Teresa Pinto Correia - icaam - Universidade de Évora

Tentative identification procedure
for HNV Montados
Teresa Pinto-Correia and Mara Almeida
Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas
Universidade de Évora

What needs to be considered
A complex system depending o n t h e high variance
of its main components
L IVESTOCK GRAZING
T REE C O V E R
d i ff e r ent biophysical c o n d itions
and d i ff e r e nt management o p t i o n s
PA S T U R E S
functional and
spatial
complexity
ICAAM International Conference 2013 I Acknowledging the MONTADOS and DEHESAS as High Nature Value Farming Systems

The decisive role of management
Decisions taken at the Farm level:
Soil mobilization/Shrub control/Grazing intensity/Breeds/…
Intensification
Extensification
C h a n g e s i n Biodiversity a n d i n Landscape Structure
>>affect the multiple functions supported
and sustainability of the system
ICAAM International Conference 2013 I Acknowledging the MONTADOS and DEHESAS as High Nature Value Farming Systems

HNV classification as
a sustainability assessment
Given the variability in biophysical conditions
and in management options,
• Which Montados can be classified as HNV
• How different management systems affect
landscape composition and biodiversity
• Which are the thresholds in management
resulting in a HNV Montado, for each type
ICAAM International Conference 2013 I Acknowledging the MONTADOS and DEHESAS as High Nature Value Farming Systems

We need to combine:
LAND COVER
MANAGEMENT
BIODIVERSITY
Tr e e c o v e r
c o m p o s i t i o n
L a n d c o v e r
d i v e r s i t y
L a n d s c a p e
f e a t u r e s
G r a z i n g p r e s s u r e
L i v e s t o c k
c o m p o s i t i o n
F e r t i l i z a t i o n
I r r i g a t i o n , e t c
U n d e r c o v e r
s t r u c t u r e
H e r b a c e o u s
s p e c i e s d i v e r s i t y
S p e c i e s o f
c o n s e r v a t i o n
c o n c e r n
ICAAM International Conference 2013 I Acknowledging the MONTADOS and DEHESAS as High Nature Value Farming Systems

Different steps at different scales:
1
TYPOLOGY OF MONTADO
Definition of main montado types
TYPE
1 TYPE
2
TYPE
3
TYPE
N
2
DIFFERENTIATION IN MANAGEMENT
Definition of grazing systems
System
A
System
B
System
N
3
BIODIVERISTY ASSESSMENT
Plant and animal diversity
4
IDENTIFICATION OF HNV MONTADO
Definition of indicators and thresholds
ICAAM International Conference 2013 I Acknowledging the MONTADOS and DEHESAS as High Nature Value Farming Systems

1
DEFINITION OF MAIN MONTADO TYPES
A differentiation based on
Land Cover and Biophysical conditions > simplifying
fuziness
BIOPHYSICAL VARIABLES
• Soil type
• Slope
• Slope direction
• Wetness
LAND COVER VARIABLES
• Rate of Montado area
• Cork oak density
• Holm oak density
• Shrub density
A < 10% O pen Pastures B 10 – 20% Clear Montado
sampling
C 20 – 50% O pen Montado
D
>50% Dense Montado
ICAAM International Conference 2013 I Acknowledging the MONTADOS and DEHESAS as High Nature Value Farming Systems

2
DEFINITION OF GRAZING SYSTEMS
Classify complex and highly variable practices:
livestock, pasture,
woodland and shrub
• identification of the
grazing practices
(technological and economic
components)
• selection of criteria
to define the grazing system
Mediterranean Grazing Index MGI
ICAAM International Conference 2013 I Acknowledging the MONTADOS and DEHESAS as High Nature Value Farming Systems

3
BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT
Detailed fieldwork
Vegetation diversity
• tree density and spatial distribution
• shrub and herbaceous vegetation
• pasture diversity
• presence of rare, endangered or
vulnerable plants species
Animal diversity
• birds and reptiles as indicators
• species detections, their numbers
and micro-habitat variables
ICAAM International Conference 2013 I Acknowledging the MONTADOS and DEHESAS as High Nature Value Farming Systems

...and an integrated analysis
* MGI which result in high biodiversity > trends
*Land cover metrics = Landscape indicators for identifying and
monitoring the MGI
>> a straightforward and objective approach
L A N D S C A P E
L A N D C O V E R
Montado
M A N A G E M E N T
B I O D I V E R S I T Y
HNV
ICAAM International Conference 2013 I Acknowledging the MONTADOS and DEHESAS as High Nature Value Farming Systems

4
IDENTIFICATION OF THE HNV MONTADOS
• Thresholds or ranges can indicate HNV levels
(i)
Non-HNV, if management practices define trends
contrary to the principal criteria for HNV;
(ii) Potentially HNV, requiring management improvements in
order to achieve a higher balance of the components;
(iii) Currently HNV, meeting the principal criteria; and
(iv) Very High Nature Value, if the management practices
ensure high and long term standard of HNV
ICAAM International Conference 2013 I Acknowledging the MONTADOS and DEHESAS as High Nature Value Farming Systems

EXAMPLE
Q UESTIONS EMERGING FROM
THE APPLICATION
ICAAM International Conference 2013 I Acknowledging the MONTADOS and DEHESAS as High Nature Value Farming Systems

Farm I
Management units
Land cover units
0,79 livestock units /ha
sheep + cattle
No mechanic shrub control
ICAAM International Conference 2013 I Acknowledging the MONTADOS and DEHESAS as High Nature Value Farming Systems

Farm II
Management units
Land cover units
0,28
Livestock unit/ha
sheep
2,87
Livestock unit/ha
sheep+cattle
2,16
Livestock unit/ha
sheep+cattle
No mechanic shrub control
ICAAM International Conference 2013 I Acknowledging the MONTADOS and DEHESAS as High Nature Value Farming Systems

Some clear research paths ....
but many open questions
* Air images and land cover classification are
a very rich and highly reliable source of information
* Management practices define the HNV
* Land cover patterns reflect management practices
* We can classify extremely fuzzy land cover patterns and
we can define different but interlinked samples
BUT
** Can we relate patterns to management
** Is the temporal dimension included
** What should be the analysis unit
** Which scale is the most adapted
… work in progress
ICAAM International Conference 2013 I Acknowledging the MONTADOS and DEHESAS as High Nature Value Farming Systems