Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
The soil dimension of the Seamzones was not used as such in the selection of
the sample regions. On average 5.9 Seamzones are found within the combina-
tions of NUTS2 regions and environmental zones (or sample regions) thus
representing 5.9 soil types out of seven possible (six soil types plus no data).
It can therefore be concluded that the variation in soil types is represented
be default in the selection, at least in terms of the carbon content as this is defining
the soil types.
In summary, the agri-environmental zonation was used as a basis for the
selection of sample regions that ensures a good representation of the variation in
conditions for farming across EU25. This again ensures that the different modelling
approaches in SEAMLESS can be combined and that scaling of model results is
facilitated.
Allocation of Farms
The strata of the AEnZ of Europe are used for the agricultural modelling
in SEAMLESS. Biophysical data and information on farming activities are
required for this modelling. However, from existing European statistical sources,
e.g. FADN (Farm Accountancy Data network)
4
and Farm Structure Survey (FSS),
land use and the farm information is only available at administrative level.
These administrative regions are usually quite large and have a very large variation
in environmental characteristics. In most cases they cut through several AEnZ.
A spatial allocation approach has therefore been developed in CAPRI-Dynaspat
(Dynamic and Spatial dimension of CAPRI) (Kempen et al.
2007)
and SEAMLESS
to add a spatial dimension to all land uses and farms respectively. This disaggregation
approach makes it possible to aggregate the land use and the farms to the
Agri-Environmental Zones used in SEAMLESS.
The spatially allocated farm type characteristics together with the charac-
teristics of the AEnZ facilitate the modelling of environmental effects of farming.
At the same time these combination of farms with AEnZ enable the linking
of models that are applied at different scales such as the farm scale (e.g. the
bio-economic farm model FSSIM) and the field scale (the cropping system
model APES) and models that are covering different domains (e.g. environment,
agriculture, markets).
4
FADN data are the main input data source for the Common Agricultural Policy Regional Impact
(CAPRI) model. Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) (sample of holdings, representing a
large share of agricultural production, with information on costs and revenues, income generated
from agriculture, also including subsidies). A database, provided by the Commission of the
European Communities. Figures are available on an annual basis for the European Union as a
whole, distinguishing FADN regions (NUTS 1 or NUTS 2) representative for the main farm types.
FADN is based on a representative sample of holdings.
