Published: 22 May 2011
Forests are some of the most important ecosystems
in Europe, and are home to many thousands
of species. Although the amount of forest
cover is stable across Europe, it is declining
worldwide, and the rich variety of life
on Earth is also following this downward
trend. On 22 May, International Biodiversity
Day, the European Environment Agency invites
you to explore and enjoy biodiversity in
Europe’s forests.
Biodiversity embraces
the variety of genes, species and ecosystems
that constitute life on Earth, and we depend
on it completely for our livelihoods and
well-being.
Many of the planet's
species are found in forest ecosystems,
which also provide vital services for people
across Europe – including cleaning our air,
stopping soil erosion, filtering water and
providing products like timber and food.
But to see forests as purely a service or
a source of goods belies their intrinsic
value for maintaining biodiversity. To highlight
their importance to life on Earth, the United
Nations has declared 2011 as the International
Year of Forests, while 2011-2020 has been
designated the UN Decade on Biodiversity.
Around one-third of
the land area of EEA and collaborating countries
is covered by forest, with the largest wooded
areas located in Finland, France, Spain
and Sweden. Of this area, only 5 % is undisturbed
by significant human intervention. These
old growth natural and semi-natural forests
are particularly valuable for biodiversity
and carbon storage.
More than half of the
forest species of 'European interest' and
over 60 % of forest habitat types identified
by the Habitats Directive are reported to
be in 'unfavourable conservation status'[1].
Indeed, 27% of mammals, 10 % of reptiles
and 8 % of amphibians linked to forest ecosystems
are threatened with extinction in the EU.
For some forests, climate
change is the biggest threat to biodiversity.
Rising temperatures are expected to affect
the range of tree species. This is predicted
to affect forests at latitudinal and altitudinal
extremes, while forest fires are increasing
at lower latitudes, for example around the
Mediterranean. Increased periods of drought
and warmer winters are likely to further
weaken forests against invasive species.
So what can be done
to protect biodiversity in Europe's forests?
Better forest management is needed in some
areas – some European forests are intensive
monocultures with very little biodiversity.
In addition, reducing fragmentation of forests
is also hugely important. When a forest
is broken up into smaller patches, these
sections are often unable to support the
same broad biodiversity as a single forest
of the same area.
Europe has pledged to
halt biodiversity loss completely on its
territory. As the magnitude of this task
and the challenges become increasingly apparent,
EU biodiversity policy has developed accordingly.
To this end, the European Environment Agency
(EEA) will increasingly focus on assisting
policy-makers and others by delivering relevant
and reliable data.
However, European citizens
can also play a role in protecting the plants
and animals living in the forest. Why not
take a walk in the woods on International
Biodiversity Day, and experience the value
of local biodiversity yourself?
