Pan European Forum for Countryside and Landscape Monitoring (ECOLAND)

In ECOLAND experts of most European countries have organised themselves to develop an integrated approach to landscape and vegetation monitoring. ECOLAND is a working group which is incorporated into the framework of IALE (International Association for Landscape Ecology).
The main objective of ECOLAND is to create a structure for the production of an integrated assessment of change in habitats and biodiversity linked to the associated causes and impacts on the European landscape. The work of ECOLAND will enable the identification of indicators for sustainable use of ecological resources and policy evaluation, that will be consistent across all European countries. It aims to utilise existing databases and initiatives; e.g. BIOASSESS and EUNIS.

History of ECOLAND

• ECOLAND was initiated by Dr. R.G.H. Bunce and was started in February 2000 at a meeting of regional IALE representatives organised in Grange-over-Sands, UK. The main decisions taken at this meeting were to set up the Forum, to start an inventory of landscape monitoring activities in different European countries, to search for funds to finance Forum activities and to further develop the defined objectives. ECOLAND will especially focus on how to create a framework for the integration of monitoring data at the landscape level in Europe.
• · The second Forum meeting was held in Roskilde in October 2000. Decisions were taken on the structure and Constitution of ECOLAND. It was also agreed to:
  · continue developing a consistent approach to field habitat mapping in combination with remote sensing and aerial photograph information
  · formulate guidelines and rules on data use in the Forum
  · continue investigating possibilities for starting a journal on landscape assessment and monitoring.
  · open a web site
  · set up a Concerted Action
• · The third Forum meeting is to be held in Estonia at the IALE European Conference in July 2001

Organisational structure of ECOLAND
ECOLAND has a steering committee, which consists of IALE members from different European countries, a chairman and a secretary.
ECOLAND members consist of all people that were invited to the Grange and Roskilde meetings and any other people who have expressed interest in coming to future Forum meetings. The Forum membership is completely open.
(For more information please contact addresses below)

Monitoring methodology, aspects considered by ECOLAND

1. Site selection for field survey data collection
   Sampling sites should preferably be dispersed as efficiently as possible using statistical procedures based on combinations of environmental variables. Existing data can be used that has come from sites that have been selected through systematic or stratified sampling procedures. Stratifying systems can be either bio-geographical classifications or combinations of any existing rural or biodiversity data that is spatially referenced.
2. Data collection
   The data to be collected will include both field survey and remote sensed information and will use existing data where available. For field survey the widely adopted 1 km² unit will be used within which data need to be recorded on linear features, landscape structure, land management, habitats, vegetation and drivers. Standard protocols for data collection have already been developed for the GB Countryside Survey and for several other countries and these protocols have also already been tested during several field excursions in different European countries.
3. Use of aerial photograph and Remote Sensing (RS) information
   A link between ground truth information and RS (e.g. CORINE) and aerial photograph information should be made to improve objectivity in field recording (e.g. % coverage of trees); to identify basic units; to enable time-series to be produced; to enable generalisation to larger areas (extrapolation) and integration between species data from ground truth survey and the extensive coverage from RS images

For more information contact Bob Bunce (bob.bunce@wur.nl) or Berien Elbersen (berien.elbersen@wur.nl)