Spread of artificial and/or agricultural surfaces into previously ‘core natural/semi-natural’ landscapes

Methodology

Methodology for the calculation: natural/semi-natural lands include CLC classes Forests (3.1), Scrub and/or herbaceous vegetation (3.2), Open spaces with little or no vegetation (3.3), Inland wetlands (4.1) and Maritime wetlands (4.2). ‘Core natural/semi-natural’ landscapes are natural/semi-natural lands in the 'core natural' pattern class of the EU-wide landscape pattern mosaic map. This map is obtained by computing the mosaic index  from Estreguil et al., 2013. Three landscape patterns are defined according to the composition in terms of natural/semi-natural, artificial surfaces (CLC class 1) and agricultural areas (CLC class 2) in the 1km2 surroundings of each natural/semi-natural land pixel (1 ha): (1) ‘core natural’ pattern, where natural/semi-natural lands are distributed in relatively ‘unfragmented’ large patches (with at least 80% natural neighbourhood), (2) ‘mixed natural’ pattern, where they are fragmented by agricultural and/or artificial land, still in natural/semi-natural context (with at least 60% natural neighbourhood), and (3) ‘some natural’ pattern, where they are embedded in predominant agricultural or artificial context (less than 60% natural neighbourhood).

Units

Additional information

How to read the map: in the period 2000-2006, the spread of artificial and/or agricultural surfaces into previously ‘core natural/semi-natural’ landscapes is reported per province (NUTS 2/3) both in terms of absolute area (ha) and proportionally to the ‘core natural’ pattern cover at year 2000. For example, one province in the West of Spain had its ‘core natural’ pattern reduced by 1.5% to 3% due to fragmentation by agricultural and/or artificial lands of a cumulative area of more than 10 000 ha.

Source: European Commission-Joint Research Centre (JRC); Estreguil and Caudullo, 2014

Estreguil, C., Caudullo, G., 2014. Fragmentation of natural/semi-natural landscapes in Europe. JRC scientific and policy report EUR xxEN. JRC Pubsy request nb 92408. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union. doi: (in preparation).