Europe's grasslands, woodlands, marine areas face increased threats: report

Europe's ecosystems face increasing pressure to stay healthy amid rising pollution, exploitation, urban sprawl, and the effects of climate change, according to the findings of a European Environment Agency (EEA) report published on Monday.

The EEA report looks at eight broad ecosystem types in Europe and assesses the pressures and challenges each of the different types face, as well as the impacts on habitats and species.

The report shows that some of the most sensitive ecosystems in Europe, such as heathlands, wetlands and freshwater bodies, are highly concentrated in a small number of countries, which could increase their vulnerability to environmental change.

Moreover, a substantial proportion of these very vulnerable ecosystems are not protected within Natura 2000 EU protected sites, marine protected areas, or similar zones that aim to preserve habitats and biodiversity.

Besides, over half of all the habitats and species covered by the European Union (EU)'s habitats directive are assessed as being in "unfavorable" condition, and their conservation status is generally declining or stable, with only a small proportion "improving."

An initial assessment found that habitat change, including pollution, habitat loss and fragmentation, has had the greatest overall impact across ecosystems to date, said the report.

Pressures like nutrient and pollution loads are still increasing and all ecosystem types are facing increased pressure due to climate change and invasive alien species, leading to further negative effects.

Key gaps in knowledge and data would need to be resolved to improve future assessments of Europe's ecosystems, said the report.

Specifically, there is a lack of data on urban and marine ecosystems, a lack of understanding of the combined impacts of multiple pressures faced, a lack of detailed spatial data for mapping impacts on biodiversity, and a lack of understanding of the links between ecosystem condition, biodiversity and ecosystem service delivery.

The EEA has supported the implementation of the EU's biodiversity strategy to 2020 through its activities on ecosystem mapping and assessment since 2012. This report forms part of the EEA's contribution to the mid-term review of the strategy. Endit