Monitoring biodiversity: challenges in High Nature Value farming identification

Abstract

For its relevance to biodiversity conservation, the preservation and development of High Nature Value farming (HNVf) became one of the strategic priorities of Rural Development Policy. HNVf indicators were therefore included into the Common Monitoring Evaluation Framework. This paper illustrates a method aiming at HNVf identification on the basis of the integration of administrative and territorial data, enriched with qualitative information collected through field survey. By providing a higher level of both territorial detail and HNVf characterisation this method refines previous work undertaken by the Italian Network for Rural Development. Results for a pilot Italian region are described and suitability of the method to assess both other agro-environmental indicators and impact indicators is pointed out