Aquatic Biomonitoring and

Assessment
Conservation Aspects at EU- and national level
Arno Aschauer
Government of Lower Austria
Department for Nature Conservation

BOKU, 2015/01/12

Contents
International agreements and relevant legal EU
provisions concerning biodiversity/conservation aspects
Actual status concerning
Assessment + Target achievement (FCS) at different levels (EU,
national, regional)
Reporting + monitoring
Natura 2000 network

WFD Nature directives (BD + HD)

Restoration ESS
IAS

Arno Aschauer
Government of Lower Austria
Dep. for Nature Conservation

BOKU, 2015/01/12

(Inter)nat. Conventions and Regulations

Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
conservation of biological
diversity
the sustainable use of its
components (genes,
species, ecosystems)
fair and equitable sharing
of benefits arising from
the use of genetic
resources (ABS: access
and benefit sharing)
Arno Aschauer
Government of Lower Austria
Dep. for Nature Conservation

BOKU, 2015/01/12

Source: http://www.cbd.int/brc/
Arno Aschauer
Government of Lower Austria
Dep. for Nature Conservation

BOKU, 2015/01/12

Source: http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/cultureheritage/nature/bern/default_en.asp

Arno Aschauer
Government of Lower Austria
Dep. for Nature Conservation

BOKU, 2015/01/12

Source: http://www.alpconv.org/en/convention/default.aspx

Arno Aschauer
Government of Lower Austria
Dep. for Nature Conservation

BOKU, 2015/01/12

Arno Aschauer
Government of Lower Austria
Dep. for Nature Conservation

BOKU, 2015/01/12

Biodiversity at EU-level
Biodiversity is in crisis: ~25% of wild species are threatened with
extinction and the majority of ecosystems are degraded
no longer able to deliver their valuable services
enormous social and economic losses for the EU: reduction of
EU-GDP of 3% per year, ~ 450 billion
Biodiversity is not only important in its own right it also provides
society with a wide range of ecosystem services (ESS) upon which
we depend (e.g. food, freshwater, pollination, protection against
floods, etc.) Green Infrastructure (GI)
Key drivers of biodiversity loss (habitat change, overexploitation of
natural resources, introduction and spread of IAS and climate
change) have increased, offsetting the positive effects of actions to
stem biodiversity loss

Arno Aschauer
Government of Lower Austria
Dep. for Nature Conservation

BOKU, 2015/01/12

CBD Aichi Targets

6 Targets

20 Actions

Arno Aschauer
Government of Lower Austria
Dep. for Nature Conservation

BOKU, 2015/01/12

Arno Aschauer
Government of Lower Austria
Dep. for Nature Conservation

Source:
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/info/pubs/docs/factsheets/Biod
%20Strategy%20FS.pdf

BOKU, 2015/01/12

Status
assessment?

Improvement
deterioration?

Arno Aschauer
Government of Lower Austria
Dep. for Nature Conservation

BOKU, 2015/01/12

EU Habitats-Directive

Defined in annexes of the HD

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Government of Lower Austria
Dep. for Nature Conservation

BOKU, 2015/01/12

EU Habitats-Directive
Article 1

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Government of Lower Austria
Dep. for Nature Conservation

BOKU, 2015/01/12

EU Habitats-Directive
Article 1

Arno Aschauer
Government of Lower Austria
Dep. for Nature Conservation

BOKU, 2015/01/12

EU Habitats-Directive
Monitoring

Reporting

Arno Aschauer
Government of Lower Austria
Dep. for Nature Conservation

BOKU, 2015/01/12

FFH Article 17 Report

Results:
http://bd.eionet.europa.eu/activities/Repo
rting/Article_17

Periods 2001-2006; 20072012

Reporting unit/level:
- Conservation status
- per habitat type/species
- per biogeographical region
- per MS

Arno Aschauer
Government of Lower Austria
Dep. for Nature Conservation

BOKU, 2015/01/12

FFH Article 17 Report (2007)

Arno Aschauer
Government of Lower Austria
Dep. for Nature Conservation

BOKU, 2015/01/12

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/knowledge/rep_habitats/docs/com_20
09_358_en.pdf

EU-level

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/knowledge/rep_habitats/docs/com_20
09_358_en.pdf

FFH Article 17 Report (2007)

EU-level

Arno Aschauer
Government of Lower Austria
Dep. for Nature Conservation

BOKU, 2015/01/12

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/knowledge/rep_habitats/docs/com_20
09_358_en.pdf

FFH Article 17 Report (2007)

EU-level

Arno Aschauer
Government of Lower Austria
Dep. for Nature Conservation

BOKU, 2015/01/12

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/knowledge/rep_habitats/docs/com_20
09_358_en.pdf

FFH Article 17 Report (2007)

EU-level

Arno Aschauer
Government of Lower Austria
Dep. for Nature Conservation

BOKU, 2015/01/12

http://bd.eionet.europa.eu/article17

Arno Aschauer
Government of Lower Austria
Dep. for Nature Conservation

BOKU, 2015/01/12

http://bd.eionet.europa.eu/article17

Arno Aschauer
Government of Lower Austria
Dep. for Nature Conservation

BOKU, 2015/01/12

National results for AT (2007)

Arno Aschauer
Government of Lower Austria
Dep. for Nature Conservation

BOKU, 2015/01/12
http://bd.eionet.europa.eu/article17

National results for AT (2007)

http://bd.eionet.europa.eu/article17

Arno Aschauer
Government of Lower Austria
Dep. for Nature Conservation

BOKU, 2015/01/12

National results for AT (2007)

http://bd.eionet.europa.eu/article17

Arno Aschauer
Government of Lower Austria
Dep. for Nature Conservation

BOKU, 2015/01/12

http://bd.eionet.europa.eu/article17

National results for AT (2007)

Arno Aschauer
Government of Lower Austria
Dep. for Nature Conservation

BOKU, 2015/01/12

http://bd.eionet.europa.eu/article17

Arno Aschauer
Government of Lower Austria
Dep. for Nature Conservation

BOKU, 2015/01/12

Monitoring Reporting?
FFH article 17 report (2007): Period 2001-2006
Assessment and reporting on best available data

FFH article 17 report (2013): Period 2007-2012

monitoring has to become implemented
348 species- (171 alp, 177 cont) and 124 habitatassessments (65 alp, 59 cont) relevant for AT
2010-2012 start with development of a FFH monitoring in AT (first
stage of setting up) 17 species & 23 habitats (Priority species
and habitats; Unknown in FFH art. 17 report (2007))
Rest: assessment and reporting on best available data fish =
WFD-monitoring + additional data from federal states (LIFEprojects, fishery associations, etc.)

FFH article 17 report (2019) further development/extension

Arno Aschauer
Government of Lower Austria
Dep. for Nature Conservation

BOKU, 2015/01/12

Results FFH Art. 17 report (2013),

AUSTRIA
Species alpine region

Habitats alpine region

Arno Aschauer
Government of Lower Austria
Dep. for Nature Conservation

Species cont. region

Habitats cont. region

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Change 2007 2013

Habitats
Species

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Government of Lower Austria
Dep. for Nature Conservation

BOKU, 2015/01/12

EU Habitats-Directive
Natura 2000 =
SAC + SPA

Arno Aschauer
Government of Lower Austria
Dep. for Nature Conservation

BOKU, 2015/01/12

Natura 2000 in EU

FFH-Sites*

22.594

BD-Sites*

5.347

Total*

27.941

Further Information
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/natura2000/index_en.htm
*: EC, 2011
Source: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/natura2000/barometer/index_en.htm

Arno Aschauer
Government of Lower Austria
Dep. for Nature Conservation

BOKU, 2015/01/12

Natura 2000 in Austria

Nature Conservation = jurisdiction
of federal states
9 different federal laws different
approaches for nomination of
Natura 2000 sites
Coordination effort between
federal states (monitoring,
reporting, etc.)

Number of sites

Area (km)

% of federal area

Source: http://www.umweltbundesamt.at/umweltsituation/naturschutz/sg/n2000/

Arno Aschauer
Government of Lower Austria
Dep. for Nature Conservation

BOKU, 2015/01/12

Natura 2000 in Lower Austria

FFH-sites (SAC)

20

BD-sites (SPA)

16

Sum

36

max/med/min (ha) 80.068/10.321/362

~23% of countrys territory

as Natura 2000
FFH-sites
BD-sites

large overlapping BD
FFH sites

Overlapping
areas

Arno Aschauer
Government of Lower Austria
Dep. for Nature Conservation

BOKU, 2015/01/12

EU Habitats-Directive
Natura 2000

Appropriate
assessment
Integrity of site

Arno Aschauer
Government of Lower Austria
Dep. for Nature Conservation

BOKU, 2015/01/12

Source:
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/natura2000/management/docs/art6/pro
vision_of_art6_en.pdf

Appropriate assessment

Arno Aschauer
Government of Lower Austria
Dep. for Nature Conservation

BOKU, 2015/01/12

Natura 2000 Viewer

Source: http://natura2000.eea.europa.eu/#

Arno Aschauer
Government of Lower Austria
Dep. for Nature Conservation

BOKU, 2015/01/12

Site specific information

Source: http://natura2000.eea.europa.eu/#

Arno Aschauer
Government of Lower Austria
Dep. for Nature Conservation

BOKU, 2015/01/12

Assessment on
best available
data!

Should (!) be
updated
regularly not
a must

Arno Aschauer
Government of Lower Austria
Dep. for Nature Conservation

For parameter-explanations see http://eurlex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2011:198:0039:0070:EN:P

DF

BOKU, 2015/01/12

What is Natura 2000?

EU-wide network of >27.000 protected areas
Cornerstone of european conservation policy Natura
2000 is a programme of immense (internat.) importance
Aim: ensuring biodiversity through conservation of
habitats and species of european importance
Legal basis
Habitats-Directive (FFH)
Birds-Directive (BD)

Largest network of PAs worldwide

Arno Aschauer
Government of Lower Austria
Dep. for Nature Conservation

BOKU, 2015/01/12

What is Natura 2000 NOT?

Not comparable with classical protected
areas or national parks (any intervention or
development prohibited)
NO exclusion zone development possible
as long as no significant negative impact on
relevant habitats and species at Natura 2000
site level occur

Arno Aschauer
Government of Lower Austria
Dep. for Nature Conservation

BOKU, 2015/01/12

Arno Aschauer
Government of Lower Austria
Dep. for Nature Conservation
BOKU, 2015/01/12
Source:
http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/cultureheritage/nature/econetworks/Presentation_en.asp

WFD FFH, whats the difference?

WFD

FFH

River basin
(catchment)

Biogeographical region

Waterbody

Natura 2000 site

GES/GEP

FCS

Indicator groups (species composition

and abundance of communities)

Target species, habitats

Pressure oriented monitoring network

European weatherfish

Arno Aschauer
Government of Lower Austria
Dep. for Nature Conservation

Representative, comprehensive
monitoring network area of
MS in biogeograph. region

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Water & Natura 2000

Source: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/natura2000/management/guidance_en.htm

Arno Aschauer
Government of Lower Austria
Dep. for Nature Conservation

BOKU, 2015/01/12

De Groot, R., et al. (2013)

http://www.life-natur-noe.at

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Government of Lower Austria
Dep. for Nature Conservation

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into force since 1 January 2015!

European list of IAS
ecological, economic and
human health impacts
Surveillance, assessment, management!

Arno Aschauer
Government of Lower Austria
Dep. for Nature Conservation

BOKU, 2015/01/12

Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes

albopictus

Water hyacinth, Eichhornia crassipes

Arno Aschauer
Government of Lower Austria
Dep. for Nature Conservation

North American red

swamp crayfish,
Procambarus clarkii

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Next steps
EU guidance paper Natura 2000 &
hydropower
National implementation EU regulation on
IAS
Surveillance, monitoring, management

Further Implementation EU-Biodiversity

Strategy 2020

Arno Aschauer
Government of Lower Austria
Dep. for Nature Conservation

BOKU, 2015/01/12

Conclusion
Many synergies between WFD NDs
Many additional requirements of NDs
Many open questions to be answered
Unknown species and habitats
assessment-methods still under development

Using best available data & further harmonisation of future

proceedings (WFD NDs) wherever possible for optimized
investment of public money
Ecosystem services (benefits) >> restoration costs,
maintenance
( www.teebweb.org, http://environment.yale.edu/TEEB, Green
Infrastructure
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/ecosystems/index_en.htm )

IAS implementation at the beginning with a lot of ???

Arno Aschauer
Government of Lower Austria
Dep. for Nature Conservation

BOKU, 2015/01/12

Further Biodiversity Information

Convention on Biological Diversity: http://www.cbd.int/
RAMSAR Convention: http://www.ramsar.org/cda/en/ramsargreeting12-homeindex/main/ramsar/1%5E26028_4000_0__
Biodiversity Information System for Europe:
http://biodiversity.europa.eu/bise
EC Nature and Biodiversity:
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/index_en.htm
ETC Biological Diversity: http://bd.eionet.europa.eu/
EEA: http://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/biodiversity
IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature:
http://iucn.org/
BirdLife international: http://www.birdlife.org/index.html
Arno Aschauer
Government of Lower Austria
Dep. for Nature Conservation

BOKU, 2015/01/12

Thank you!
arno.aschauer@noel.gv.at
Arno Aschauer
Government of Lower Austria
Dep. for Nature Conservation

http://www.noe.gv.at/Natura2000

BOKU, 2015/01/12