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Abundance and distribution of selected species (SEBI 001) - Assessment published May 2010: Overall, Europe's common bird populations reduced by around 10 % since 1980. Common farmland birds declined most severely (around 50 %) but common forest birds also declined by some 9 %. Falls have levelled off since the late 1990s. Europe's grassland butterflies have declined dramatically (60 %) since 1990 and this reduction shows no sign yet of levelling off.
Located in Data and maps › Indicators › Abundance and distribution of selected species
Abundance and distribution of selected species (SEBI 001) - Assessment DRAFT created Nov 2010: Overall, Europe's common bird populations reduced by around 10 % since 1980. Common farmland birds declined most severely (around 50 %) but common forest birds also declined by some 5 %. Falls have levelled off since the late 1990s. Europe's grassland butterflies have declined dramatically (almost 70 %) since 1990 and this reduction shows no sign yet of levelling off.
Located in Data and maps › Indicators › Abundance and distribution of selected species
Agriculture: area under management practices potentially supporting biodiversity (SEBI 020) - Assessment published May 2010: Europe has significant areas of High Nature Value (HNV) farmland, which provide habitats for a wide range of species. Such areas are under threat, however, from intensification of farming and land abandonment. The mere presence of HNV farmland is of course not proof of sustainable management but promoting conservation and sustainable farming practices in these areas is crucial for biodiversity. Map 1 presents the first estimate of HNV farmland distribution and can therefore not yet be analysed for trends. Agri-environment schemes have been used widely to make agriculture more sustainable. Not all agri-environment measures are explicitly targeted on biodiversity, however, and further analysis is required to determine their effectiveness. Organic farming has developed rapidly since the beginning of the 1990s and continues to do so. While it is difficult to assess its impact on biodiversity it is assumed that this type of farming reduces stress on ecosystems and provides a wider range of niches for farmland species.
Located in Data and maps › Indicators › Agriculture: area under management practices potentially supporting biodiversity
Agriculture: nitrogen balance (SEBI 019) - Assessment published May 2010: Agricultural nitrogen surpluses (the difference between all nutrient inputs and outputs on agricultural land) show a declining trend, thereby potentially reducing environmental pressures on soil, water and air. Many countries, however, still maintain a large surplus.
Located in Data and maps › Indicators › Agriculture: nitrogen balance
Aquaculture: effluent water quality from finfish farms (SEBI 022) - Assessment published May 2010: Aquaculture production in Europe has increased in the EU since 1990, levelling off slightly since 2000 although Norway and Iceland continue to show large increases. This overall increase implies a rise in pressure on adjacent water bodies and associated ecosystems resulting mainly from nutrient releasefrom aquaculture facilities. Annual production in the current version of the indicator is a proxy for the environmental impacts of aquaculture. Work is underway to develop a more advanced indicator to assess the sustainability of aquaculture.
Located in Data and maps › Indicators › Aquaculture: effluent water quality from finfish farms
Assessing biodiversity in Europe — the 2010 report: The present report considers the status and trends of pan-European biodiversity, and the implications of these trends for biodiversity management policy and practice. It considers the key biodiversity policy instruments currently applied in Europe, the threats to biodiversity and their management implications across major habitat types. The implications for biodiversity of cross-cutting issues such as tourism and urban planning are also considered, along with the challenges that remain for conserving and sustainably using of Europe's biodiversity. The report makes use of the SEBI 2010 indicators and other relevant national and regional information sources. It does not consider the biodiversity of EU overseas territories and outermost regions.
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Common birds in Europe — population index (1980 = 100): How to read the graph: since 1980 the number of common farmland birds has declined by around 50 %
Located in Data and maps › Maps and graphs
Critical load exceedance for nitrogen (SEBI 009) - Assessment published May 2010: Nitrogen emissions and deposition of nitrogen compounds have decreased since 1990 but relatively little compared to sulphur emissions. Agriculture and transport are the main sources of nitrogen pollution (EEA, 2007c). In addition, nitrogen components can lead to eutrophication of ecosystems. When this pollution exceeds certain levels ('critical load'), it is damaging to biodiversity. Critical load exceedance is still significant (1) . (1) The critical load of nutrient nitrogen is defined as 'the highest deposition of nitrogen as NOX and/or NHY below which harmful effects in ecosystem structure and function do not occur according to present knowledge' (ICP, M&M, 2004).
Located in Data and maps › Indicators › Critical load exceedance for nitrogen
Ecological Footprint of European countries (SEBI 023) - Assessment published May 2010: The Ecological Footprint for pan-Europe (1) has been increasing almost constantly since 1961, while Europe's biocapacity (2) has decreased. This results in an ever larger deficit, with negative consequences for the environment within and outside Europe. (1) For this analysis, data from all European countries were used, except for nations that were excluded because of insufficient population (Cyprus, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg and Malta) and nations for which data are lacking (Andorra, Monaco, San Marino). (2) The capacity of ecosystems to produce useful biological materials and to absorb waste materials generated by humans, using current management schemes and extraction technologies.
Located in Data and maps › Indicators › Ecological Footprint of European countries
Ecosystem coverage (SEBI 004) - Assessment published May 2010: Built-up areas, infrastructure and woodland are increasing whilst agricultural land, semi-natural and natural habitats decrease. The overall statistics hide more detailed transition patterns. Wetlands, for example, are mainly changing into forest; other (semi-)natural areas primarily give way to agriculture.
Located in Data and maps › Indicators › Ecosystem coverage