 2016
TI  - Current European policies are unlikely to jointly foster carbon sequestration and protect biodiversity
JF  - Biological Conservation
VL  - 201
IS  - September
SP  - 370-376
EP  - 370-376
PB  - Elsevier
SN  - 00063207
KW  - Afforestation
KW  - Carbon management
KW  - Climate change mitigation
KW  - Common Agricultural Policy
KW  - Grassland biodiversity
KW  - Habitats Directive
UR  - http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320716303081
N2  - The extension of forest area is a globally accepted tool to offset CO2 emissions from deforestation and the combustion of fossil fuels. The common assumption is that in addition to the perceived climate benefits increasing forest area will also support biodiversity, thus making afforestation a “win-win scenario”. Based on the existing scientific evidences, we show that joined climate and biodiversity benefits are strongly context-dependent and that the outcome of afforestation is often highly questionable. In Europe, grasslands managed at low intensity contribute substantially to biodiversity conservation and carbon storage. However, many of these grasslands have been lost due to abandonment and subsequent spontaneous succession towards woody vegetation, or due to land use intensification. Moreover, grasslands are the ecosystems most often deliberately afforested in the context of EU carbon-centered policies that may thus counteract biodiversity conservation programmes. By reviewing the main EU policies targeting forests and grasslands, we found a striking ambivalence between policies and funding schemes addressing grassland conservation on the one hand (e.g. Habitats Directive, green payments within the Common Agricultural Policy) and those supporting afforestation on the other (e.g. rural development funds). We suggest three measures towards a better harmonization of the European Union policies that target forest and grassland ecosystems: (1) promoting the alignment of the decisions taken across different policy sectors; (2) focusing on the whole range of ecosystem services and biodiversity issues rather than on carbon management only; (3) valuing systems managed at low-intensity for their multifunctionality.
ER  -

BURRASCANO, Sabina, Milan CHYTRÝ, Tobias KUEMMERLE, Eleonora GIARRIZZO, Sebastiaan LUYSSAERT, Francesco Maria SABATINI and Carlo BLASI. Current European policies are unlikely to jointly foster carbon sequestration and protect biodiversity. \textit{Biological Conservation}. Elsevier, 2016, vol.~201, September, p.~370-376. ISSN~0006-3207. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2016.08.005.

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