Study: Nearly a quarter of Europe could be reshaped

the Biodiversity Strategy The European Union (EU) plans to transform at least 30 percent of Europe's land and sea areas into effectively managed protected areas by 2030. Ten percent of the areas should be dedicated exclusively to the conservation of diverse animal and plant species.

“Nature must be given more space again in Europe,” explains the ecologist. Miguel Araujo From the Natural History Museum of Madrid in conversation with science.ORF.at. In order to achieve the goals of the EU Biodiversity Strategy, action must be taken quickly. “There are only six years left until 2030 – that is too short a time for these projects.”

Human impact, size and biodiversity

Of primary importance are the questions of which areas of Europe might actually qualify for such conservation and restoration measures. Araujo provides the answer in collaboration with the Portuguese biodiversity researcher Diogo Alagadour In the current issue of Current Biology.

In her salary Studying The researchers analyzed the continent’s land areas, taking into account several criteria. “First and foremost, it was important for us that the human footprint in the area be as small as possible,” says Araújo. In addition, the areas had to be of a certain size and, ideally, should also be home to a few animal and plant species that are important to the regional ecosystem.

Northern Europe is a perfect fit.

The two-person research team came up with a total area of ​​around 117 million hectares that would be suitable for large-scale reforestation in Europe. That’s roughly a quarter of the entire continent, although Belarus, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine and Turkey were not included in the analysis.

Areas classified as suitable are, for example, areas that were once cultivated but are now abandoned, or where people hardly work anyway. “About 70 percent of the areas are in northern Europe or Scandinavia,” explains Araújo. “The population there is very irregularly distributed, there are large areas of forest but very few people.”

Active or passive re-nature

In the next step, the researchers wanted to clarify what kind of renaturalization measures could be implemented in the areas in question. They focused primarily on the native animal species there. “The goal of course is that humans do not have to interfere with the ecosystem and that nature organizes itself, so to speak,” explains the ecologist. But this requires the presence of a few organisms that are important to the ecosystem in question, such as herbivores like deer, reindeer and ibex, but also carnivores like bears, lynxes and wolves. “Depending on whether these animals are present or not, we divided the areas into those where passive renaturalization is possible and those where active renaturalization is necessary.”

With passive re-naturing, humans interfere as little as possible with natural processes – herbivores regulate the vegetation, while carnivores regulate the number of herbivores. However, with active re-naturing, humans have to intervene in the ecosystem and reintroduce the most important animal species to the area. “This is especially necessary in areas that were previously cultivated and where there are now hardly any animal species that live there naturally.”

Implementation depends on the region.

According to Araújo, there is no single approach that works across Europe. Different measures are needed in the forests of Scandinavia compared to the abandoned agricultural areas of Portugal. “What reforestation projects look like and how they are implemented will vary from country to country, and must always be tailored to the region in question.”

The areas the research team calculated are only theoretically suitable for reforestation measures, because it is not clear how much of it is privately owned. The implementation of reforestation projects also varies greatly from country to country. “In Portugal, the state owns a lot of land – and it may be easier to implement conservation measures there than in countries like Austria, where a lot of land is privately owned.”

According to Araújo, in these areas it is important to convince private landowners to give nature more space again – either because they want to protect the animal and plant species there for their own benefit or also through appropriate subsidies and financial incentives.

“We have to act now.”

Although the ownership issue remains unresolved, the research team’s calculations aim to help decision-makers find suitable areas for reforestation projects. In any case, it is important not to wait any longer before implementing measures. “If we want to somehow achieve the goals of the EU Biodiversity Strategy, we need to act now,” Araujo said.

which was recently decided EU Revitalization Act This, he said, is an important step in the right direction. After all, healthy ecosystems are the foundation for preserving biodiversity, are important for climate protection as carbon sinks, are the basis for sustainable food and raw materials, and provide protection against natural hazards and extreme events that are becoming more severe and frequent due to climate change.