Management of seminatural grasslands and future of the CAP

1. Management of seminatural grasslands and future of the CAP AlekseiLotman

2. Pastoralism supports biodiversity: seminatural grasslands in Annex 1ofEU habitats directive • 6210 Seminatural dry grasslands and scrubland facies on calcareous substrates (Festuco-Brometalia) (*important orchid sites) • 6270 *Fennoscandian lowland species-rich dry to mesic grasslands • 6280*Nordic alvars and precambrian calcareous flatrocks • 6410 Molinia meadows on calcareous, peaty or clayey-silt-laden soils • 6430 Hydrophilous tall herb fringe communities • 6450 Northern boreal alluvial meadows • 6510 Lowland hay meadows • 6530 *Fennoscandian wooded meadows • 9070 Fennoscandian wooded pastures

3. Threats • Intensification (fertilisation, drainage and other 'improvements') • Abandonement/overgrowth • Building development • Water pollution • Long-range air pollution • Climate change

4. Grazing and mowing • A century ago: grazing was widespread with shepherds or small children looking after the animals, most of the pastures had no fence, demand for hay was very big resulting in large hay-meadows, including wooded meadows; overgrazing sometimes present • Now: pastures fenced and in most intensive farms animals are kept inside whole year; high proportion of silage; low proportion of seminatural grasslands; 'false wilderness'

5. Species affected by grassland loss • Waders: Baltic Dunlin, Avocet, Ruff, Great Snipe, Black-tailed Godwit, Curlew, Lapwing... • Corncrake • Geese • Raptors • Amphibians (e.g. Natterjack Toad) • Orchids • Moths • Etc

6. How comes?.. • Fires, floods and herbivores created open habitats • Humans by managing the above-listed factors and combining them with hay-making and tree-cutting created the old 'cultural' landscapes • Overgrown cultural landscape is not 'natural' • There never was a 'golden age', but while planning for the future we have to learn from the past

7. Why are meadows important? • Biodiversity – plants, insects, birds • Cultural heritage – they reflect our history • Sustainable agriculture – pasturalism and hay-harvesting on semi-natural meadows are among ecologically most viable ways to use nature

8. What to do? • Designate sites • Management agreements/support schemes • Improve technologies • Install good fences • Introduce hardy beef cattle • Combine meadow management with conservation of traditional breeds • Pay attention to cultural heritage features • Integrate these concerns into sectoral policies, especially agriculture

10. Example from Matsalu, Estonia • Management plan for Matsalu wetland 1993 • Tractors and mowers; fences and animals – EU Phare, WWF, Ramsar SGF, EU Life, SIDA, EECONET and other international sources • National support with nature conservation funding since 1996 for Matsalu, nationwide since 2001 • Support under the new RDP

11. Management requirementsEstonian example • Late mowing (in July) • No mowing in circles from outside • Grazing with appropriate intesity, so that significant part of the pasture is short grass • No supplementary feeding • No fertilisation, no pesticides • Bush cutting and tree felling as appropriate

12. Lessons to CAP • Agricultural policy must ensure possiblities for extensive farming to be viable: relative importance of second pillar, and especially its second axis must increase; more integration of measures under second pillar, and making also first pillar more supportive towards sustainable rural development • Nature conservation can act as catalyst for integration of biodiversity and rural development but securing overall functioning of the nature-friendly extensive pastoralism must be responsibility of the agricultural sector

13. Thank you for listening