Clausen, K.K., Clausen, P., Holm, T.E., Bregnballe, T., Sveegaard, S., Galatius, A., Teilmann, J. & Stepien, E.N. 2023. Vurdering af forstyrrelsestrusler i Natura 2000-områderne. Opfølgning på Natura 2000-planer for perioden 2022-2027. Del I. Introduktion med litteraturgennemgang. Aarhus Universitet, DCE – Nationalt Center for Miljø og Energi, 48 s. - Videnskabelig rapport nr. 510. http://dce2.au.dk/pub/SR510.pdf
The Danish Environmental Protection Agency has prepared draft plans for 257 Natura 2000 sites for the coming period 2022-2027, and statutory agencies are obliged to respond directly on these plans (for instance, in the form of executive orders). In this connection, amongst other actions, the Ministry of the Environment, as the responsible authority, must decide whether there is a need to follow up on the Natura 2000 plans by making changes to existing or creating new reserves. This may become relevant where disturbance from traffic, various recreational activities (e.g. hunting and sailing), fishing, noise or offshore activities adversely affect qualifying bird and mammal species. Against this background, the Danish Environmental Protection Agency has asked DCE for an update of DCE's scientific report no. 52 "Assessment of disturbance threats in Natura 2000 areas" (in Danish), published in 2013. This request requires 1) an initial description of types of human disturbances, impact from different types of disturbances and disturbances in a historical perspective, 2) an assessment of whether, within a specific area, there are species with a favorable conservation forecast, where adverse effects of disturbance in the long term could change this forecast, and 3) an assessment of whether the current, modified or new reserve order will be able to contribute to ensuring a favorable conservation forecast for the qualifying species in each Natura 2000 area.
The report is divided into three parts: This report (Part I) contains a general introduction and an introductory description, which includes a literature review and some practical experiences, which together present the available knowledge about the various activities, their effects and influences and the development in the extent of human disturbance. Two subsequent reports review the Natura 2000 areas in Jutland, the North Sea, the Skagerrak, the North and Southwest Kattegat (part II, Clausen et al. 2023), as well as the Islands, the Southeast Kattegat, the Belt and the Baltic Sea (part III, Holm et al. 2023). The present report describes the different types of human activities on land, on water and in the air, as well as the effects and impacts disturbances can have on birds and mammals. It describes which factors are significant because of the impacts of different degrees of disturbance, as well as when in the year the overlap between human recreational activity and focal species sensitivity to such disturbance is greatest. Finally, it touches on how the development of disturbance has changed over time, and how to minimize the adverse effects of this now and in the future.
Finally, we provide a review and some general recommendations, e.g. for species groups where the problem of disturbance may constitute a particular problem.
