Archive:Agriculture - landscape features

Data from September 2013. Most recent data: Further Eurostat information, Main tables and Database.

This article presents statistics on landscape features in the European Union (EU).

Many of the landscape features associated with agriculture, such as hedges, stone walls, tree lines, ditches and other watercourses, are the result of historical farming practices and human endeavour. In many countries, the open field system of farming on land that was typical centuries ago was replaced by a system of enclosures. This reorganisation of land resulted in visible demarcation barriers — often using the natural resources available locally — denoting areas belonging to private landowners and other local boundaries, as well as practical barriers for keeping livestock under control). In a number of other countries, landscape features were used or built to increase cultivated land areas (such as walls for terraces) and as a barrier to prevent grazing in specific areas (such as in olive groves or vineyards). The choice of feature was often a function of the climatic conditions (hedges being very difficult to grow in dry conditions and ditches being useful to drain rain soaked fields) and geology (rocks and stones being prevalent in some landscapes but not others).

Over time, these linear features developed to provide a number of other functions, such as: shelter and shade for farm animals and shelter for crops from possible wind damage; wildlife habitats and nature corridors; firewood, coppice wood (such as for fencing, poles, baskets and charcoal), wild berries and small game for some of the rural population, and; a natural barrier to restrict soil and water movement thus reducing soil erosion and protecting water quality.

Main statistical findings

Hedges, tree lines and stone walls

Landscape features are found on many of the farms in the European Union (EU) (see Table 1):

almost one million agricultural holdings in the EU-28 maintained hedges (about one in every twelve holdings) in the three years prior to the 2010 survey;

almost three quarters of a million holdings maintained tree lines;
a little over two thirds of a million holdings maintained stone walls;
about 150 000 holdings established new hedges, a similar number planted new tree lines, and about 90 000 holdings built new stone walls.

Note that agricultural holdings can both maintain and establish multiple landscape features.

Hedges are a common feature of the British and Irish landscape, where enclosing common land for raising sheep became a feature of the 18th and 19th century enclosure movement. About three quarters of all agricultural holdings in the United Kingdom (77.4 %) and Ireland (74.1 %) maintained hedges in the three years prior to the 2010 survey, with about one in every six or seven holdings also involved in establishing new hedges; these were by far the highest proportions across the EU Member States (see Figure 1). By contrast, hedge maintenance was not an activity carried out on farms in the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Malta, Romania, Slovakia, Finland or Sweden. This disparity within the EU is underlined at a regional level (principally for NUTS level 2 regions); in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Ireland, the south of Belgium, and the west and centre of France a clear majority (at least 57.1 %) of holdings maintained hedges (see Map 5.1). These were more or less the same NUTS level 2 regions where new hedges were most likely to have been established in the three years prior to the 2010 survey (see Map 5.2).

One half (50.0 %) of the agricultural holdings in Denmark maintained tree lines (such as tree avenues or alleys) in the three years prior to the 2010 survey, the highest proportion among the EU Member States and much higher than the 5.9 % average across the EU-28 as a whole (see Figure 2). Relatively high proportions of holdings in Belgium, Ireland, France, the Netherlands and Germany (between 25 % and 38 %) maintained tree lines. By contrast, tree lines were not a landscape feature typical of a number of Member States such as Croatia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Romania and Finland.

Dry stone walls are a widespread landscape feature of Malta (nearly four in every five agricultural holdings maintained stone walls in the three years prior to the 2010 survey). These stone walls may prevent soil erosion and they were also used to parcel land being bequeathed by farmers to their children; these characteristics are also a feature of other countries too. Almost half of the holdings in Portugal maintained stone walls with about one third of holdings in Ireland doing likewise (see Figure 3).

The use of landscape features in Sweden appears to be on the rise: hedges were established on 4.6 % of all agricultural holdings in 2010, tree lines planted on 11.2 % of holdings and stone walls were built on 23.1 % of holdings. These developments are being supported by a specific measure financed under the rural development programme.

Subdivision 2

Data sources and availability

Context

Further Eurostat information

Data visualisation

Regional Statistics Illustrated - select statistical domain 'xxx' (= Agriculture, Economy, Education, Health, Information society, Labour market, Population, Science and technology, Tourism or Transport) (top right)

Publications

Title of the publication

Main tables

Title of top Main tables folder, see:

Title(s) of second level folder (if any)

Title(s) of third level folder (if any)

Database

Title of top Database folder, see:

Title(s) of second level folder (if any)

Title(s) of third level folder (if any)

Other information

Regulation 1737/2005 (generating url [http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:32005R1737:EN:NOT Regulation 1737/2005]) of DD Month YYYY on ...
Directive 2003/86/EC (generating url [http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:32003L0086:EN:NOT Directive 2003/86/EC]) of DD Month YYYY on ...
Commission Decision 2003/86/EC (generating url [http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:32003D0086:EN:NOT Commission Decision 2003/86/EC]) of DD Month YYYY on ...

External links

Name of organisation/web site/deep link

Notes

[[Category:<Subtheme category name(s)>|Agriculture - landscape features]] [[Category:<Statistical article>|Agriculture - landscape features]]