Assessing the dynamics of High Nature Value farmlands in space and time

Despite agriculture being a dominant form of land management and a major driver of global change, the pivotal role of low-intensity farming systems for the conservation of agrobiodiversity and the wider provision of ecosystem services has been highlighted (1). High Nature Value farmlands (HNVf) are social-ecological systems in which the maintenance of traditional, low-intensity farming systems support the occurrence of species and habitats, often with high conservation value. HNVf are especially vulnerable to socioeconomic changes, due to rural depopulation and lack of economic viability, resulting in the cessation of traditional farming practices in favour of land abandonment or intensific…