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EPA Research 209: Co-benefits for Water and Biodiversity from the Sustainable Management of High Nature Value Farmland
- 21 March 2017
Agriculture systems in Europe range from very intensive production on fertile land with high inputs to very extensive High Nature Value farmland on marginal land with low inputs.
High Nature Value farmland comprises those areas of Europe where agriculture is a major (usually the dominant) land use and where that agriculture supports or is associated with, either a high level of species and habitat diversity, or the presence of species of European conservation concern, or both. A range of European Union (EU) policies are targeted at High Nature Value farmland and all EU Member States are required to identify, monitor and support the ecological and economic viability of High Nature Value farmlands.
Despite their important role in the delivery of ecosystem services, many of these areas are under threat from abandonment, intensification and land use change.
A broad range of landscape types in Ireland are represented in High Nature Value farmland including extensively farmed uplands, areas of calcareous grassland and limestone pavement, machair/coastal grasslands, the drumlin belt from Clew Bay to Cavan with large areas of wet grasslands, the islands, river floodplains and the Wexford slobs.
A national map of High Nature Value farmland likelihood for Ireland at electoral division (ED) scale highlights the varied nature of the agricultural land base. The spatial coincidence of High Nature Value farmland and rivers of good ecological status and areas with high and very high High Nature Value farmland likelihood were compared with the distribution of river water bodies of good ecological status (2010–2012).
Of the assessed river lengths, 63% of the river water bodies at good status and 79% of the river water bodies at high status occurred in areas with high High Nature Value farmland potential.
