Data services overview

Based on common template, EEA has analysed the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service Corine Land cover data for 2000-2018. The set of interactive dashboards provide graphs and maps with concise characterization of land cover changes in the EEA38 member and collaborating countries.

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Monitoring  vegetation response to water deficit due to droughts is necessary to be able to introduce effective measures to increase the resilience of ecosystems in line with the EU’s nature restoration plan — a key element of the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030. Between 2000 and 2016, Europe was affected by severe droughts, causing average yearly vegetation productivity losses covering around 121 000 km 2 . This was particularly notable in 2003, when drought affected most parts of Europe, covering an estimated 330 000 km 2  of forests, non-irrigated arable land and pastures. Drought impact was also relatively severe in 2005 and 2012.

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Agriculture has multiple impacts on the environment, climate and human health. Unsustainable farming practices lead to pollution of soil, water, air and food and over-exploitation of natural resources.

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Pollution changes a medium such as air, water or soil in a way that can make it harmful to people or nature. Different types of pollutants include chemicals, dust, noise and radiation. EEA Signals 2020 looks at pollution through different lenses related to the Agency’s work and EU legislation.

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Accumulated ozone exposure values for vegetation and crops — over a threshold of 40 parts per billion (AOT40c) — for 2018, as calculated for the fusion maps and as measured at rural background stations.

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Long-term monitoring schemes show significant downward trends in common farmland birds and in grassland butterfly population numbers, with no signs of recovery. Between 1990 and 2017, there was an 8 % decline in the index of 168 common bird species in the 25 EU Member States with bird population monitoring schemes and the United Kingdom (UK). The common forest bird index showed no decrease over the same period. The decreases were slightly greater if figures for Norway and Switzerland are included: 11 % for all common birds and 2 % for forest birds. The decline in common farmland bird numbers between 1990 and 2017 was much more pronounced, at 33 % (EU Member States and UK) and 35 % (if Norway and Switzerland are included).  The index of grassland butterflies has declined strongly in the 15 EU countries where butterfly monitoring schemes exist. In 2017, the index was 39 % below its 1990 value.

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The map shows the loss and gain of arable land and permanent crops aggregated in a 10 km grid. The following CLC classes were used: 211 Non-irrigated arable land, 212 Permanently irrigated land, 213 Rice fields, 221 Vineyards, 222 Fruit trees and berry plantations, 223 Olive groves, 241 Annual crops associated with permanent crops.

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The raster datasets describe land cover flows between 2000-2018, 2000-2006, 2006-2012 and 2012-2018 for the EEA39 region. Land Cover Flows summarize and interpret the 44x43=1892 possible one-to-one changes between the 44 CORINE land cover classes. The changes are grouped to so called flows of land cover and are classified according to major land use processes. The nomenclature of flows is organized on 3 hierarchical levels. See lineage on the nomenclature. The classification of land cover flows results from the feasibility studies and subsequent revisions after discussion with experts in agri-environment and forestry. Basically, the classification of land cover flows distinguishes change between broad land cover classes and changes internal to these classes. Analysis of land cover flows supplies a rapid vision of land use change processes taking place and they shed light on the drivers of various land use change processes such as e.g. urbanization.

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The chart shows the vegetation productivity changes (%) over areas with land use change in the period 2000-2018. The values are broken down by major land use change drivers.

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The chart shows the effect of frost frequency variations on vegetation productivity, expressed in standard deviation units of vegetation productivity.

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Agriculture has multiple impacts on the environment, climate and human health. Unsustainable farming practices lead to pollution of soil, water, air and food and over-exploitation of natural resources.

Read more

Pollution changes a medium such as air, water or soil in a way that can make it harmful to people or nature. Different types of pollutants include chemicals, dust, noise and radiation. EEA Signals 2020 looks at pollution through different lenses related to the Agency’s work and EU legislation.

Read more

Soil plays a crucial role in nature’s cycles, including the nutrient cycle, which involves how much soil organic matter — i.e. carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus — is taken up and stored in soil. Organic compounds, such as leaves and root tips, are broken down to simpler compounds by organisms living in soil before they can be used by plants. Some soil bacteria convert atmospheric nitrogen into mineral nitrogen, which is essential for plant growth. Fertilisers introduce nitrogen and phosphates to induce plant growth but not all amounts are taken up by plants. The excess can enter rivers and lakes and affect life in these water ecosystems.

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Monitoring  vegetation response to water deficit due to droughts is necessary to be able to introduce effective measures to increase the resilience of ecosystems in line with the EU’s nature restoration plan — a key element of the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030. Between 2000 and 2016, Europe was affected by severe droughts, causing average yearly vegetation productivity losses covering around 121 000 km 2 . This was particularly notable in 2003, when drought affected most parts of Europe, covering an estimated 330 000 km 2  of forests, non-irrigated arable land and pastures. Drought impact was also relatively severe in 2005 and 2012.

Read more

Long-term monitoring schemes show significant downward trends in common farmland birds and in grassland butterfly population numbers, with no signs of recovery. Between 1990 and 2017, there was an 8 % decline in the index of 168 common bird species in the 25 EU Member States with bird population monitoring schemes and the United Kingdom (UK). The common forest bird index showed no decrease over the same period. The decreases were slightly greater if figures for Norway and Switzerland are included: 11 % for all common birds and 2 % for forest birds. The decline in common farmland bird numbers between 1990 and 2017 was much more pronounced, at 33 % (EU Member States and UK) and 35 % (if Norway and Switzerland are included).  The index of grassland butterflies has declined strongly in the 15 EU countries where butterfly monitoring schemes exist. In 2017, the index was 39 % below its 1990 value.

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Crop production in Europe became 12% less water intensive between 2005 and 2016. The total water input to crops under rainfed and irrigated conditions for each unit of gross value added generated from crop production, excluding subsidies, decreased from 5 m 3 to 4.4 m 3  over the period. Western Europe demonstrated the lowest water intensity of crop production over the period, with 3.5 m 3 of total water input for each unit of gross value added generated. However, there was no significant change in the trend between 2005 and 2016. In eastern Europe, crop production became 31 % less water intensive between 2005 and 2016. The total water input to crops fell from 7.3 m 3 to 5.0 m 3 for each unit of gross value added generated over the period. Crop production also became 13 % and 11% less water intensive in northern Europe and southern Europe, respectively between 2005 and 2016. In northern Europe, total water input to crops fell from  11.2 m 3 to 9.7 m 3  over the period, while in southern Europe it fell from 4.2 m 3 to 3.8 m 3 .

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Based on common template, EEA has analysed the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service Corine Land cover data for 2000-2018. The set of interactive dashboards provide graphs and maps with concise characterization of land cover changes in the EEA38 member and collaborating countries.

Read more

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Monitoring soil moisture shortages is a precondition for managing drought adaptation and resilience of ecosystems, such as foreseen by the EU Nature restoration plan of the EU Biodiversity strategy 2030. This dashboard analyses 20 years (2000-2019) soil moisture content in Europe (EU27, EEA-38 and the UK). Soil moisture deficits, trends in soil moisture values and the area under pressure are presented by countries and land cover.

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Accumulated ozone exposure values for vegetation and crops — over a threshold of 40 parts per billion (AOT40c) — for 2018, as calculated for the fusion maps and as measured at rural background stations.

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The map shows the loss and gain of arable land and permanent crops aggregated in a 10 km grid. The following CLC classes were used: 211 Non-irrigated arable land, 212 Permanently irrigated land, 213 Rice fields, 221 Vineyards, 222 Fruit trees and berry plantations, 223 Olive groves, 241 Annual crops associated with permanent crops.

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Total water input is expressed in m3/ha and gross value added is expressed in PPS/ha, where the area in ha represents the sum of arable land and land with permanent crops. The monetary unit being used (purchasing power standard — PPS) accounts for purchasing power differences among countries. Theoretically, one PPS can buy the same amount of goods and services in each country. Water use intensity of crop production is classified at the regional level according to the quartile distribution of all time series (2005-2016); Below Q1=Low intensity; Above Q3=High intensity; Between Q1 and Q3=Moderate intensity; Regional grouping (UN Geoscheme — Standard M49). Eastern Europe: Bulgaria, Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia Northern Europe: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Lithuania, Latvia, Sweden, United Kingdom Southern Europe: Cyprus, Greece, Croatia, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain Western Europe: Austria, Belgium, Germany, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands Gap filling: The following data have been used in mapping the countries: 2010 data used for Greece in 2011; 2006 data used for Hungary and 2005 data for Luxembourg in 2007; 2009 data for Portugal in 2010 and 2015 data for Sweden in 2016. Because of large differences in climatic conditions, the structure and properties of agricultural production systems, cross-country comparisons may not be particularly instructive between countries from different geographic regions.

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The chart shows the vegetation productivity changes (%) over areas with land use change in the period 2000-2018. The values are broken down by major land use change drivers.

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The chart shows the effect of frost frequency variations on vegetation productivity, expressed in standard deviation units of vegetation productivity.

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The chart shows significant trends of vegetation productivity, expressed in % change. The % change values were derived from the fitted linear trend line.

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