Important Plant Areas and the Common Agricultural Policy (EU CAP) Important Plant Areas (IPAs) are the most important sites for wild plants and their habitats recognised under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). 1771 IPAs have been identified in 16 countries within Europe. Signatory governments have committed to protecting these key sites. Many of our most species-rich habitats and sites in Europe are agricultural (grassland and arable) and require strong national and European action to survive. There is an urgent need for a reformed European Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) which provides targeted support for remaining areas of high nature value farmland across Europe (including relevant IPAs), encourages a biodiversity-rich wider countryside with viable rural communities and conserves genetic diversity, including crop wild relatives. Grasslands support a large proportion of Europe’s wild flowers and plants, which in turn support up to 75% of European butterfly species and many other insect and animal groups. Unlike forest or wetland habitats, grass- lands require regular, active management (grazing and mowing) at the correct level to survive. Under intensive agricultural systems arable plant populations decline rapidly. With them go many insect pollinators and thus the base of the food chain. However some arable plants can regenerate relatively easily and quickly from natural seed banks in the soil by leaving unsprayed, uncropped margins around fields. Threatened grassland habitats are found in over half of European IPAs, covering more than 700,000 hectares. A recent study by the European Environment Agency (EEA) (2009) showed that 40-85% of its habitats of European concern were in unfavourable condition, with grasslands and wetlands most under threat. Reform of the EU CAP, away from intensive, monoculture agriculture, and towards viable rural communities in diverse landscapes, will be a major factor in the survival of Europe’s biodiversity-rich grasslands, arable plants and the genetic resources of crops and their wild relatives. Information on key sites, such as IPAs, and High Nature Value Farmland is available to target funding and action which supports biodiversity and essential ecosystem services under the CAP. Detailed information is available for 1247 of the 1771 IPAs.

Grasslands Grasslands are among the most species-rich vegetation types in Europe with up to 80 plant spe-cies per square metre. The diversity of plant species growing in grasslands is threatened by two main drivers:

1. Abandonment of the grassland system which then reverts to scrub or forest. 2. Over-exploitation (over-grazing or the use or herbicides or fertilisers) all of which reduce species diversity.

Targeted support for rural communities is essential (financial subsidy and support for di-versification) to provide viable rural livelihoods which also conserve these reservoirs of wild plants at the base of the food chain.

What Plantlife would like to see: A reformed CAP should protect and support existing unimproved grasslands, and encourage restoration of over-exploited or abandoned grasslands. Arable plants Arable plants (e.g. cornflower, poppy, corn marigold) are among the most recog-nisable and iconic species in Europe. However under intensive farming systems (herbicides, seed cleaning, changes in sowing regimes) they can suffer catastro-phic declines.

Decline of arable plants can also cause a decline in insect pollinators, and thus in other species all the way up the food chain.

However part of this group of plants can be restored relatively easily and cost-effectively by leaving unsprayed, unsowed margins around crops and allowing natural regeneration from the seed bank.

What Plantlife would like to see: This type of measure could be incorporated widely as part of a reformed EU CAP and prevent the loss of many of these plants.

Key statistics about IPAs, plant conservation and agriculture • 669 IPAs contain species-rich but threatened grasslands, covering

c.700,000 ha of threatened grassland habitats • Abandonment threatens 351 IPAs (129 at a high level) • Intensified agriculture threatens 345 IPAs (55 at a high level) • c.5% of population in the EU is involved in agriculture, up to 50% of land is agricultural • 45 threatened natural and semi-natural grassland habitats recog- nized by EU under the Habitats Directive • 4.3% / 7.6 million ha of agriculture is organic in the EU (2008) Each EU member state has committed to identifying its High Nature Value Farmland. Criteria on how to do this have been published (IEEP 2007) but each member state is free to identify in its own way.

Case study: UK

Arable plants are the most endangered group of plants in the UK. Out of 150 plants, 7 are largely extinct, and 54 threatened. The reasons for this catastrophic decline include the use of herbicides, seed cleaning, fertilizers, changes in rotation/sowing times, loss of certain crops (rye, flax) and loss of field margins. This situation is widespread in intensive farming situations across Europe and is having profound effects on insect and animal populations. In the UK Important Plant Areas (IPAs) for arable plants have been identified (5 of European importance, and 99 of national importance) to prioritise protection and management action at key sites. Farmers and landowners are encouraged to survey their arable plants and are provided with information on management. See www.arableplants.org.uk/Arable-IAPA.html for more details. 133 sites have been identified as Important Plant Areas for Arable Plants in the UK (5 of Euro-pean importance, 99 of national importance, 39 of country importance).

Case study: Romania

Grasslands support vast numbers of European plant, insect and animal species. They require active management at the correct level and many are threatened by abandonment if rural com-munities cannot find viable livelihoods. The ADEPT foundation in Romania supports small scale farming communities in the southern Transylvania region, to diversify and increase their income from extensively grazed grasslands, to improve liveli-hoods and conserve species. They encourage projects involving local products and branding, from foodstuffs (cheese, jam, honey, herbs) to crafts, tourism and local markets. They also help with processing equipment, hygiene standards and effective marketing. See www.fundatia-adept.org for more details.

Arable species: Cornflower Centaurea cyanus The cornflower is an iconic flower of European agriculture but it is rarely found growing in arable fields now. However the cornflower is one among many arable plants which could return to the countryside relatively easily by leaving a margin around fields which is not sprayed with herbicide and allowing natural regeneration from the seed bank.

Grassland species: Green winged orchid Anacamptis morio / Orchis morio The green winged orchid was once one of the most widespread of all Europe’s orchids, growing in hay meadows and pasture land. It has declined across the continent due to ploughing up or abandon-ment of grasslands, and the use of fertilizers. The occurrence of green winged orchid can be used as an indicator of the health of grasslands and of improved conditions under agri-environment and restoration projects.

© Lliam Rooney /Plantlife

© Alan Hamilton / Plantlife

Species in focus:

Haymaking in Romania

Sources of information • Plantlife International, 2010, IPA online database www.plantlife-ipa.org/reports.asp • www.plantlife.org.uk A range of information on IPAs, IPA methodology & plant conservation. • Arable Plants UK www.arableplants.org.uk/Arable-IAPA.html • Biodiversity Information System for Europe biodiversity.europa.eu/topics/ecosystems-and-habitats/agro-ecosystems-and-grasslands • CBD (Convention on Biological Diversity) – Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC) www.cbd.int/gspc/ • European Commission, 2010, An analysis of the EU organic sector ec.europa.eu/agriculture/analysis/markets/organic_2010_en.pdf • European Environment Agency, 2009, Progress towards the European 2010 biodiversity target.

www.eea.europa.eu/publications/progress-towards-the-european-2010-biodiversity-target • Institute for European Environment Policy (IEEP), 2007, Final Report for the study for HNV indicators

for evaluation; 2007, Guidance document to the Member States on the application on the HNV impact indi-cator.

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Our wild plants and flowers are wonderful, not just for the beauty they bring to our lives but for the vital role they play in supporting wildlife, cleaning our air and water and helping in the fight against climate change. Plantlife is the charity that is speaking up for wild plants. We work hard to protect wild plants on the ground and to build understanding of the vital role they play in everyone’s lives.

Detailed information is available for 1247 IPAs. Factsheets on individual IPAs are freely available online at: www.plantlife-ipa.org/reports.asp