Challenges and solutions in managing semi-natural grasslands: Insights from Estonia

IF 4.4 1区环境科学与生态学 Q1 BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION

Biological Conservation Pub Date : 2025-10-07 DOI:10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111520

Liis Kasari-Toussaint , Rufus Trepp , Krista Takkis , Aveliina Helm , Annely Holm , Bert Holm , Triin Reitalu

{"title":"Challenges and solutions in managing semi-natural grasslands: Insights from Estonia","authors":"Liis Kasari-Toussaint , Rufus Trepp , Krista Takkis , Aveliina Helm , Annely Holm , Bert Holm , Triin Reitalu","doi":"10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111520","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Semi-natural grasslands (SNGs) are among Europe's most diverse ecosystems, supporting biodiversity, ecosystem services, and cultural heritage. Yet, around 90 % of their area has been lost in the past century due to intensification, urbanization, and abandonment, making effective management and restoration a conservation priority.</div><div>This study examines the perspectives of Estonian SNG managers within the context of existing practices and policies. Data were collected through 280 online questionnaires and 91 structured interviews. While farmers are generally motivated to continue management, driven by values such as tradition, biodiversity, and landscape aesthetics, they face multiple barriers. These include low cost-effectiveness, rigid regulations (e.g., fixed mowing dates), limited access to biodiversity advisory services, and challenges linked to administration and land rental.</div><div>Our findings highlight several shortcomings in current support schemes. Action-based subsidies often fail to reflect local ecological and socio-economic realities, reducing both efficiency and farmer engagement. To ensure long-term SNG viability, policies should become more flexible, cost-effective, and outcome-oriented. This includes adopting results-based payments, expanding advisory services, and strengthening collaboration between land managers, authorities, and conservation experts.</div><div>By centering on farmers' perspectives, this study provides insights into how policy design can better align ecological objectives with practical land management. Addressing the identified gaps could enhance the sustainability of SNG management in Estonia and offer lessons for similar landscapes across Europe.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55375,"journal":{"name":"Biological Conservation","volume":"313 ","pages":"Article 111520"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4000,"publicationDate":"2025-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Biological Conservation","FirstCategoryId":"93","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320725005579","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Semi-natural grasslands (SNGs) are among Europe's most diverse ecosystems, supporting biodiversity, ecosystem services, and cultural heritage. Yet, around 90 % of their area has been lost in the past century due to intensification, urbanization, and abandonment, making effective management and restoration a conservation priority.

This study examines the perspectives of Estonian SNG managers within the context of existing practices and policies. Data were collected through 280 online questionnaires and 91 structured interviews. While farmers are generally motivated to continue management, driven by values such as tradition, biodiversity, and landscape aesthetics, they face multiple barriers. These include low cost-effectiveness, rigid regulations (e.g., fixed mowing dates), limited access to biodiversity advisory services, and challenges linked to administration and land rental.

Our findings highlight several shortcomings in current support schemes. Action-based subsidies often fail to reflect local ecological and socio-economic realities, reducing both efficiency and farmer engagement. To ensure long-term SNG viability, policies should become more flexible, cost-effective, and outcome-oriented. This includes adopting results-based payments, expanding advisory services, and strengthening collaboration between land managers, authorities, and conservation experts.

By centering on farmers' perspectives, this study provides insights into how policy design can better align ecological objectives with practical land management. Addressing the identified gaps could enhance the sustainability of SNG management in Estonia and offer lessons for similar landscapes across Europe.

查看原文本刊更多论文

管理半自然草原的挑战和解决方案：来自爱沙尼亚的见解

半自然草原（sng）是欧洲最多样化的生态系统之一，支持生物多样性、生态系统服务和文化遗产。然而，在过去的一个世纪里，由于集约化、城市化和遗弃，大约90%的森林面积已经消失，因此有效的管理和恢复是保护的重中之重。本研究考察了爱沙尼亚天然气天然气管理人员在现有实践和政策背景下的观点。通过280份在线问卷和91份结构化访谈收集数据。虽然在传统、生物多样性和景观美学等价值观的推动下，农民通常有动力继续经营，但他们面临着多重障碍。这些挑战包括低成本效益、严格的法规（例如，固定的刈割日期）、获得生物多样性咨询服务的机会有限，以及与管理和土地租赁相关的挑战。我们的研究结果突出了当前支持计划的几个缺点。基于行动的补贴往往不能反映当地的生态和社会经济现实，从而降低了效率和农民的参与度。为了确保天然气的长期可行性，政策应该变得更加灵活，更具成本效益，并以结果为导向。这包括采用基于结果的支付方式，扩大咨询服务，以及加强土地管理者、当局和保护专家之间的合作。通过关注农民的观点，本研究为政策设计如何更好地将生态目标与实际土地管理结合起来提供了见解。解决已确定的差距可以提高爱沙尼亚天然气管理的可持续性，并为整个欧洲的类似情况提供经验教训。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Biological Conservation 环境科学-环境科学

CiteScore

10.20

自引率

3.40%

发文量

295

审稿时长

61 days

期刊介绍： Biological Conservation is an international leading journal in the discipline of conservation biology. The journal publishes articles spanning a diverse range of fields that contribute to the biological, sociological, and economic dimensions of conservation and natural resource management. The primary aim of Biological Conservation is the publication of high-quality papers that advance the science and practice of conservation, or which demonstrate the application of conservation principles for natural resource management and policy. Therefore it will be of interest to a broad international readership.