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The aim of the research was to compare fauna of ground beetles and rove beetles in differently managed agricultural fields; to clarify differences in the number of species and individuals in conventional and organic farming systems, focusing attention on species with significant indicative role. The main task of this study was to get statistically valid evidence for effect of farming system on species composition of ground beetles and rove beetles.

The study analyses the changes of soil agrochemical properties during the time between 2009 and 2016 (period I - 123 936 ha, period II - 86 440 ha) and indicators of soil agrochemical properties in four beneficiaries of support measure groups in the period 2014-2016.

The Glastir Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (GMEP) provides a robust, comprehensive programme to establish a baseline against which future assessments of Glastir can be made. GMEP has used methods from past surveys so results can be evaluated within a longer-term perspective and national trends also reported. The use of models and farmer surveys provides early indicators of the likely direction, magnitude and timing of future outcomes and are presented here. The results indicate variable changes in farmer behaviour and modest benefits to those natural resources for which models are available. Opportunities to improve these outcomes include simplification of the woodland scheme, better targeting of other scheme offerings, and consistent support through time across all schemes to allow for lags in ecological responses.

This report looks at the environmental objectives initially proposed and the monitoring of the 30 agri-environmental indicators included in this report.

This report reflects on the 2016 data and previous data based on the previous RDP 2007-2013 with the objective of having a sufficiently representative data series for each indicator.

The assessment of the effectiveness of environmental measures of the Mainland Finland RDP was first conducted in 2017 and will be repeated in 2019. The evaluation examined the extent to which the RDP has supported the implementation of measures promoting biodiversity and landscape, good quality of water and soil, as well as climate change mitigation. The evaluation was mainly based on monitoring information provided by the Agency for Rural Affairs (PA). 

The national evaluation system has been built on the common principles, which were detailed at the EU level. The assessment of the Mainland Finland performance was made in relation to the target values set for the measures. This interpretation was supplemented, as far as possible, by existing research data, opening up  the wider environmental impact of the RDP measures

The assessment of the effectiveness of environmental measures of the Mainland Finland RDP was first conducted in 2017 and will be repeated in 2019. The evaluation examined the extent to which the RDP has supported the implementation of measures promoting biodiversity and landscape, good quality of water and soil, as well as climate change mitigation. The evaluation was mainly based on monitoring information provided by the Agency for Rural Affairs (PA). 

The national evaluation system has been built on the common principles, which were detailed at the EU level. The assessment of the Mainland Finland performance was made in relation to the target values set for the measures. This interpretation was supplemented, as far as possible, by existing research data, opening up the wider environmental impact of the RDP measures.

The report contains suggestions on how to make the payments to natural and cultural environments in future rural programs more environmentally friendly. This is to ensure that future programs will achieve a higher goal fulfilment and cost efficiency.

This report looks to:

• assess the impact of Environmental Stewardship (ES) on landscape character and quality in selected areas to be agreed with Natural England at the inception of the contract;

• allow potential comparative research into landscape change over time on holdings where agri-environment agreements cease;

• further develop the survey work undertaken during 2014 to provide a comprehensive baseline to underpin the future monitoring of the landscape outcomes of both ES and CS schemes. This will involve utilising field monitoring techniques developed by ‘BD5303 (Annex 2) and further refined during 2014 in a rapid field survey approach; to propose any further refinements to the rapid assessment methodology where these are identified including provision of recommendations for improvements to future field work undertaken in terms of logistics, potential for co-ordination with other survey teams, recording and reporting mechanisms;

• analyse the field survey results and compare findings with those of the 2014 survey, BD5303 and the NCA threshold results of the LM0429 project (LM0429)

This report represents a summary evaluation of the first year of ecological monitoring for the GLAS agri-environment scheme and represents the baseline year condition of the sample sites against which future observations will be compared. 26 actions from the scheme have been analysed.

This study looks to produce and use a methodology to determine the extent to which Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) has (a) delivered an improvement in lowland heathland conditions; (b) been appropriately targeted.

The approach used in this work is to use computer models of pollutant emissions from agricultural land and the effect of changes in land management to provide a complementary intermediate between result and impact indicators by forecasting the potential long-term impact of GLAS management interventions in advance of long-term environmental monitoring for impact detection. Computer models are used to quantify the proportion of the baseline total pollutant load that is managed by farms in scheme, that part which is potentially controllable by the selected management interventions, and the likely reduction in load on the assumption of best practice.