Landsbygdsprogrammets effekter på biologisk mångfald 2014–2022
Stjernman, Martin LU
; Lindström, Åke
LU
; Olsson, Peter
LU
; Jonasson, Lars
and Smith, Henrik G.
LU
(2025)
In Utvärderingsrapport
- Abstract
- We have evaluated the impact of the Rural Development Programme 2014–2022 and its support of measures benefitting biodiversity. Bird population sizes, using the Farmland Bird Index (FBI), serve as the main indicator of biodiversity,
but the High Nature Value Farmland (HNV) indicator is also used. Our conclusions are:
• A combination of approaches is required to evaluate the effects of agrienvironmental support, which would be facilitated by enhanced data collection during the programme period.
• The support of agri-environmental measures has not restored farmland bird populations in agricultural landscapes.
• Agri-environmental payments for grazing semi-natural grasslands holds a unique position in terms of its effect on... (More) - We have evaluated the impact of the Rural Development Programme 2014–2022 and its support of measures benefitting biodiversity. Bird population sizes, using the Farmland Bird Index (FBI), serve as the main indicator of biodiversity,
but the High Nature Value Farmland (HNV) indicator is also used. Our conclusions are:
• A combination of approaches is required to evaluate the effects of agrienvironmental support, which would be facilitated by enhanced data collection during the programme period.
• The support of agri-environmental measures has not restored farmland bird populations in agricultural landscapes.
• Agri-environmental payments for grazing semi-natural grasslands holds a unique position in terms of its effect on preserving birds in agricultural landscapes.
• Generalized evaluations may underestimate the effects of support of agrienvironmental measures on farmland birds.
• There is need for substantial reinforcement and development of monitoring and tools to evaluate the effects of agricultural policy on farmland biodiversity.
In the report, we describe general trends in biodiversity in Sweden during the programme period and frame this in relation to long-term trends. These trends are compared with changes in the agricultural landscape. We also present an
assessment of how biodiversity would have developed without certain support of agri-environmental measures, including such for organic farming. This was done using economic-ecological modelling of counterfactual scenarios. According to the FBI indicator, bird populations have declined drastically since the mid-1970s but remained stable during the programme period. Similarly, the HNV Farmland indicator showed no significant change during the program
period. Our modelling indicates that payments for grazing semi-natural grasslands are important for the FBI, whereas other support measures have had limited effects. A review of scientific literature revealed evidence that not only the extent of habitats is important for birds but also their quality (e.g., the presence of small biotopes and uncultivated field margins, crop density, pasture management, and the condition of fallows). This may influence our analysis, as it does not account for how the average quality of land is affected by agrienvironmental support and subsidies, potentially leading to an underestimation of their significance. We have tested the inclusion of additional bird species in the FBI and propose further indicators based on expanded monitoring data collection. Additionally, we provide recommendations to strengthen evaluations of support of agri-environmental measures to benefit biodiversity.
(Less) - Abstract (Swedish)
- Utvärderingen visar att ersättningar för att sköta betesmarker och slåtterängar har en positiv men begränsad effekt på biologisk mångfald i form av fågelfauna och en sammansatt landskapsindikator. Andra stöd och ersättningar som utvärderades har mindre betydelse för dessa indikatorer. Utvärderingen poängterar dock behovet av förbättrad övervakning och data som möjliggör mer detaljerade utvärderingar av stödens effekter på biologisk mångfald. Sådan utveckling skulle exempelvis kunna omfatta även hur olika markers kvalitet, och inte bara kvantitet, påverkar mångfalden.
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/dcd4d56c-7a6c-4cc2-8e88-033a324282ac
- author
- Stjernman, Martin
LU
; Lindström, Åke
LU
; Olsson, Peter
LU
; Jonasson, Lars
and Smith, Henrik G.
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2025
- type
- Book/Report
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Utvärderingsrapport
- issue
- 2025:3
- pages
- 114 pages
- publisher
- Jordbruksverket
- language
- Swedish
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- dcd4d56c-7a6c-4cc2-8e88-033a324282ac
- date added to LUP
- 2025-07-01 15:39:55
- date last changed
- 2025-07-01 17:12:19
@techreport{dcd4d56c-7a6c-4cc2-8e88-033a324282ac,
abstract = {{We have evaluated the impact of the Rural Development Programme 2014–2022 and its support of measures benefitting biodiversity. Bird population sizes, using the Farmland Bird Index (FBI), serve as the main indicator of biodiversity, <br/>but the High Nature Value Farmland (HNV) indicator is also used. Our conclusions are:<br/>• A combination of approaches is required to evaluate the effects of agrienvironmental support, which would be facilitated by enhanced data collection during the programme period. <br/>• The support of agri-environmental measures has not restored farmland bird populations in agricultural landscapes.<br/>• Agri-environmental payments for grazing semi-natural grasslands holds a unique position in terms of its effect on preserving birds in agricultural landscapes.<br/>• Generalized evaluations may underestimate the effects of support of agrienvironmental measures on farmland birds.<br/>• There is need for substantial reinforcement and development of monitoring and tools to evaluate the effects of agricultural policy on farmland biodiversity.<br/>In the report, we describe general trends in biodiversity in Sweden during the programme period and frame this in relation to long-term trends. These trends are compared with changes in the agricultural landscape. We also present an <br/>assessment of how biodiversity would have developed without certain support of agri-environmental measures, including such for organic farming. This was done using economic-ecological modelling of counterfactual scenarios. According to the FBI indicator, bird populations have declined drastically since the mid-1970s but remained stable during the programme period. Similarly, the HNV Farmland indicator showed no significant change during the program <br/>period. Our modelling indicates that payments for grazing semi-natural grasslands are important for the FBI, whereas other support measures have had limited effects. A review of scientific literature revealed evidence that not only the extent of habitats is important for birds but also their quality (e.g., the presence of small biotopes and uncultivated field margins, crop density, pasture management, and the condition of fallows). This may influence our analysis, as it does not account for how the average quality of land is affected by agrienvironmental support and subsidies, potentially leading to an underestimation of their significance. We have tested the inclusion of additional bird species in the FBI and propose further indicators based on expanded monitoring data collection. Additionally, we provide recommendations to strengthen evaluations of support of agri-environmental measures to benefit biodiversity.<br/>}},
author = {{Stjernman, Martin and Lindström, Åke and Olsson, Peter and Jonasson, Lars and Smith, Henrik G.}},
institution = {{Jordbruksverket}},
language = {{swe}},
number = {{2025:3}},
series = {{Utvärderingsrapport}},
title = {{Landsbygdsprogrammets effekter på biologisk mångfald 2014–2022}},
year = {{2025}},
}