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Participation in international project

Preface

Policybackground

The policy of the Dutch government on international nature conservation supports the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which are: the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the use of genetic resources. A specific goal of the convention, relevant to the topic of this book, is the development of a coherent system of protected areas (article 8, CBD). The Dutch contribution to international nature conservation is described in the International Policy Programme Biodiversity 2002-2006 ofthe Netherlands (2003). In this document the Dutch government expresses support for the realisation of a Pan-European Ecological Network Peen (PEEN), and for the protection of hotspots worldwide in a global ecological network.

The Dutch contribution to international nature conservation is diverse:

• The Dutch government has ratified and supports active international agreements and EU laws on nature conservation, as for example the Bern Convention, the Birds Directive and the Habitats Directive and their instruments such as the Natura 2000 ecological network and the Emerald ecological network, for example by participation in such international fora as the Committee of Experts of the Pan-European Ecological Network of PEBLDS and by the exchange of expertise with accession countries.

• The Dutch government is stimulating nature conservation in Central and Eastern Europe in an active way. The international Policy ProgrammeBiodiversity 2002-2006 of the Netherlands (2003) gives the framework for this activities. One of the instruments is the PIN-MATRA instrument, a system of grants for projects in the field of nature conservation in Central and Eastern Europe.

• The Dutch government supports the development and the exchange of ideas on nature conservation issues, especially if these are related to international nature conservation topics as indicated above. Also, organisations with a co-ordinating and/or stimulating role are actively supported.

PrimeButterfly Areas in Europe

This book fits very well among the above-mentioned aims and projects which the Dutch government seeks to support. The publication will aid communication between a wide and diverse group of professionals involved with scientific research. This can support the identification and management of biodiversity hotspots, core areas of ecological networks, and professionals involved with everyday management of core areas. But it also supports professionals involved with specific tasks like the implementation and monitoring of the Habitats Directive, and the Bern Convention (especially the realisation of the Natura 2000 and the Emerald ecological network and the development of PEEN). Overall, the book delivers essential scientific information for the following activities:

• It supports the systematic identification throughout Europe of core areas, in full accordance with the Habitats Directive;

• It provides a scientific framework for the description of important ecological characteristics of identified core areas and gives information on their active/passive management;

• It provides necessary information for coherent management of core areas, of particular importance in the case of trans-boundary core areas;

• It provides necessary information for unified monitoring of core areas;

• It enables and stimulates coherent scientific research, supporting both the establishment of ecological networks and the management of network-elements as core areas, corridors and buffer zones.

Relatedprojects and further research in thisfield

This project is part of a wider set of research projects and products, all aiming at support for European nature conservation and especially for the identification of species and habitats of European importance and the realisation of the Pan-European Ecological Network. An analysis is in preparation aiming at the identification of all the target species of the Pan-European Ecological Network. This information will be presented on a CD-Rom. This CD-Rom will include information on the legal status of species, the conservation status of species, indications on their distribution in Europe, their hotspots in Europe, the habitat preferences and it will provide suggestions for nature management. In 2000, a totally revised and updated inventory of Important Bird Areas in Europe appeared, co-funded by the Dutch Ministry of ANF. At this moment, two new projects, aiming at the identification of the important species areas in Europe, are being carried out: the identification of Prime Herpetofaunal Areas in Europe, due to appear in spring 2004, and the identification of Important Plant Areas in Central and Eastern Europe, due to appear in 2007. All these projects are carried out through international co-operation. Identified Important Species Areas (biodiversity hotspots) can play a key role in the identification of core areas for ecological networks. The same is true of target species, once they are identified. In 1995, a project identified core areas for the Pan-European Ecological Network in Western Europe. In the period 1999-2002 a similar project was carried out, aimed at producing an indicative map of PEEN, identifying core areas, corridors, buffer zones and zones for nature development in Central and Eastern Europe. This map is based on among others the Important Bird Areas and the Prime Butterfly Areas, as identified in this inventory. All these materials can be brought together in a future indicative and inspirational map of PEEN, covering the whole of Europe.

Prime Butterfly Areas in Europe: Priority Sites for Conservation...

Polyommotushumedosae in Pondel (1-02): an endemic butterfly in a spectacular landscape. Photo: K. Veling.

As regards the coherence of ecological networks and the degree of connectivity needed for the conservation of target species, a lot of research is necessary: research on scientific theories and their application on (meta-)populations, but also research on the actual presence of migrational and other types of corridors in Europe, the habitats that are used, the distance between and the number and size of stepping stones.

Finally, farmers, foresters and landowners can play an important role in the future management of the buffer zones, corridors and core areas of the Pan-European Ecological Network. Research on the possibilities of integration of agricultural land use within and around the ecologicalnetwork will provide valuable benefits. In this way, the acceptance of ecological networks will be favoured.

Conclusions

The inventory Prime Butterfly Areas in Europe: Priority sitesfor conservation provides a very important instrument for the protection of important butterflies and their prime sites in Europe. It is hoped and expected that this inventory will be intensively used by officials, nature conservationists and researchers. By doing so, it will not only bring our common goals a bit closer by, but it will also strengthen the European co-operation in nature conservation.

Conclusions

Ors.A.J.F.M. van Opstal, Senior Policy Advisor Ecosystems and the Environment

NationalReference Centre for Agriculture, Nature and Fisheries, Ministryof Agriculture, Nature Management and Fisheries, TheNetherlands.

Ukraine

Sergey Popov

with the assistance of Yuri Kanarsky, Gennadij Romanov, Alexandr Zakov and Svetlana Gerasimova

Generalintroduction

The Ukraine has a land area of 603,700 km2 and a human populationof 52 million, giving an average density of 85 people per km2. Three major vegetation zones span the country, from forest in the north, through forest-steppe, to steppe in the south. Twenty-two Prime Butterfly Areas have been identified, covering 1,859,587 ha (Table I, Map I).

Table I: Summary of Prime Butterfly Areas in Ukraine.

Map I: Location of Prime Butterfly Areas in Ukraine.

Importance for butterflies

There are 208 native butterfly species in Ukraine, 34 of them beingconsidered threatened in Europe. The ten target species are listed in Table 2. The global distribution of Pseudochazara euxina (global threat status: vulnerable) is restricted to this country.

Table 2: Present distribution and trend of the target species in Ukraine (Van Swaay &

Warren, 1999)- The percentage of the European population indicates the importance of the country for the conservation of the species.

In the Ukraine,Coenonympha hero and Euphydryas maturna occur in wet meadows in natural forests and peat bogs, mainly in the northern part of the country. C. oedippus has a very restricted range and occurs in wet, open forest meadows and peat bogs, in the Kiev and the Zitormir regions in northern Ukraine. In western Ukraine, Euphydryas aurima can be found on open forest peat bogs and wetlands, while in eastern Ukraine the species occurs in ravines along streams.

Maculinea nausithous and M. teleius are characteristic of wet meadows and are still widespread in the western and northern parts of Ukraine. M.anon is the most common target species in this country, and is found on dry, steppe grassland, chalk grasslands and within the Carpathian Mountains. The present status of Parnassius apollo is not clear, and there have been no recent observations in its former habitats in Hora Bila (UA-18) and Potashnia (UA-19). The global range of Pseudochazaraeuxina is restricted to parts of the Crimean Peninsula (UA-21).

Landuse and threats

The chief land use within PBAs is either as nature reserve, or forforestry or agriculture (Table 3). The intensity of the agriculture is generally very low, and mainly consists of haymaking or extensive grazing.

Table 3: Land uses at Prime Butterfly Areas in Ukraine (n=22). One PBA can have several forms of land use.

The main threat to the butterflies in the PBAs is considered to be isolation from other colonies. The distance between the remaining populations of target species is often too large to allow interchange of adults. Although collecting is often mentioned as a threat, it never has a major impact on the butterfly populations. Another important threat to many butterflies is that poor quality agricultural land is oftenplanted with coniferous woodland. On the other hand, woodland butterflies are threatened by the felling of woodland or the conversion of deciduous forests to coniferous forest. Drainage is an important threat to the butterflies of bogs and wet grasslands.

Figure 1: Occurrence of threats at Prime Butterfly Areas in Ukraine.

Information sources

Historical and recent distribution sheets are available for the target species. More than 50,000 records of butterflies, made since 1973, are stored in a database. Weekly recording is carried out on fifty-five transects in the western part of the country. Detailed reviews in annual monitoring reports were made for several target species including Euphydryasmaturna, Maculinea teleius and M. anon.

References

Popov, S. (1999) Maculinea populations in Transcarpathian Ukraine: monitoringdata 98'. Maculinea Newsletter 3, 5.

Popov, S. (2000) Threatened European butterflies in Transcarpathia (Ukraine): genus Maculineo van Ecke 1915. A Magyar Tud. Akad. Szabolcs-Szatmar-Bereg Megyi Tud. Test. 9. kozg. egy. Tud. Ules. Eload.-Osszefoglaloi. Nyiregyhaza, old. 27.

Popov, S. (2000) Present State of Butterfly Populations of European Threatened Species in Transcarpathia, Ukraine, journal of Balkan Ecology.Scientific Surveys, Projects, Ecological Problems3 (l), 44-56.

Popov, S. (2000) Transcarpathia butterfly reportfor 1997. Alexanor CFSI, Uzhgorod, 2000,13 pp.

Popov, S. (2000) Transcarpathia butterfly reportfor 1998. Alexanor CFSI, Uzhgorod, 2000,12 pp.

Popov, S. (2000) Transcarpathia butterfly reportfor 1999. Alexanor CFSI, Uzhgorod, 2000,12 pp.

Popov, S. (2000) Transcarpathia butterfly reportfor 2000. Alexanor CFSI, Uzhgorod, 2001,13 pp.

Popov, S. 2003. SW Ukrainian butterfly database: report 1973-2003, Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea & Hesperioidea. Uzhgorod, 2003

Site accounts

Transcarpathia

Alternativenames: Ukrainian Carpathians

Ukraine

UA-OI

Prime Butterfly Areas in Europe, Transcarpathia

Administrativeregion: Transcarpathia

Coordinates: 48°oo'N-23°53'Eto 48°59'N-22°32'E

Altitude: 120-1400 m

Area: 716,800 ha

Generaldescription

The site comprises warm, pre-mountam and mountain habitats, with

deciduous forests and botanically rich meadows managed by

traditional agriculture.

Butterflies

Protectionand threats

Protectionstatus: 5: protected landscape

Protectedareas within PBA: Carpathian Biosphere Reserve, National Landscape Park Uzhansky

Landuse: agriculture, forestry, nature conservation, tourism, cattle grazing, pastures and haymaking

Generalthreats (in order of importance): afforestation, natural events, collecting

Conservationissues

A nature reserve and landscape park are included in this area. However,natural and semi-natural habitats are being damaged by overgrazing. It is intended to reinstate traditional agriculture, including suitable management of the meadows (by haymaking) and cattle grazing.

Remarks

The site contains numerous xerophilous, steppe grasslands with a highbutterfly diversity. More than a hundred butterfly species have been recorded since 1976.

Reference

Popov, et all, 2003. Ukraine. Pp. 611-642. In C.A.M. van Swaay & M.S. Warren, eds. Prime Butterfly Areas in Europe: priority sites for conservation. Nation Reference Centre of Agriculture, Nature and Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Management and Fisheries, Wageningen, The Netherlands.

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