Ecosystem Accounts – Grasslands and Croplands 2000-2022

Ecosystem Condition Accounts

Ecosystem condition accounts consider the quality of an ecosystem measured in terms of its abiotic and biotic characteristics. These characteristics inform us about the health of an ecosystem and include characteristics such as water quality, species diversity and soil organic carbon.

This publication considers one condition indicator - the Common Farmland Bird Index (CFBI). The CFBI is reported as a national aggregate index for Grasslands and Croplands together and is used as a proxy for the biodiversity status of these agricultural landscapes. The CFBI is based on 14 breeding farmland birds which are monitored by the Countryside Bird Survey (CBS). This indicator should be interpreted carefully, please see Background Notes for the key points to be considered and further information on this index including the specific birds which are monitored. Bird populations are sensitive to environmental pressures, and thus their numbers can indicate changes in environmental health and inform us about the quality of an ecosystem.

Table 3.1 shows the Ecosystem Condition Accounts for Grasslands and Croplands based on the CFBI. The indicator increased 11.5% between 2018 and 2022, from 119.2 to 132.9.

Figure 3.1 and Table 3.2 show the complete CFBI time series from 2000-2022. The CFBI was 132.9 in 2022, which is 132.9% of the baseline index in 2000 and an increase on 2021 when it was 128.1. While the CFBI exhibits an increasing trend in more recent years, it should be read in the context of significant declines in bird numbers in Ireland and across Europe in the late 20th century before the CBS had begun.

These are preliminary ecosystem condition accounts for Grasslands and Croplands and represent a starting point for the development of these accounts in the future. These accounts will be expanded to consider other important condition indicators for Grasslands and Croplands which help provide valuable information on the overall health of these ecosystems.