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Air quality in Europe — 2013 report
This report presents an overview and analysis of air quality in Europe from 2002 to 2011. It reviews progress towards meeting the requirements of the air quality directives and gives an overview of policies and measures introduced at European level to improve air quality and minimise impacts. An overview of the latest findings and estimates of the effects of air pollution on health and its impacts on ecosystems is also given.
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.
Ecosystem accounting and the cost of biodiversity losses — the case of coastal Mediterranean wetlands
This report focuses on ways we can use land and ecosystem accounting techniques to describe and monitor the consequences of biodiversity loss in the coastal wetlands of the Mediterranean. These ecosystems are characterised by the close coupling of economic, social and ecological processes, and any accounting system has to represent how these key elements are linked and change over time. This report discusses the importance of estimating the ecological and social costs of maintaining these systems, and the problems surrounding providing monetary estimates of the services associated with wetlands. It also shows how individual wetland socio-ecological systems (SES) can be defined and mapped using the remotely sensed land cover information from Corine Land Cover.
Progress towards halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010
This report assesses farmland, forests, freshwater ecosystems, marine and coastal systems, wetlands of international importance and mountain ecosystems in order to provide evidence of progress — or lack of progress — towards the 2010 target of halting the loss of biodiversity.
Effects of air pollution on European ecosystems
Past and future exposure of European freshwater and terrestrial habitats to acidifying and eutrophying air pollutants
10 messages for 2010 – Cultural landscapes and biodiversity heritage
Key messages: 1) Diverse climatic conditions, varied geology and morphology and centuries of pre- and post-industrial land use created Europe's diverse mosaic of cultural and natural landscapes, rich in biodiversity. 2) Europe's landscapes have become highly fragmented and homogenised, threatening their biodiversity and affecting their multifunctional role. 3) By managing its multifunctional culture-historical landscapes and related biodiversity sustainably, Europe can secure valuable ecosystems services while preserving its cultural and natural heritage. 4) Various legal instruments and initiatives address European biodiversity heritage at the landscape level. Incorporating these into regional and local planning and involving local communities is necessary to secure Europe's biodiversity heritage and maintain multifunctional landscapes.
10 messages for 2010 — protected areas
This report explores the historical trends, most recent progress and projected future progress on climate change mitigation through reduced GHG emissions, renewable energy gains and improved energy efficiency. It builds upon data reported by the EU-27 Member States, five EEA member countries and nine Contracting Parties of the Energy Community. This message is the 2nd in a series of '10 messages for 2010'. Each message provides a short assessment focusing on a specific ecosystem or issue related to biodiversity in Europe. The remaining messages will be published at various intervals throughout 2010. More detailed information on the published and upcoming messages.
10 messages for 2010 — freshwater ecosystems
Freshwater ecosystems in Europe are rich in biodiversity but at risk. They provide essential ecosystem services to humans, such as cleaning water, preventing floods, producing food, providing energy and regulating freshwater resources...
10 messages for 2010 - Coastal ecosystems
Key messages: 1) As an interface between land and sea, European coastlines provide vital resources for wildlife, but also for the economy and human health and well-being. 2) Multiple pressures, including habitat loss and degradation, pollution, climate change and overexploitation of fish stocks, affect coastal ecosystems. 3) Coastal habitat types and species of Community interest are at risk in Europe; two thirds of coastal habitat types and more than half of coastal species have an unfavourable conservation status. 4) Integrated and ecosystem-based approaches provide the foundation for sustainable coastal management and development, supporting socio-economic development, biodiversity and ecosystem services. Coordinated action at the global, regional and local levels will be key to sustainable management of coastal ecosystems.
10 messages for 2010 — Mountain ecosystems
European mountain regions provide essential ecosystem services for lowlands and host a great diversity of habitats and species, many adapted to specific extreme climatic conditions. Mountain ecosystems are fragile and vulnerable, and face severe threats from land abandonment, intensifying agriculture, impacts of infrastructure development, unsustainable exploitation and climate change.
Synthetic biology and the environment
New approaches to biodiversity conservation or unexpected but irreversible forms of environmental disruption?
The extent of forests, semi-natural areas, wetland and water bodies in Europe, 2000
Unit = ha
The Green Background of Europe
Conceptual grouping of CORILIS layers to approach european green areas (10 km radius)
The magnitude of semi-natural vegetation, open bare surfaces, wetland and water bodies
Unit = ha
The stocks of forest types in Europe 1990-2000
Unit = ha
The transfers of land between agriculture and forest and semi-natural cover types across Europe
This maps shows the deviation from average of the conversion between forest and seminatural areas to agriculture (1990-2000), represented by NUTSX (NUTS3, NUTS2 mainly, NUTS0 in a few cases
The transfers of land between pasture and arable cover types across Europe: net conversion from pasture to arable land and permanent crops, 24 countries, 1990-2000, ha per year
This maps shows the deviation from average of the conversion between pasture and arable land (1990-2000), represented by NUTSX (NUTS3, NUTS2 mainly, NUTS0 in a few cases)
The Valais
The main Rhone Valley runs through the centre of the region, with industry and agriculture mainly at lowers elevations (A). The impacts of increased temperature and drought on ecosystem services are predicted to be most pronounced in the main valley. Side valleys commonly have steep slopes and are dominated by forests that often provide protection from rock fall and avalanches (e.g. the Saas-Valley, B). Traditionally, grazing and high-elevation agriculture have been practiced at higher elevations. However, as the intensity of these activities has decreased over the past century, parts of these high-elevation areas are being reclaimed by forest (C).
Trend in summer chlorophyll-a concentrations in coastal and open waters of the Baltic, Celtic and Mediterranean Seas and NE Atlantic, 1985-2010
This figure shows stationwise trends in chlorophyll-a concentrations in coastal and open waters of the Baltic, North East Atlantic (Greater North Sea, Celtic Seas, Bay of Biscay), and Mediterranean Sea (Western Mediterranean Sea, Adriatic Sea) (% of stations showing statistically significant change, within the years 1985–2010). Numbers in parentheses indicates number of stations included in the analysis for each country. "Open sea" is the total of all off-shore stations (>20km) within a (sub)region.
Urban sprawl, 1975-1990-2000
Urban sprawl is shown as a % change based on the initial urban area for each coastal sector.
Urban sprawl 1990-2000 in the province of Venice using a 1 km x 1 km grid
Urban sprawl 1990-2000 in the province of Venice using a 1 km x 1 km grid
Urban sprawl 1990-2000 in the province of Venice using a 1 km x 1 km grid
Urban sprawl, i.e
Urban temperatures of Europe computed from Corine land cover
Smoothed artificial surfaces (10 km radius)
Valais forest state for lower elevation areas
Forest state (biomass) as simulated by the forest model LandCLim, across two elevation gradients in the Valais, Switzerland