and 1.25 m to the right of the surveyor. During the transect walks, the surveyors will record the presence of potential key plant species given in a list as well as information on the structure of the fields. This information will serve as an additional qualification of the land-use intensity, which is estimated in the main sheet for each parcel and as biodiversity record which enables further data interpretation.
The parameters are to be assessed in the field and deliver results at the area level (area and types of land cover/landscape elements, change in landscape structure, nature values for the types of land cover/landscape elements, area per EUNIS habitat type etc.) and at the transect level (coverage of wild plants in arable land, number of key species in grassland, arable land and fallow land, species composition, flower density etc. and respective changes in these parameters). As in the case of the LUCAS grassland survey, training of field surveyors is of utmost importance for ensuring data quality.
EMBAL is set to be the first large-scale survey to provide information on biodiversity values in arable land and a detailed mapping and identification of landscape elements. It is also set to be the first survey applying the landscape approach. By including as well the qualitative estimate of the natural value of the area, once the survey is established and repeated it will provide evidence of the trajectory of evolution of agricultural landscapes with regard to some aspects of biodiversity (increase or decrease), as shown by previous experiences on which the survey is based (IFAB, 2017; Hünig and Benzler, 2017). The EMBAL methodology14was piloted in 2020, and is going to be fine-tuned as necessary. The pilot is also used for testing potential integration of soil sampling into the EMBAL framework. Sampling squares are aligned with the LUCAS grid. Overall, the two surveys are harmonized, and complement each other in depicting the state of biodiversity in agricultural areas.
‘Alien species’ are defined as live specimens of a species, subspecies or lower taxon of animals, plants, fungi or micro-organisms introduced outside their natural range, including any part, gametes, seeds, eggs or propagules of such species, as well as any hybrids, varieties or breeds that might survive and subsequently reproduce15.
Alien species causing damage to agriculture are harmful organisms (insects, mites, nematodes, bacteria, parasitic plants, fungi, viruses and virus-like organisms) regulated under the European phytosanitary legislation, and stem from Council Directive 2000/29/EC16and related decisions laying down emergency or control measures for specific pests and diseases under this specific remit (e.g. Xylella fastidiosa, Dryocosmus kuriphilus, Anoplophora chinensis and A. glabripennis). This Directive has been repealed by Regulation (EU) 2016/203117, whose requirements entered into force on 14 December 2019. The compulsory monitoring for agriculture-related alien species (open field crops, nurseries, and greenhouses) is laid down in technical annexes and must be implemented by official controls performed by Member States National Plant Protection Organizations. Producers are subject to specific obligations in relation to the health of their crops, and shall immediately notify the responsible official body of the Member State concerned of any unusual occurrence of harmful organisms, symptoms or any other plant abnormality, and collaborate with official authorities. Official surveillance and systematic inspections are conducted at the place of production in the most appropriate periods considering the organisms’ biology, supplemented by laboratory analysis. The organization of the phytosanitary surveillance and organisms involved varies and reflects Member States’ administrative organization.
Invasive Alien Species (IAS) constitute one of the most important threats to biodiversity, causing worldwide severe ecological and socio-economic impacts. Target 2.2.10 of the the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 (EC, 2020) puts particular effort on addressing invasive alien species (IAS) and the protection of native biodiversity. Recognizing the need for a coordinated set of actions to prevent, control and mitigate IAS impact, the European Parliament and the Council adopted the EU Regulation 1143/2014 (the IAS Regulation), which gives priority to a list of species, named as IAS of Union concern, selected by scientific and legislative bodies after an evaluation procedure and the analysis of specific pest risk assessments. Species are included in this list, among others, because they can cause a significant damage to biodiversity justifying the adoption of dedicated measures at Union level. Three Implementing Commission Regulations18have listed 66 alien species (30 animals and 36 plants) as of Union concern by 2019, which are affecting terrestrial, freshwaters and marine (2 species) environments. Under the IAS Regulation, EU Member States competent authorities must prevent the introduction and spread of IAS of Union concern, enforce effective early detection and rapid eradication mechanisms for new introductions and adopt management measures for species already widely spread.
Article 16 of the IAS Regulation requires the mandatory notification of early detections of listed species to the European Commission and to the other Member States. Detailed and up-to-date spatial information (baselines) on the distribution of 49 IAS of Union concern in Europe have been prepared by the European Alien Species Information Network of JRC (https://easin.jrc.ec.europa.eu/easin/) (baseline for the 17 species listed by Regulation (EU) 2019/1262 is under preparation) working in close collaboration with EU Member States competent authorities, setting a geographic baseline of their current distribution19. The baselines allow a shared knowledge of the IAS distribution, a better planning of the surveillance activity, the official notification of new detections, and foster the collaboration among MS. These baselines are also available in electronic format as shapefiles (https://easin.jrc.ec.europa.eu/easin/Documentation/Baseline, Fig. 4).
Figure 4 Distribution map of Vespa velutina nigrithorax in Europe at 10 km ×10 km grid level, from EASIN data. Picture: Didier Descouens – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26722179.
IAS are also considered by the EU Framework Directive for the evaluation of 'good ecological status' of freshwaters (Directive 2000/60/EC)20 and by the Marine Strategy Framework Directive under Descriptor 2 (non-indigenous species) (Directive 2008/56/EC)21. Farmers are sometimes actively involved in monitoring and management of IAS, even if not regulated by law, such as Fallopia japonica, Japanese knotweed, like it happens, for example, in Ireland (Teagasc Invasive Alien Species Working Group).
Specific professional groups of farmers are more directly involved in detection and control of IAS. This is the case of the Asian hornet, Vespa velutina, which sees an active role of beekeepers in many EU countries in detecting the presence of the invasive insect, which preys on honeybees, deploying a network of sentinel hives provided with hornet-traps (e.g. interregional network in northern Italy: http://www.stopvelutina.it/nord-italia-nasce-lover-la-rete-di-sorveglianza-per-la-velutina/).
Many LIFE and Interreg projects in Europe (e.g. LIFE STopVespa, LIFE Invasaqua, LIFE Asap, Interreg Invalis, Interreg ACECA, http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/project/Projects/index. Cfm, https://www.interregeurope.eu/invalis/, https://camaloteaceca.eu/?page_id=347) are also dedicated to the monitoring, eradication and management of invasive alien species in different environments, or restoration activities which entail the removal of IAS, for example, weeds or invasive plants, preserving natural areas and protecting agriculture from their further spread.
The environmental
