Nature conservation on decommissioned military training areas – German approaches and experiences

Ellwanger, Götz; Reiter, Karin

doi:10.1016/j.jnc.2019.02.003

Cited by 19 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…Soil compaction and structure degradation are central issues regarding vegetation, as decreased pore space and the related reduced hydraulic conductivity directly affect plant life [35]. Furthermore, the uptake of toxic metals by the roots and shoots of the grass, forb, and shrub species increases the risk of these substances entering the food chain [35,36]. The biomass of the vegetation can also be reduced significantly on military training grounds by the off-road maneuvers of tanks and other heavy military vehicles, and the bare surfaces may enhance soil erosion 30 times higher than reference plots [37].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Military Activity Impact on Vegetation in Pannonian Dry Sandy Grasslands

Bajnok,

Penksza,

Fűrész

et al. 2024

Land

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The conservation of dry sandy grasslands is a global issue because of the restoration and conservation of endangered ecosystems to provide a sufficient amount of forage under warming and drying climatic conditions. Our aim was to explore the impact of military activity on sandy grasslands in Hungary. The sample areas chosen were the Little Hungarian Plain (I. and II.) and the Great Hungarian Plain (III.), consisting abandoned, restored areas; still-active military exercise fields; and shooting ranges. In each sample area, six to ten coenological surveys were made. Based on our survey, the closed natural sandy grassland was documented only in the Little Hungarian Plain and were found rich in species. The open sandy grassland was described in all studied sites, Festuca vaginata appeared in all of them, while Festuca pseudovaginata was observed only in the Great Hungarian Plain. In the open sandy grassland, the natural vegetation had the highest cover value (78.8%), the sowed grassland area had the least cover value (53.3%), while the III. sample area was also poor in coverage (56.5%) but consisted of a natural species composition favorable for restoration. Our results confirmed the indirect role of military activity in the successful habitat conservation of Pannonian dry sandy grassland ecosystems.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Military Activity Impact on Vegetation in Pannonian Dry Sandy Grasslands

Bajnok,

Penksza,

Fűrész

et al. 2024

Land

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“…These disturbances, which have negative effects on some species, can also be essential for the survival of others (Warren & Büttner 2008) as they may allow the maintenance of pioneer habitats and associated species (Kustrová 2013). These habitats tend to decline when MTAs are abandoned, and when, consequently, the disturbance regime disappears, making those sites important conservation areas (Ellwanger & Reiter 2019). Thus, military activities can have a clear positive effect on the species composition, the abundance and the structure of the vegetation (Aunins & Avotins 2018; Svenningsen et al 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing conservation status of calcareous grassland in two French military training areas in Natura 2000 context

Pascaline,

Sébastien

2023

Preprint

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Calcareous grasslands are habitats of high conservation value. These rich habitats are declining notably due to agriculture and habitat fragmentation. In France, calcareous grasslands may be found on Military Training Areas (MTA), which protect them from intensive agriculture and urban development. By analysing their floristic structure and composition, the aim of this publication is to determine the conservation status of grassland on two French MTA, following a militarisation gradient. Vegetation characteristics appeared different according to the level of military activities. Military activities and their related management, favour rich and diversified grasslands in the good conservation state. They also allow the creation of a mosaic of habitats within the grasslands with the presence of overgrown areas. Thus, MTAs appeared to present good potential for preserving the remaining calcareous grassland in France.

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“…In Italy, these procedures have often turned out to be cumbersome and slow due to the frequent regulatory interventions that have repeatedly changed the discipline. Also, in terms of environmental protection, similar considerations apply, in the sense that overcoming the exclusively military destination of certain areas may require guarantees of naturalistic protection [20], especially if such sites are included in the trade-in and exchange agreements program with local authorities. In this framework, the concept of semicommon [21] is well suited to be used for a new interpretation of those areas that present a mixture of civil and military uses in time and space.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Military Training Areas as Semicommons: The Territorial Valorization of Quirra (Sardinia) from Easements to Ecosystem Services

et al. 2020

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The paper addresses the issue of the concurrent use of coastal areas for military training and civil activities, namely tourism. In the paper, starting from the consideration of publicly owned assets as ‘semi-commons’, we propose a method based on the comparison of planning instruments related to the different uses, and try to model them in a grid, where different weights and degrees of evaluation can be considered, in order to promote, rather than blocking, possible activities, compatible with concurrent use. The military areas in Sardinia (region and island, Italy) are around 234 km2, which constitutes 60% of the national surface affected by military easements. This situation is due to its geographic position, considered centrality in the Mediterranean for strategic reasons. This contribution evaluates the performance of the Local Coastline Plan (LCP) and the Site management plan of Community Interest (SCI) in conditions of military constraint. The case study is the municipality of Villaputzu South Sardinia, Italy), where an important coastal military easement and the use of the coast for recreational tourism purposes coexist together through specific planning, a consequence of institutional agreements between the Municipal Administration of Villaputzu and the Ministry of Defense. The idea is considering the concurrent possible land uses guaranteed by the different planning instruments, instead of focusing, as it is generally the rule, on the sum of constraints provided by the laws. The local coastline plan has been identified as the ideal planning tool, which addresses the co-existence of apparently opposite land uses and interests, as those expressed by the local municipal planning and those expressed by the military. An evaluation of the congruence of the specific objectives of the LCP and SCI shows how their combined action favors the environmental enhancement of Sardinia, contributing to the formation of ecosystem services, even in particular conditions arising from military easements. These are sites that evolve from ‘anticommons’ to ‘semicommons’. In fact, the military release process in Sardinia, together with the promiscuous military and civil use, activates unique governance policies of their kind that find a significant field of application in Sardinia to guarantee sustainable renewal of economic development of the ‘semi-commons’ awaiting to become ‘commons’.

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Nature conservation on decommissioned military training areas – German approaches and experiences

Cited by 19 publications

References 14 publications

Military Activity Impact on Vegetation in Pannonian Dry Sandy Grasslands

Military Activity Impact on Vegetation in Pannonian Dry Sandy Grasslands

Assessing conservation status of calcareous grassland in two French military training areas in Natura 2000 context

Military Training Areas as Semicommons: The Territorial Valorization of Quirra (Sardinia) from Easements to Ecosystem Services

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