Variation of energy flow and greenhouse gas emissions in vineyards located in Natura 2000 sites

A combination of agro-environmental indicators and energy analysis of a production system, such as vineyards located in Natura 2000 sites, for which little is known, may be a useful tool to decide best farm management practices with low greenhouse gas emissions. In randomly selected vineyards at six sites of Natura 2000 network in Cyprus, we evaluated the energy flow and the greenhouse gas emissions. Hierarchical cluster analysis using production coefficients and a topographic variable (altitude) was used to detect clusters of the studied vineyards. Three groups were revealed. Group 1 (eight vineyards) with the lowest energy inputs, followed by Group 2 (three vineyards) with intermediate inputs and Group 3 (three vineyards) with the highest energy inputs. Altitude, fertilizers, labour, fuel and transportation had the greatest contribution on cluster formation. Non-parametric comparisons concerning 28 indicators showed that ten indicators (total energy inputs, renewable and non-renewable energy inputs, fruit energy outputs, shoot energy outputs, total energy outputs, fruit production, CO2, CH4, and N2O) were significantly higher in high energy input vineyards (Group 3) and three (energy use for renewable inputs, energy productivity and energy fruit efficiency) in low energy input vineyards (Group 1). Five indicators (energy use for fuel, transportation and non-renewable inputs, and energy efficiency for (shoot + fruit) outputs and renewable energy inputs) were significantly lower in Group 3 and two (intensity and non-renewable energy consumption) in Group 1. Similarities and/or dissimilarities among vineyards in Natura 2000 sites were related to altitude, production coefficients and local farming practices. These mixed results stress the importance of taking both local management indicators and vineyard topography into consideration when developing future agri-environment schemes, and suggest that local–regional interactions may affect Natura 2000 sites services and functions. It is important that EU agricultural policies are complemented by national–regional interventions in order to regulate the fragile balance between Natura 2000 sites and agriculture, reducing non-renewable energy inputs as percent of total energy inputs.