The Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) today presented to the Council of Ministers the first six-year report on the state of Natural Heritage and Biodiversity in Spain. This report, coordinated by the Directorate-General for Biodiversity, Forests and Desertification, analyses trends in natural heritage and biodiversity taking 2009 as the base year, the date of implementation of the Spanish Inventory of Natural Heritage and Biodiversity (IEPNB), and makes an assessment of the results achieved by the main policies adopted in this area. The document has been prepared mainly based on the information available, as of December 31, 2020, in the Nature Data Bank, identified as the Integrated Information System of the Spanish Inventory of Natural Heritage and Biodiversity.
In addition, as this report coincides with the publication in 2019 of the six-year reports of the European Habitats and Birds Directives, for the period 2013-2018, the analysis of the state and evolution of habitats and species of community interest shown in them is incorporated.
The preparation of this report has also served as a reflection on the need to strengthen the integration of the information available in different management centres as well as the inclusion of new themes, which allow for an integrated assessment of the different components of the natural heritage as well as their pressures and threats, so that the IEPNB can adapt to the new challenges that arise, such as those linked to the European Green Deal and the European Green Deal. the European Biodiversity Strategy for 2030.
KNOWLEDGE AND PROTECTED AREAS
The main results obtained are the significant improvement in the knowledge of natural heritage and biodiversity during the last six years. Spain has a unique natural capital and one of the highest levels of biodiversity at the European level, which is reflected in its great variety of habitats – 56% of the types identified in the Habitats Directive – and more than 85,000 species of animals, fungi and plants, many of which are already described in the EIDOS database of wild species of MITECO. This database has involved an enormous effort in systematization, although it has also made it possible to verify the lack of information on certain taxonomic groups, such as invertebrates, bryophytes and fungi, as well as on many marine species.
One way to conserve and protect our natural heritage and biodiversity is the declaration of protected areas, whose number and extension have increased significantly. If in the base year of 2009 the terrestrial protected area was 31% of the total and the marine protected area 1%, in 2020 they have come to account for 36.2% and 12.3% of the total, respectively. This fulfills the Aichi target of the Convention on Biological Diversity with regard to protected areas.
The report also includes the numerous conservation and restoration actions framed within the corresponding plans and strategies developed in recent years. As a result of all this, successes have been achieved in the conservation of many emblematic species, such as the Iberian imperial eagle (with just a few dozen pairs in the 70s to 520 pairs registered in 2017); the bearded vulture (from 22 pairs in 1982 to 133 in 2018, with successful reintroduction in the Picos de Europa and the Sierra de Cazorla); the brown bear (from about 100-120 specimens in 1989 to about 310-350 in 2018) or the Iberian lynx, which at the end of 2020 exceeded the threshold of 1,100 registered specimens.
Despite the conservation efforts made, it is necessary to continue acting to reduce the pressures on biodiversity, which have also increased in the last six years. Changes in land use, overexploitation of species, the proliferation of invasive species and pollution are some of the main threats to biodiversity, which are also directly or indirectly affected by climate change.
FIRES AND DESERTIFICATION
Forest fires are the main element of degradation of forest ecosystems, although the increase in the effectiveness of fire management has counteracted their impact. The report highlights the effective participation of MITECO in the means of prevention and extinction of forest fires, providing support to the Autonomous Communities that require it. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the arrival in Spain of the first Canadair amphibious aircraft, which has carried out essential work in support of the Autonomous Communities in the extinguishing work.
The Level I and II Forest Damage Networks also provide information on the state of health and vitality of forests. The results show that the general state of the trees undergoes a process of decline, decreasing the percentage of healthy trees, with the majority of damages associated with abiotic causes, mainly damage attributed to drought.
The report indicates that the percentage of forest area with an approved management instrument has risen from approximately 10% in 2009 to almost 20% in 2019, constituting a significant advance, but with figures still lower than necessary.
Although the report has a six-year scope, it gathers the fruits of decades of work in lines as relevant as the conservation and improvement of forest genetic resources. It is worth highlighting the Spanish Programme for the Conservation and Improvement of the Genetic Resources of Iberian Elms, and the Obtaining of Individuals Resistant to Graphiosis, initiated in 1986. Since 2014, more than 50,000 elms have been supplied to recover the lost natural elm trees and for planting in the urban environment, where the elm is recovering the role of accompanying its inhabitants by providing its shade and beauty in squares and promenades.
On the other hand, the problem of desertification acquires enormous relevance in Spain, being the EU country where this risk is greatest. In Spain, 18% of the territory is under high or very high risk of desertification. Efforts to monitor erosion processes have culminated in this six-year term with the recent completion of the National Inventory of Soil Erosion.
INTEGRATING PROTECTION INTO SECTORAL POLICIES
The first six-year report represents an important advance in the degree of knowledge about our natural environment that we have. However, it is essential to continue improving and deepening its different components in order to neutralise threats and effectively integrate the protection of all this natural heritage into the different sectoral policies. It is necessary to continue with the development of the IEPNB and to promote an information system that allows all the information to be integrated based on standards that enable its dissemination and reuse by the different social actors. A system of indicators at the national level should continue to be strengthened and expanded, which makes it possible to continuously monitor the state of conservation and trends of biodiversity and natural heritage in Spain, as well as their pressures and threats.
INSTITUTIONAL COLLABORATION
The IEPNB collects a large amount of information through more than thirty components that cover the entire natural heritage: ecosystems, species, natural resources, their threats, etc. The Inventory is prepared and kept up to date with the collaboration of the Autonomous Communities and scientific institutions and organisations.
Before being made public, this Report has been presented to the State Commission for Natural Heritage and Biodiversity, the State Council for Natural Heritage and Biodiversity and the Sectoral Conference on the Environment.
All the information of the IEPNB is public and is accessible through this link.
