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Land take (CSI 014) - Assessment published Feb 2011

Topics: Land use Natural resources Biodiversity Data and maps
Created: Sep 27, 2010 Published: Feb 21, 2011 Last m odified: Jul 07, 2011 Menu

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Indicators
Generic metadata Land take
Topics: Indicator codes
Land take (CSI 014) - Assessment
CSI 014
Land use (Primary topic) published Feb 2011
Temporal coverage:
2000-2006 Work due Dec 15, 2012
Natural resources
Geographical coverage:
Biodiversity Follow us

Tags:
terrestrial | LEAC | SOER2010 |
biodiversity | natural | Assessment10
| CSI014 | ecosystem | land use |
land take | urbanization | land cover
| artificial sprawl | CSI | landuse |
landscape | assessment10
DPSIR: Pressure
Typology : Descriptive indicator (Type A
– What is happening to the environment
and to humans?)
Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia,
Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark,
Estonia, Finland, France, Germany,
Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy,
Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania,
Luxembourg, Macedonia the former
Yugoslavian Republic of, Malta,
Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia,
Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden,
Turkey

CONTENTS
Key policy question: How much
and in what proportions is
agricultural, forest and other
semi-natural and natural land
being taken for urban and other
artificial land development?
Specific policy question: What
are the drivers of uptake for
urban and other artificial land
development?
Specific policy question: Where
have the more important artificial
land uptakes occurred?
Data sources
Justification for indicator
selection

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 More information about this
indicator
Contacts and ownership
Share with others

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Key policy question: How much and in what proportions is agricultural,

forest and other semi-natural and natural land being taken for urban
and other artificial land development?

Key messages

Land take by the expansion of residential areas and construction sites is the main
cause of the increase in the coverage of urban land at the European level.
Agricultural zones and, to a lesser extent, forests and semi-natural and natural
areas, are disappearing in favour of the development of artificial surfaces. This
affects biodiversity since it decreases habitats, the living space of a number of
species, and fragments the landscapes that support and connect them. The annual
land take in 36 European countries was 111 788 ha/year in 2000-2006. In 21
countries covered by both periods (1990-2000 and 2000-2006) the annual land
take increased by 9 % in the later period. The composition of land taken
areas changed, too. More arable land and permanent crops, forests, grasslands and
open spaces and less pastures and mosaic farmland were taken by artificial
development then in 1990-2000.

Fig. 1: Relative contribution of

land-cover categories to
uptake by urban and other
artificial land development
Note: O rigin of land uptake as % of total
uptake
Data source:
LEA C Database (based on Corine Land
Cover 2000-2006 changes, version 13,
02/2010), ETC/LUSI

http://dataservice.eea.europa.eu/PivotA pp/pivot.aspx?pivotid=501
Downloads and more info

Key assessment

The largest land cover category taken by urban and other artificial land development was agriculture land.
On the average, almost 46 % of all areas that changed to artificial surfaces were arable land or permanent
crops during 2000-2006. However, compared to the previous decade (1990-2000) in 21 countries covered
both by C orine Land C over (C LC ) 1990-2000 and 2000-2006 it increased to 53 %. This dominant
land take was particularly important in Denmark (90 %), Slovakia (85 %), Italy (74 %), Poland (67 %),
Germany (65 %) and Hungary (65 %).

Pastures and mixed farmland were, on average, the next category being taken, representing 30.5 % of the
total. It was approximately 6 % less then in 1990-2000. However, in several countries or regions, these
landscapes were the major source for land uptake (in a broad sense), i.e. in Luxembourg (77 %), Albania
(74 %), Ireland (70%), Bosnia and Herzegovina (70 %) and the Netherlands (60%).

The proportion of forests and transitional woodland shrub taken for artificial development during the period
was slightly above 14 %. It was significantly higher in Finland (79 %), Norway (70 %), Sweden (61 %),
Slovenia (61 %), Portugal (50%), C roatia (46 %) and Estonia (45 %).

The consumption of natural grassland, heathland and sclerophylous vegetation by artificial land take was
7.6 % of the whole area, but in Iceland (76 %) it was the largest taken class and significant proportions

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occurred also in C yprus (23 %), Belgium (21 %) and Austria (20 %).

Open space with little or no vegetation contributed to taken land with 1.3 %. Larger proportions were in
Iceland (8 %), Montenegro (7 %), Turkey (5 %), Norway (5 %) and Spain (3 %).

The least taken classes were wetlands (0.3 %) and water bodies (0.2 %). However, wetlands’ contribution
in Estonia (6 %), Iceland (5 %) and Norway (3 %) was rather high.

In general, more forests, grasslands and open spaces were taken by artificial land development then in the
previous decade. This meant a higher loss of natural ecosystems in 2000-2006.

Land accounts 2000-2006: http://dataservice.eea.europa.eu/PivotApp/pivot.aspx?pivotid=501

Specific policy question: What are the drivers of uptake for urban and
other artificial land development?

Fig. 2: Annual land take by

several types of human
activity (2000-2006)
Note: Drivers of urban land
development ha/year In some large
countries, dates of satellite images
for regions may differ by several
years
Data source:
LEA C Database (based on Corine
Land Cover 2000-2006 changes,
version 13, 02/2010), ETC/LUSI

http://dataservice.eea.europa.eu/PivotA pp/pivot.aspx?pivotid=501
Downloads and more info

Specific assessment

At the European level, housing, services and recreation made up a third of the overall increase in urban
and other artificial area between 2000 and 2006. C ompared to the previous decade (1990-2000), in 21
countries covered in both periods this driver decreased from 52 % to 31 %. However, the proportion of new
land for housing was significantly higher in Albania (95 %), Kosovo (85 %), Bosnia and Herzegovina (75 %)
and it was at least 50 % in C yprus, Romania or Ireland. The building of new sport and recreation areas was
an important driver in mountain or Nordic countries as Austria (43 %), Norway (43 %), Iceland (28 %),
Finland (23 %) and Sweden (22 %), to less extent also in the Mediterranean countries as C yprus (19 %) or
Bulgaria (12 %).

The second largest area (29 %) was taken by construction sites. These sites represent transitional areas
that will turn into other newly urbanised classes in future. Thus large coverage of construction sites
indicates a potential of further artificial development. This driver increased almost 4 times compared to
period 1990-2000 (in 21 countries). C onstruction was a dominant driver in the Netherlands (54 %),
Lithuania (54 %), Slovakia (53 %), Slovenia (51 %), Spain (50 %) and Hungary (49 %).

Land take for industrial and commercial sites covered 16 % of the whole newly developed land. In 21
countries covered in both periods it decreased from 23 % (1900-2000) to 17 % (2000-2006). The
construction of new industrial and commercial sites was particularly important driver in Luxembourg (43
%), Italy (41 %), Belgium (40 %), Latvia (33 %), Slovakia (30 %) and France (25 %).

The proportion on newly created mines, quarries and dumpsites was 15 % in 36 European countries, but it
was significantly higher in Serbia (51 %), Bulgaria (50 %), the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (40
%), Estonia (47 %), Latvia (33 %) and Montenegro (33 %). In 21 countries it remained stable at 14 %
during both periods.

Although land take for transport infrastructures is underestimated in surveys that are based on remote
sensing as C orine Land C over, a more than double increase (from 3 % to 7 % in 21 countries covered by
both periods) of the total new artificial cover supports importance of this driver. In fact, the proportions of
land taken for transport were rather high in countries as C roatia (53 %), Slovenia (17 %), Portugal (17 %),
Poland (15 %) and Sweden (11 %). Land take by linear features with a width below 100 m (majority of
roads and railways) is not included in the statistics, which focus mostly on areal infrastructures (airports,
harbours...). Soil sealing and fragmentation by linear infrastructures therefore need to be observed
by other means.

Specific policy question: Where have the more important artificial land
uptakes occurred?

Fig. 3: Mean annual urban

land take 2000-2006 per
country as a percentage of
2000 artificial land
Note: Land cover changes in
Liechtenstein remained below the
detection level of Corine Land Cover
change methodology. In some large
countries, dates of satellite images
for regions may differ by several
years
Data source:
LEA C Database (based on Corine

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 Land Cover 2000-2006 changes,
version 13, 02/2010), ETC/LUSI

http://dataservice.eea.europa.eu/PivotA pp/pivot.aspx?pivotid=501
Downloads and more info

Fig. 4: Mean annual urban

land take as a percentage
of total urban land take
2000-2006
Note: Land cover changes in
Liechtenstein remained below the
detection level of Corine Land Cover
change methodology. In some large
countries, dates of satellite images
for regions may differ by several
years
Data source:
LEA C Database (based on Corine
Land Cover 2000-2006 changes,
version 13, 02/2010), ETC/LUSI

http://dataservice.eea.europa.eu/PivotA pp/pivot.aspx?pivotid=501
Downloads and more info

Fig. 5: Distribution of land

take 2000-2006
Note: Map shows spatial distribution
and intensity of land take for urban
and other artificial land (lcf2 Urban
residential sprawl + lcf3 Sprawl of
economic sites and infrastructures)
over particular territory in 2000 -
2006.
Data source:
CLC2000-2006 changes database
http://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-
maps/data/corine-land-cover-2000-
2006
Green Potential Background in a 5km
radius

(2008) http://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/data/green-potential-background-1
Downloads and more info

Specific assessment

C onsidering the contribution of each country to new total urban and infrastructure sprawl in Europe, mean
annual values range from 21.4 % (Spain) to 0.001% (Malta), with intermediate values in France (12.9 %),
Germany (10.1 %) and Italy (7.4 %). Differences between countries are strongly related to their size and
population density (Figure 3).

The pace of land take observed by comparing it with the initial extent of urban and other artificial areas in
2000 gives another picture (Figure 4). From this perspective, the average value in 36 European countries
covered by C LC 2000-2006 ranges up to an annual increase of 0.6% (in 21 countries covered by both
periods it remains also 0.6 %). Urban development is fastest in Albania (5.0 % increase in urban area per
year), Iceland (3.3 %), Spain (2.7 %), C yprus (2.6 %) and Ireland (2.4 %). C ompared to the previous
period 1990-2000, Spain speeded up by 0.8 %, Ireland slowed down by 0.5 %, Portugal by 1.2 % (now 1.6
%), and the Netherlands by 0.3 % (now 1.3 %).

Land uptake by urban and other artificial development in 36 European countries amounted to 686
414 hectares in 6 years. It represents 0.1% of the total territory of these countries. This may seem low, but
spatial differences are very important and an artificial sprawl in many regions is very intense (Figure 5).

Data sources
European Environment Agency : Land C over Accounts (LEAC ) Methodology tests (downloadable at
EEA)
European Environment Agency : C orine Land C over 2006 raster data - version 13 (02/2010)
(downloadable at EEA)
European Environment Agency : C orine Land C over 2000 - 2006 changes - version 13 (02/2010)
(downloadable at EEA)

Justification for indicator selection

Land is a finite resource and the way it is used is one of the principal drivers of environmental change, with
significant impacts on quality of life and ecosystems as well as on the management of infrastructure. As
Europe’s share of land used for production (agriculture, forestry, etc.) is one of the highest on the globe,
conflicting land-use demands will require decisions that will involve hard trade-offs. Land use in Europe is

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driven by a number of important drivers. Drivers as the increasing demand for living space per person, the
link between economic activity, increased mobility and growth of transport infrastructure usually result in
urban uptake. Urbanization rates vary substantially, with coastal and mountain areas among the most
affected regions in Europe due to the increasing demand for recreation and leisure.

The impact of urbanisation depends on the area of land taken and on the intensity of land use, for example
the degree of soil sealing and the population density. Land take by urban and infrastructure is generally
irreversible and results in soil sealing – the loss of soil resources due to the covering of land for housing,
roads or other construction work. C onverted areas become highly specialised in terms of land use and
support few functions related to socio-economic activities and housing. Urban land take consumes mostly
agricultural land, but also reduces space for habitats and ecosystems that provide important services like
the regulation of the water balance and protection against floods, particularly if soil is highly sealed. Land
occupied by man-made surfaces and dense infrastructure connects human settlements and fragments
landscapes. It is also a significant source of water, soil and air pollution.

In addition, lower population densities – a result of urban sprawl - require more energy for transport and
heating or cooling. The consequences of urban life styles, such as air pollution, noise, greenhouse gas
emission and impacts on ecosystem services, are felt within urban areas as well as in regions far beyond
them.

Although, land use trends since 2000 remain the same as in the previous decade (1990-2000) and most
have slowed down, land uptake by urban development and transport infrastructure has been slightly faster
than in the previous 10 years and it follows the continuing trend, observed already during the 1980s (EEA,
2002).

Scientific references:

C hanges in ecosystems processed induced by land use: Human appropriation of aboveground NPP
and ist influence on standing crop in Austria. Haberl H., Erb K.-H., Krausmann F., Loibl W., Schulz N,
Weisz H. 2001. C hanges in ecosystems processed induced by land use: Human appropriation of
aboveground NPP and ist influence on standing crop in Austria. Global Biogeochemical C ycles, 15(4):
929-942.
Proceedings of the Technical Workshop on Indicators for Soil Sealing. Turner, S., 2002. Proceedings of
the Technical Workshop on Indicators for Soil Sealing. C openhagen, 26 - 27 March, 2001. Technical
Report 80. Office for Official Publications of the European C ommunities, Luxembourg.
OEC D Key environmental indicators (KEI) No indicator on land take
OEC D C ore Environmental Indicators (C EI) Habitat alteration and land conversion from natural state L
to be further developed (e.g.. road network density, change in land cover, etc.)
UNC SD 1996 Land use change; C hanges in land conditions. methodology sheet
UNC SD 2001 Area of Urban Formal and Informal Settlements methodology sheet
IRENA12 Land use change This indicator uses the same methodology for uptake of agriculture land by
urban sprawl.

More information about this indicator

See this indicator specification for more details.

Contacts and ownership

EEA Contact Info

Branislav Olah

Ownership

European Environment Agency

EEA Management Plan

2010 2.6(note: EEA internal system)

Dates

First draft created: 2010/09/27 14:36:59.268000 GMT+2

Publish date: 2011-02-21T15:59:10+01:00
Last modified: 2011/07/07 14:52:37.291000 GMT+2

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Latest addition
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Filed under: terrestrial LEAC SO ER2010 biodiversity natural Assessm ent10 CSI014 ecosystem

land use land tak e urbanization land cover artificial sprawl CSI landuse landscape

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