Development of the EUNIS Habitat Classification: why and how?DORIAN MOSS

British Trust for Ornithologyformerly at

Centre for Ecology & HydrologyDorian Ecological Information Ltd,

UK

1982 1985 1988 1991 1995 1998 2001 2004 2007 2011

CORINE Biotopes

classification 2 levels

Habitats Directive Annex I

CORINE Biotopes

Manual vol. 2EC

CORINE Biotopes development

DG-XI CORINE Programme

CORINE team meetings

EUNIS predecessors• CORINE Biotopes habitats• 1982: 2 levels, just a list of names• Developed so as to record habitats in

conservation sites• 1988: 4+ levels, descriptions,

references to literature and phytosociology

• 1991: over 3000 habitat types• 1993-6: extended to rest of

Europe with CoE funding

Problems with CORINE• CORINE was only intended as a pilot• Habitat list not planned to have life outside the

project• Extracts from unpublished version Annex I• EC lost ownership on expansion to PHARE area• Delays from 1991-94 in starting up EEA• However EEA picked up commitment for

development of habitat classificationin 1996

• Source: Ulla Pinborg, Monks Wood, 1996

Criticisms of CORINE• No clear consistent statement of methodology• No responsible authoritative scientific body• Wide differences in importance of habitat types

classified at same level in hierarchy• No clear consistent criteria for each division• Habitat types apparently separated only on

geographical and not ecological grounds• Not comprehensive, omits especially many

marine, freshwater and man-made habitat types

• Sources: Rodwell et al, c.1995, Moss & Roy 1995, etc

Aims of EUNIS

EUROPEAN NATURE INFORMATION SYSTEM

Content: to be a reservoir of information on environmentally important matters in Europe

Tools: to facilitate use of data by promoting harmonisation of terminology and definitions

Species:

• focus on legislative lists

• nomenclature

• distribution

• conservation status

Habitats:

•a European standard for habitat nomenclature

•cross-references to other systems including EU Habitats Directive Annex I

Sites:

•Common Database on Designated Areas

•internationally designated sites

•CORINE Biotopes database

EUNIS: EUROPEAN NATURE INFORMATION SYSTEM

1982 1985 1988 1991 1995 1998 2001 2004 2007 2011

CORINE Biotopes

classification 2 levels

EEA and ETC/NC

EUNIS initial plans

EUNIS habitat workshops

Habitats Directive Annex I

CORINE Biotopes

Manual vol. 2EC

Black Sea workshop

CORINE Biotopes development

EUNIS habitat classification

publishedCEH

1st EUNIS habitat website

EUNIS website

EEA workshop on governance

OSPAR/ICES workshops

Baltic Sea workshop

DG-XI CORINE Programme

Crosswalks to other

classifications

CORINE team meetings

Aims of the EUNIS habitat classification:

• provide a “common language” • enable mapping of units at a regional level• comprehensive and applicable at different

levels of complexity• allow aggregation, evaluation and

monitoring of habitat units• provide a common framework: new

information and links to other classifications

Development of EUNIS• International consultative workshops, Paris &

Monks Wood, 1995 & 1996• Several meetings of experts’ groups 1996-98• Criteria for first 3 levels proposed• Palaearctic habitats re-arranged to fit criteria• Concentrated on levels 3-4, lower levels

‘attached’ from other classifications• Inputs from marine and vegetation scientists

to fill in gaps• Sources: Davies & Moss 1998-2001

Principles of the classification (1)

• Classification is hierarchical • Units at a given hierarchical level to be of

similar importance• Clear criteria for each division to level 3• Units at level 4 and below follow criteria

of higher levels• Logical sequence of units • Use clearly defined non-technical

language

Principles of the classification (2)

• Ecologically distinct habitat types supporting different plant and animal communities should be separated

• Habitats from different locations differing on the basis of geographical range only should not be separated

• Habitat units and habitat complexes are separated

Development of EUNIS: widening consultation,

gathering expertise• Searchable parameter frame developed• Workshops:

– OSPAR/ICES marine habitat mapping workshops– ICES scientific conference paper– Workshop on Baltic Sea habitats (HELCOM)– 1st Black Sea science conference poster– Workshop on Black Sea habitats (Black Sea

Commission)• Sources: Davies & Moss 2001-2004, Moss 2006-2008

Dissemination of EUNIS• First website hosted by Wallonie region,

2001• Lists of cross-references to Annex I,

Palaearctic and CORINE Land cover, 2002• Cross-references to European Vegetation

Survey, 2002• EUNIS website, 2003-07• ‘Snapshot’ of classification published by

CEH, 2004

Relationships between classifications

EUNIS HABITATSpan-Europeanmarine & terrestrialcomprehensive to level 3/4non-legislativelinks to other classifications1996-2007

CORINE/PALAEARCTICEU -> Palaearctic realmmainly terrestrialcomprehensive and detailednon-legislative1986-2001 ...

HELCOMBaltic Seamarine and coastalmainly abioticHelsinki Convention1998

BARCELONA CONVENTION

Mediterranean Seamarineselective1998

BioMar/JNCCBritish and Irish seasmarinecomprehensivenon-legislative1997, updated 2004

Habitats Directive Annex IEUmarine & terrestrialvarying levelsEU Habitats Directive (incl. NATURA2000)1992 (from CORINE, 1989)augmented 1995 and 2004

EMERALD Annex Ipan-Europeanmarine & terrestrialvarying levelsBern Conventionfrom Palaearctic, 1995

CORINE Land Coverpan-Europeanmarine & terrestrial3 levels, 44 classesland cover mapping1986-1994

OSPAR/ICESNE Atlanticmarinestarted 1999

EUROPEAN VEGETATION

SURVEY•Crosswalk to Syntaxa

BLACK SEA CONVENTIONBlack Seamarinecomprehensive or selective?2006+?

Governance of EUNIS• Ownership of the classification should be

vested in the collective team responsible for its validation and evolution.

• In view of the long-term nature of the task and the value of a coherent and widely applicable habitat classification at the European level, the work of this team should be underwritten by the European Environment Agency through its European Topic Centre on Nature Conservation.

• Source: Moss & Roy 1995

Governance of EUNIS 2• A small standing working group should

oversee the development of the classification and ensure quality checking. This group should involve other individual or corporate experts selected regionally or thematically as appropriate.

• A larger central management and coordination committee should be constituted involving a range of developers from the scientific community and of users from scientific and conservation organisations

• Source: Moss & Hopkins 1997

EUNIS Habitat Classification level 1

A

MARINE HABITATS

E

GRASSLANDS AND LANDS

DOMINATED BY FORBS, MOSSES

OR LICHENS

D

MIRES, BOGS AND FENS

C

INLAND SURFACE WATERS

B

COASTAL HABITATS

J

CONSTRUCTED, INDUSTRIAL AND

OTHER ARTIFICIAL HABITATS

I

REGULARLY OR RECENTLY

CULTIVATED AGRICULTURAL, HORTICULTURAL AND DOMESTIC

HABITATS

H

INLAND UNVEGETATED OR SPARSELY VEGETATED HABITATS

G

WOODLAND, FOREST AND

OTHER WOODED

LAND

F

HEATHLAND, SCRUB AND

TUNDRA

X HABITAT COMPLEXES