Environmental monitoring program area: Landscape

The program area Landscape consists of monitoring of the terrestrial environment at a more overarching level than the more focused programs Forests, Agriculture and Mountains.

The program area Landscape monitors the terrestrial environment and contains for example monitoring of birds and butterflies. 

Results from the Landscape program area is used in both international reporting and for the national environmental quality objectives.  

Subprograms

The subprogram NILS (National Inventory of Landscapes in Sweden) provides data to the reporting for the EUs habitat directive. The subprogram Swedish waterfowl count provides data to the Ramsar convention on wetlands and the African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement (AEWA). The subprogram Swedish Coastal Bird Monitoring was developed to improve data for reporting in accordance to the EU Birds Directive and Water Framework Directive.  

A number of parameters based on bird monitoring have been developed. Data from the National bird monitoring program and the Swedish butterfly monitoring program is used by the European Environment Agency (EEA) as an indicator for the Common Birds population index and Grassland butterflies population index respectively. Data from National bird monitoring program is further used for core indicators in the evaluation of the Swedish environmental objectives Sustainable Forests and A Magnificent Mountain Landscape. The environmental objective A Varied Agricultural Landscape uses indicators based on data from both the National bird monitoring program and the Swedish butterfly monitoring program. Data from the NILS-program is also used as a core indicator for the objective A Magnificent Mountain Landscape.  

List of the subprograms

  • National Inventory of Landscapes in Sweden (NILS)
  • National bird monitoring program
  • Migratory bird counting and ringing at Ottenby
  • Migratory bird counting at Falsterbo
  • Swedish waterfowl count
  • Swedish butterfly monitoring program
  • Swedish coastal bird monitoring program

Reference groups and coordination 

Reference groups are used to facilitate cooperation and the exchange information with other stakeholders in the monitoring area. They often include relevant governmental agencies, municipalities and county administrative boards. 

The subprograms on bird monitoring and the NILS program have reference groups that coordinate observation areas. The Swedish Board of Agriculture finances a special inventory consisting of spot-checks present within the NILS-grid. As of 2008 NILS is also allocated funds from the Swedish EPA to collect additional data for the reporting in accordance with the EU’s Species and habitats directive.  

The regional landscape program REMIL uses the NILS program observation grid to place its spot-checks. Many county administrative boards in Sweden finance the maintenance of beach routes through the National birds monitoring program.  

Revisions

The latest program revision was done in 1999, as a part of a total revision for the environmental monitoring program. In 2011, a revision was done of the bird monitoring part of the Landscape program. The subprogram NILS has had one revision in 2007-2008, and one external evaluation in 2011. Presently, an expanded integration between the NILS program and the program for Biogeografic evaluation of the Species and habitats directive is under implementation.