PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
The most urgent threats to ecosystems and their services are the intensification of agriculture and lack of space for nature. Almost two-thirds of Denmark is covered by arable land, whereas natural areas account for less than 10%. Most of these natural areas (85%) are smaller than 5 ha. Furthermore, lowland peat soils are heavily cultivated, emitting CO2 to the atmosphere, and the impacts of climate change are increasing the flood risk of these lowlands at an escalating pace. Extensive cultivation has caused fragmentation of nature, degraded habitat conditions and decay of ecosystem services (ESS), disabling their vital functions.
The EU biodiversity strategy to 2020 is implemented in Denmark via a nature plan, including a green infrastructure (GI) map laying out existing and potential natural areas and ecological connections. The Danish GI map is implemented via a national initiative from 2020 on multifunctional land consolidation (MLC), with the purpose of improving biodiversity, reducing CO2, mitigating flooding, purifying aquatic environments, etc. The MLC initiative has started pilot projects leading up to national land reform in 2022, the biggest in 200 years.
OBJECTIVES
LIFE BioScape has three overall project objectives, to be implemented in two Natura 2000 sites (Horsens Fjord SPA DK00DY036 / SCI DK00DY156, and Nissum Fjord SPA DK00CX038/SCI DK00CX160):
- To restore and maintain three unique ecosystems and their services and to ensure their future preservation, by dealing with three of the largest threats for ESS: eutrophication of the aquatic environment, contamination of drinking water, and hydromorphological alteration of streams (causing, for example, hazardous flooding of populated areas);
- To construct green infrastructure linked to the three existing ecosystems, to improve and expand the conditions of threatened biodiversity and restore ESS, through the creation of nature connectivity; and
- To promote the implementation of GI in Denmark and the EU, by introducing new tools on multifunctional land consolidation as a means for improving biodiversity and ESS. Experiences will be shared within the EU through collaboration with relevant practitioners, agencies, associations and NGOs on the project results.
LIFE BioScape will contribute to the implementation of a variety of EU policy and legislation, including the biodiversity strategy to 2020, the Birds and Habitats directives, the Water Framework Directive, the EU’s strategy on adaptation to climate change, the biodiversity strategy for 2030, the EU Pollinators Initiative, and the Floods Directive.
RESULTS
Expected results:
- Almost 130 ha purchased or compensated for restrictions in land use: a total of 22 ha to be purchased and the remaining 105 ha to receive one-off compensation;
- Optimal hydrology restored on almost 80 ha (nearly 10 ha around Lake Byn, 20 ha on Endelave and 50 ha in Aastrup Fen) and a number of wader scrapes made;
- More than 1,500 m of watercourses restored through re-meandering and modification of the button profile;
- Grazing areas established on almost 260 ha (120 ha in Endelave and nearly 140 ha in Aastrup Fen);
- Reduced eutrophication in Lake Byn, and almost 3 ha of habitat restored for isoetid plants, including 100 specimens of the aquatic plant Subularia aquatica;
- Almost 3 500 tonnes of CO2/year captured;
- A handbook on mutual gains negotiation in multifunctional land consolidation (in English and Danish); and
- An e-learning course on nature management (in English and Danish).
