DEFINITION, SPECIFICATION AND GIS LAYER CREATION OF LANDSCAPE FEATURES IN SLOVAKIA INCLUDING POSSIBLE SAPS CONSEQUENCES

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1 DEFINITION, SPECIFICATION AND GIS LAYER CREATION OF LANDSCAPE FEATURES IN SLOVAKIA INCLUDING POSSIBLE SAPS CONSEQUENCES Michal Sviček ek,, Kristína Gasiorková,, Martin Granec Soil Science and Conservation Research Institute Gagarinova 10, Bratislava, Slovakia LPIS Workshop 6th 8th October 2009, Tallin, Estonia LPIS database quality assessment and updating

2 Legislative framework According to Article 6 (1) of Council Regulation (EC) N o 73/2009, Member States shall define, at national of regional level, minimum requirements for good agricultural and environmental condition on the basis of the framework established in Annex III, taking into account the specific characteristics of the areas concerned, including soil and climatic condition, existing farming systems, land use, crop rotation, farming practices,, and farm structures. In particular Member States shall define on a compulsory basis minimum requirements for retention of landscape features, including, where appropriate, hedges, ponds, ditches trees in line,, in group or isolated and field margins with a view to ensure a minimum level of maintenance and avoid the deterioration of habitats. Implementation of GAEC Retention of Landscape features in Slovakia

3 Soil Science and Conservation Institute contracted by MoA SR for Landscape features definition and relevant GIS layer creation since April 2009 SSCRI is responsible for LPIS creation, maintanance and update Contract with MoA SR signed in April creation of GAEC GIS layers after the Health Check - landscape features - terraces - retention buffer strips along watter courses Contract is signed for two years 2009 and 2010

4 The eligibility of the LF areas for the SAPS European Commision DG Agri response to a official letter (request for clarification and confirmation about the specification of landscape features) sent from the Ministry of Agriculture SR august 2009 Article 30 (3) of Commission Regulation (EC) N o 796/2004, any features (...) which may form part of the good agricultural and environmental condition (...) shall form part of the total area of an agricultural land environmental condition (...) shall form part of the total area of an agricultural parcel and the area taken by the landscape features so protected is therefore automatically eligible to the SAPS. In terms of geographical identification and controls the solutions chosen for cross compliance should logically be relevant also for the eligibility aspects The provision of Article 30 (2) of Commission Regulation (EC) N o 796/2004, specifies that in respect of the regions where certain features,, in particular hedges, ditches and walls,, are traditionally part of good agriculture cropping or utilisation practices, the Member States may decide that the corresponding area is to be considered part of the fully utilised area on condition that it does not exceed a total width to be determined by the Member States Implementation of GAEC Retention of Landscape features in Slovakia

5 Allong with communication with DG AGRI be in progress- SSCRI team worked on specification and definition of LF Analyse of current status of LF in Slovak LPIS and proposal how to create information GIS layer Creation of draft document LF definition,, GIS layer creation (including control proposals) Draft of documents several times discussed and modified by MoA SR, APA and also by Geographical and Land Ecology Institute of Slovak Academy of Science, Slovak Environmental Agency and by State Nature Conservancy SR

6 Selected landscape features SSCR Institute drafts of selected LFs were consulted and modified with: - Ministry of Agriculture SR - Agricultural Payment Agency SR and were discussed with: - Slovak Academy of Sciences (Institute of Geography and Institut of Landscape Ecology) - Institutions of Ministry of Environment SR (Slovak( Academy Environment and State Nature Conservancy SR) of List of selected landscape features Point feature (will be digitized as point) Area features (will be digitized as polygons) - solitary tree balk row of trees/windbreak group of trees wetland Implementation of GAEC Retention of Landscape features in Slovakia

7 Solitary tree Alone growing tree (with the exception of a vegetation, which is the part of the balk or terrace), mostly as a part of a complex of cultivated agricultural land

8 Solitary tree Identification on orthophotomaps: Solitary trees are on the orthophotomap well, almost uniquely identifiable and interpret, and distinguishable from scrub The current state in LPIS: Solitary trees weren t removed from LPIS because they didn t exceed the limit 0,05 ha (neither( after subsequent spot checks carried out by APA where is the limit 0,01 ha), which was set as the limit for exemption from LPIS, are included in blocks of LPIS

9 Process of creating: Two variants of creating: Solitary tree Transformation and integration of existing data from sfere of Ministry of Environment SR and from layer of ZB GIS 1. + Visual photointerpretation on the basis of the orthophotomap Visual photointerpretation on the basis of the orthophotomap 2. + Identification of massive solitaires (over 3 m), filter out from other vegetation, including undesirable, with the methods of GIS

10 Balk (field boundary) Uncultivated grassy line, often covered with trees or shrubs. Artificial created boundary of agricultural land, which doesn t serve the agricultural production (in particular is served to reduce the danger of water or wind erosion, generally is determinated the boundary of land blocks, eventually part of land blocks, which may include woody vegetation or stone walls)

11 Balk (field boundary) Identification on orthophotomaps: Relatively well identifiable and interpret on the orthophotomap, grassy strip, often with shrubs, respectively with trees on the agricultural land The current state in LPIS: Small unagricultural areas, including balks, were during LPIS creation removed when were for example linear with eidth over 5 m. If they didn t reach this limit, they are included to the block area or are devided between blocks, when they create a border

12 Balk (field boundary) Process of creating: Visual photointerpretation on the basis of the orthophotomap with using of LPIS and topographical maps Marking of the area and completing the atribute table Criteria: Minimum lenght 20 m Maximum area 0,2 ha

13 Row of trees Row of trees, which have generally the same and regular tree spacing (with the exception of a vegetation, which is a part of the balk and terrace, as well as a vegetation, which performs the function of the forest according to 3 of the forest law, consequently falls within the forest fund)

14 Row of trees Identification on orthophotomaps: Row of trees is on the orthophotomap well, almost uniquely identifiable and interpret and distinguishable from scrub The current state in LPIS: Small unagricultural areas, including row of trees, were during LPIS creation removed when were for example linear with width over 5 m. If they didn t reach this limit, they are included to the block area or are devided between blocks, when they create a border Criteria: Minimum lenght 30 m At least 5 trees with high over 3 m in the regular spacing

15 Row of trees Process of creating: Two variants of creating: Transformation and integration of existing data from sfere of Ministry of Environment SR and from layer of ZB GIS 1. + Visual photointerpretation on the basis of the orthophotomap Visual photointerpretation on the basis of the orthophotomap 2. + Identification of massive solitaires (over 3 m), filter out from other vegetation, including undesirable, with the methods of GIS

16 Group of trees (field wood) They are groups of coppices of trees, which have arisen spontaneously or during intentional planting on the areas of agricultural land, which isn t used for agricultural production, such as on the ex pasture land, areas threatened by erosion and over rugger terrain

17 Group of trees (field wood) Identification on orthophotomaps: Group of trees is identificated on the orthophotomap expressly and the drawing is clearly The current state in LPIS: During the LPIS creation were internal unagricultural areas, including group of trees greater than 0,05 ha (500 m2) removed from champters. Criteria: Only on the agricultural land minimum of 3 trees Maximum area of 0,2 ha

18 Group of trees (field wood) Process of creating: Two variants of creating: Use of existing data from sfere of Ministry of Environment SR and from layer of ZB GIS 1. + Visual photointerpretation on the basis of the orthophotomap On the ground of forest fund/forest forest land layer will be extracted just groups of trees on the agricultural land within LPIS 2. + Visual photointerpretation on the basis of the orthophotomap + Use of information from cadastral parcels about kind of the parcel,, to identify groups of trees on the agricultural land

19 Wetland In natural conditions are considered as wetlands all habitats, those existence is subjected to permanent presence of water. Among wetlands belong all natural or artificial origin areas, where the water level is on the surface,, or wher shallow water covers the surface

20 Wetland Identification on orthophotomaps: Is ambiguous, often complicated, inforamtions are identifiable using other spatial The current state in LPIS: During LPIS creation were internal unagricultural areas, including wetlands (this isn t valid often, sometimes wasn t wetland photointerpret as the wetland, but as grassland) bigger as 0,05 ha (500 m2) removed from the parcel area when was interpreted as disconvenable for difficulty photo interpretation, is part of wetlands include to the LPIS, in the case of KNM review were removed also areas over 100 m2. Criteria: Maximum area of 0,2 ha

21 Wetland Process of creating: Layer will form only mapped wetlands 1. within the mapping of wetlands of State Nature Conservancy SR Three variants of creating: 2. Wetlands will be take over of ZB GIS It will be digitized and indicated wetlands as areas on the basis of orthophotomaps in parts of LPIS with indication of natural and 3. semi natural grassland layer, only on the agricultural land. As an auxiliary layer will be used cadastral parcels layer with the determination of land use

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25 The eligibility of the LF areas for the SAPS Issue only for GAEC or also for SAPS If considered also as eligible areas for SAPS decision on National Administration increase of LPIS area especially in hilly land (expected), but the goal is to remain retention of LF predominantly in lowland on arable land (large arable blocks/fields without scatered vegetation) It will be for some farmers advantage greater payment but the envelope for SK remain the same (for some farmers disadvantage) Implementation of GAEC Retention of Landscape features in Slovakia

26 Main question regarding creation of digital information system Independent GIS layer of landscape features (overlapping with LPIS blocks) ) or regular part of LPIS GIS layer (no overlapping) Some landscape features are included in LPIS blocks area (soliters, linear tree features) some (mostly larger areas) ) are outside LPIS blocks area (group of trees, wetlands) Implementation of GAEC Retention of Landscape features in Slovakia

27 Some open questions regarding the control of LF retention Date of digital orthophotomaps basically influence the plausibility of LF digital layer (either LPIS ). Existence or extent/area of LF on not real time orto and subsequent vector LF layer could not refelect the real situation in the field what now??? Criteria for controls -destruction or area reducing could be caused not by farmer but could be involved by several biotic (diseases, pests) ) and abiotic factors (frost, extreme dry,flash...)