PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Dry grasslands – Semi-natural dry grasslands on calcareous substrates (6210) and Species-rich Nardus grasslands on siliceous substrates in mountain areas (6230) – have a bad/unfavourable conservation status in Slovenia. Overgrowth resulting from land abandonment is a critical threat for these habitat types. Additionally in the past few decades, orchards have been disappearing rapidly for economic reasons.
OBJECTIVES
The LIFE TO GRASSLANDS project aimed to restore dry grasslands, in particular: 260 ha of habitat type 6210 and 257 ha of habitat type 6230 through the removal of overgrowth; reintroduce grazing/mowing management aimed at maintaining open patches of 6230 in the forest (on around 5 ha); establish the long-term sustainable use of target areas; revitalise 45.5 ha of traditional orchards, thus preventing landslides and enhancing species diversity; incorporate sustainable dry grassland management into agricultural and environmental policy in Slovenia; establish a network of landowners and potential land users to reduce land use fragmentation; improve the viability of sustainable dry grassland use by identifying alternative activities; and increase public awareness of the importance of dry grasslands.
RESULTS
The project LIFE TO GRASSLANDS assured the long-term management of 679 ha of dry grasslands, with the involvement of 338 farmers, thus improving the conservation status of two priority habitat types listed in the Habitats Directive on 7 Natura 2000 network sites (with a total area of 35 599 ha) in Slovenia.
Extensive long-term management of grasslands was established on 679 ha of ‘Semi-natural dry grasslands and scrubland facies and ‘Species-rich Nardus grasslands. Restoration actions, involving overgrowth removal on degraded grasslands, were conducted on 139 ha of these habitats. Monitoring activities in 2020 already showed improved status of targeted habitats at several sites within four project areas, indicating a change from overgrown grassland to extensively-managed grasslands, a reduction in the presence of uncharacteristic plants and improvement in the presence of indicator plants.
The project team restored 83 ha of tall tree grasslands orchards by planting 3 493 saplings. By using traditional varieties, the project supports conservation of the genetic diversity, and by planting tall tree orchards on steep slopes prevents landslides. Additionally, 25 insect hotels were installed, accompanied by educational boards that emphasise the importance of pollinators and their conservation.
A new vision for economically-viable extensive farming in specific rural areas was given to farmers. This will help maintain farming in these areas, which is also crucial for the management and conservation of semi-natural grasslands. The multi-functional management of species-rich grasslands is supported by the development of supporting on-farm activities and the production of products on farms that are marketed under a collective thematic brand, representing an innovative approach in this field. By project end, 350 farmers and landowners had already reoriented toward extensive use of grasslands, due to various project activities. These activities are in line with the EU Farm to Fork Strategy (part of the European Green Deal) for a fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly food system.
The project contributed to achieving the objectives of the EU Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive, and it is in line with the EU 2030 Biodiversity Strategy and policy initiatives for conservation of wild pollinators. Knowledge gained from the project will contribute to implementation of several sectoral policies, including nature conservation, agriculture, environment, forestry, game management, and spatial planning. Tall tree grasslands orchards are a good example of the biodiversity-friendly farming practices proposed in the green reform of the CAP (Common Agricultural Policy).
A results-based approach to the Agri-Environment measure for conservation of the two habitat types was prepared and field-tested. This innovative approach using indicator plants for assessing the proper management of species-rich grasslands by farmers themselves was used for the first time in Slovenia. It has a good demonstrative value for further development and the implementation of other such measures in Slovenia and other Member States. In April 2019, a detailed Expert Proposal of AEP Measures (The Agri-Environment Programme) related to the preservation of the two targeted habitat types was officially submitted to the Ministry of the Agriculture, Forestry in Food.
Conservation guidelines for sustainable management of dry grassland were developed by the project, were integrated into 39 sectoral management plans for forestry (15), hunting (2), spatial planning (19), rural development (1), and education (2). Management measures, management zones and management system for the targeted habitat types currently set in the Natura 2000 Management Programme for Slovenia (2015-2020) were upgraded.
The improved economic viability of farms, due to project activities, has beneficial socio-economic effects. Conservation and farm management plans help sustain important farming traditions and their practitioners, while delivering on public demand for access to high-quality environments for recreation. The project’s socio-economic study showed: five farms converted to eco-farming; eco-farmers in Haloze organised together and now sell Eco-milk to a local diary at a higher price; and one farm in Gorjanci already registered a complementary tourism activity. In addition, 21 farms are considering registering new complementary farm activities; nine farms (8.7%) increased their stock of animals, with another 30 planning to do so. Four farms have started fruit processing, with 18 more planning to do so. Over half of the surveyed farms (54.7%) agreed that the project showed them many opportunities to market products from dry grasslands, to increase incomes.
Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report and After-LIFE Conservation Plan (see Read more section).
