cological representativeness is essential for protected area effectiveness, yet achieving it remains challenging for poorly known ecosystems. We provide the first continental-scale assessment of the representation of subterranean ecosystems within the Natura 2000 network (N2000), together with their conservation status, management, and threats reported by EU Member States. We identified and mapped sites including subterranean habitats (Annex I) and species (Annexes II/IV) of the Habitats Directive, defining the ‘Subterranean Natura 2000 Network’ (SubN2000), and estimated the spatial coverage provided for mapped European terrestrial subterranean environments. SubN2000 comprises 25% of all N2000 sites but covers <9% of terrestrial subterranean environments. An additional 14% overlap with N2000 sites lacking subterranean conservation targets, indicating that most protection is incidental rather than targeted. Subterranean species representation is biased toward bats, which account for 62.5% of subterranean species in Annexes II/IV and >98% of sites with subterranean species targets, leaving most subterranean biodiversity overlooked. Reported conservation status for subterranean targets is generally favorable, yet limited management planning and the lack of standardized monitoring protocols raise concerns on their effective protection. Reported threats are mainly human-driven, with distinct patterns between subterranean-targeted and non-targeted sites. Our results reveal structural limitations of N2000 to safeguard subterranean biodiversity and highlight priority actions, such as integrating subterranean components into existing site-level management and monitoring, improving data availability and standardization and implementing complementary conservation instruments beyond N2000. This assessment provides a replicable framework for identifying other conservation gaps within N2000, supporting more inclusive conservation planning under the EU 2030 Biodiversity Strategy.
Blind spots in conservation planning: How well are subterranean species and habitats protected across the European Natura 2000 network?
Mammola, Stefano;
2026
Abstract
cological representativeness is essential for protected area effectiveness, yet achieving it remains challenging for poorly known ecosystems. We provide the first continental-scale assessment of the representation of subterranean ecosystems within the Natura 2000 network (N2000), together with their conservation status, management, and threats reported by EU Member States. We identified and mapped sites including subterranean habitats (Annex I) and species (Annexes II/IV) of the Habitats Directive, defining the ‘Subterranean Natura 2000 Network’ (SubN2000), and estimated the spatial coverage provided for mapped European terrestrial subterranean environments. SubN2000 comprises 25% of all N2000 sites but covers <9% of terrestrial subterranean environments. An additional 14% overlap with N2000 sites lacking subterranean conservation targets, indicating that most protection is incidental rather than targeted. Subterranean species representation is biased toward bats, which account for 62.5% of subterranean species in Annexes II/IV and >98% of sites with subterranean species targets, leaving most subterranean biodiversity overlooked. Reported conservation status for subterranean targets is generally favorable, yet limited management planning and the lack of standardized monitoring protocols raise concerns on their effective protection. Reported threats are mainly human-driven, with distinct patterns between subterranean-targeted and non-targeted sites. Our results reveal structural limitations of N2000 to safeguard subterranean biodiversity and highlight priority actions, such as integrating subterranean components into existing site-level management and monitoring, improving data availability and standardization and implementing complementary conservation instruments beyond N2000. This assessment provides a replicable framework for identifying other conservation gaps within N2000, supporting more inclusive conservation planning under the EU 2030 Biodiversity Strategy.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
