Gap analysis as a basis for strategic spatial planning of green infrastructure: a case study in the Ukrainian Carpathians

Abstract

Increased demand for natural resources and economic transition threaten natural and biocultural capital and thus ecosystem services for human well-being. We applied an evidence-based approach to strategic planning of functional green infrastructure in a European biodiversity hotspot: the Ukrainian Carpathian Mountains. We (1) described how potential natural vegetation types have been transformed, (2) applied evidence-based critical thresholds for each potential natural vegetation land cover, (3) measured how much of the potential natural vegetation land covers are protected, and (4) estimated the area of cultural landscapes that emerged. While only 2% of lowland land cover types were left, 55% of mountain forests and 94% of alpine land covers remained. Many mountain forests were transformed to valuable cultural landscapes. Beech and oak forests covered 42% of the study area but at low levels of protection (<5%). The highest protection level (12-17%) was in mixed beech-fir-spruce and in spruce forests. However, taking connectivity into account, only alpine land covers formed a functional habitat network. More areas need to be protected and planned to build a functional green infrastructure. Traditional village systems with biocultural values need support. We discuss how strategic analyses can encourage collaborative spatial planning and international development cooperation. RÉSUMÉ La demande accrue en ressources naturelles et la transition économique menacent le capital naturel et bioculturel et, par conséquent, les services écosystémiques nécessaires au bien-être humain. Nous avons appliqué une approche fondée sur des données probantes à la planification stratégique de l'infrastructure fonctionnelle verte dans un hotspot européen de biodiversitéles Carpates ukrainiennes. Nous avons (1) décrit comment les types de végétation potentielle naturelle ont été transformés, (2) appliqué des seuils critiques basés sur des données probantes au recouvrement de chaque type de végétation potentielle naturelle, (3) mesuré la proportion du recouvrement des types de végétation potentielle naturelle sous protection, et (4) estimé la superficie des paysages culturels. Alors qu'il ne restait que 2% des recouvrements de basses terres, il restait 55% des forêts de montagne et 94% des recouvrements alpins. Ce sont surtout les forêts de montagne qui ont été transformées en paysages culturels. Les forêts de hêtres et de chênes couvraient 42% de l'aire d'étude, mais à de faibles niveaux de protection (<5%). Le niveau de protection le plus élevé (12-17%) était pour les forêts mixtes de hêtre-sapin-épinette et pour les forêts d'épinette. Cependant, en tenant compte de la connectivité, seuls les recouvrements alpins formaient un réseau d'habitats fonctionnel. Plus de superficies doivent être protégés et faire l'objet de planification afin de mettre en place une infrastructure fonctionnelle verte, et les systèmes villageois traditionnels basés sur des valeurs bioculturelles doivent être soutenus. Nous discutons de la manière dont les analys...

Wood production and biodiversity conservation are rival forestry objectives in Europe's Baltic Sea Region

“…Regional gap analysis is a method that strategically assesses the extent to which networks of areas set-aside for conservation represent the different representative land covers of a region (e.g., Scott et al 1993, Angelstam et al 2017c). Angelstam and Andersson (2001) and Lõhmus et al (2004) used the emerging empirical knowledge about how much habitat is needed to maintain functional habitat networks for biodiversity conservation, and assessed the extent to which this can be satisfied through formally protected areas, voluntary set-asides and sustainable use of the matrix surrounding protected areas and setasides.…”

Defining Benchmarks for Restoration of Green Infrastructure: A Case Study Combining the Historical Range of Variability of Habitat and Species’ Requirements

“…Regional gap analysis is a method that strategically assesses the natural/historic vs. current amounts of representative land covers to maintain natural occurring species in a region (e.g., [76,77]). Angelstam and Andersson [10] and Lõhmus, et al [78] used the emerging empirical knowledge about how much habitat umbrella species need to maintain functional habitat networks to conserve viable populations.…”

Defining Priority Land Covers that Secure the Livelihoods of Urban and Rural People in Ethiopia: a Case Study Based on Citizens’ Preferences

“…Given that remaining areas with higher levels of naturalness will continue to be exploited by smallholders using mixed-production systems, there is an urgent need to ensure the functionality of the remaining representative land covers as ecological infrastructure. This requires application of principles of systematic conservation planning and landscape restoration [90,91], as well as integrated community-based resource management aimed at satisfying both local needs and global demands to conserve biodiversity in protected area networks [65].…”

“…However, the conservation of natural landscapes also requires regional analyses of the needs and opportunities of biodiversity conservation actions [90,91]. To assess the states and trends of biodiversity among regions as a base for strategic and tactical spatial planning for either integrative (land-sharing such as agroforestry) or segregative (land-sparing such as protected area networks) approaches towards biodiversity conservation [92], there is need for systematic analyses [91] with at least two levels of spatial resolution.…”

“…To assess the states and trends of biodiversity among regions as a base for strategic and tactical spatial planning for either integrative (land-sharing such as agroforestry) or segregative (land-sparing such as protected area networks) approaches towards biodiversity conservation [92], there is need for systematic analyses [91] with at least two levels of spatial resolution. First, to support strategic planning, the states and trends for different potential natural vegetation types need to be estimated through gap analysis [90] by combining databases for different land cover types [93,94] and for land-cover loss [68]. Second, to guide tactical spatial planning, there is a need to assess the opportunity for the spatial segregation traditional agroforestry and biodiversity conservation on the one hand, versus integration of them on the other.…”