13. A Varied Agricultural Landscape
The value of the farmed landscape and agricultural land for biological production and food production must be protected, at the same time as biological diversity and cultural heritage assets are preserved and strengthened. This objective is intended to be achieved within one generation.
The outcome within a generation for this environmental quality objective should include the following:
- Arable land will have a well-balanced nutrient status, good soil structure and humus content, and contaminant concentrations low enough not to threaten ecosystem functioning and human health.
- The farmed landscape will be managed in such a way as to minimize adverse environmental impacts and promote biodiversity.
- Land will be cultivated in such a way as to sustain the long-term productivity of the soil.
- The farmed landscape will be open and varied, with substantial elements of small-scale habitats and aquatic environments.
- Biological and cultural heritage assets in the farmed landscape that have arisen as a result of long-standing traditional management will be conserved or improved.
- Particularly valuable buildings and built environments in the farmed landscape will be conserved and developed.
- Threatened species and habitat types, and also cultural environments, will be protected and conserved.
- The habitats and dispersal routes of non-domesticated plant and animal species in the farmed landscape will be safeguarded.
- Genetic variation in domesticated animals and plants will be conserved. Cultivated plants will as far as possible be conserved in their historical locations.
- Alien species and genetically modified organisms that could threaten biodiversity will not be introduced.
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The Environmental Objectives Council’s assessment is that the objective A Varied Agricultural Landscape can be achieved by 2020 if further action is taken. No clear trend in the state of the environment can be seen.
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The interim targets flesh out the environmental quality objectives by describing the situation in a given year.