The Effect of Rural Buildings on Landscape Fragmentation in Natura 2000 Sites: A Case Study in Sardinia

Landscape fragmentation (LF) is the process where habitat patches tend to become smaller and more isolated over time. It is mainly due to human activities and affects habitats, biodiversity, ecosystem balance, and ecological networks. Transport and mobility infrastructures and urbanized areas—also in the form of suburban and rural sprawl—contribute to LF and can be localized close to (or included in) Natura 2000 sites (N2000 sites). N2000 sites are set according to the Habitats and Birds Directives and consist of special protection areas, sites of community importance, and special areas of conservation, where LF may threaten habitat quality and species survival and dispersal. Then, new rules and planning approaches are called for defining effective protection measures. The knowledge of the context appears to be a priority to achieve such aims. Therefore, this study focuses on LF in N2000 sites. We apply the rural buildings fragmentation index (RBFI) and the effective mesh density (Seff) in six landscape units in Sardinia (Italy). Then, we report on the least and the most fragmented N2000 sites and assess if there is correlation between RBFI and Seff. In this study, RBFI and Seff provide not trivial outcomes, as they are weakly and positively correlated.

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Landscape fragmentation of the Natura 2000 network and its surrounding areas

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0258615 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (10) ◽

pp. e0258615

Author(s):

Alexandra Lawrence ◽

Fabian Friedrich ◽

Carl Beierkuhnlein

Keyword(s):

Protected Areas ◽

Western Europe ◽

Natura 2000 ◽

Landscape Fragmentation ◽

The European Union ◽

Anthropogenic Pressures ◽

Mountainous Regions ◽

Anthropogenic Development ◽

Mesh Density ◽

Surrounding Areas

Habitat loss from anthropogenic development has led to an unprecedented decline in global biodiversity. Protected areas (PAs) exist to counteract this degradation of ecosystems. In the European Union, the Natura 2000 (N2k) network is the basis for continent-wide conservation efforts. N2k is the world’s largest coordinated network of protected areas. However, threats to ecosystems do not stop at the borders of PAs. As measured by a landscape fragmentation metric, anthropogenic development can affect the interiors of PAs. To ensure the long-term viability of the N2k network of PAs, this paper attempts to quantify the degree to which N2k sites are insulated from development pressures. We use a comprehensive dataset of effective mesh density (seff) to measure aggregate fragmentation inside and within a 5 km buffer surrounding N2k sites. Our results show a strong correlation (R² = 0.78) between fragmentation (seff) within and around N2k sites. This result applies to all biogeographical regions in Europe. Only a narrow majority (58.5%) of N2k sites are less fragmented than their surroundings. Remote and mountainous regions in northern Europe, the Alps, parts of Spain, and parts of eastern Europe show the lowest levels of fragmentation. These regions tend to hold the largest N2k sites as measured by area. In contrast, central and western Europe show the highest fragmentation levels within and around N2k sites. 24.5% of all N2k sites are classified as highly to very-highly fragmented. N2k PA age since initial protection does not correlate with the difference in exterior and interior fragmentation of N2k PAs. These results indicate that PAs in Europe are not sheltered from anthropogenic pressures leading to fragmentation. Hence, we argue that there is a high potential for improving PA efficacy by taking pre-emptive action against encroaching anthropogenic fragmentation and by targeting scarce financial resources where fragmentation pressures can be mitigated through enforced construction bans inside PAs.

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IMPLEMENTATION OF THE “NATURA 2000” EUROPEAN ECOLOGICAL NETWORK IN THE 6th NORTH-WESTERN REGION

Bulletin of University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca Agriculture ◽

10.15835/buasvmcn-agr:1435 ◽

1970 ◽

Vol 63 ◽

Author(s):

M. Proorocu ◽

P. V. Beldean

Keyword(s):

Natura 2000 ◽

Habitats Directive ◽

Western Region ◽

Ecological Network ◽

Natural Habitats ◽

Community Interest ◽

Special Protection Areas ◽

Two Stages ◽

North Western ◽

Special Protection

According to the Habitats Directive at European level there was constituted an ecological network entitled “Natura 2000” consisting of Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas. The “Natura 2000” is composed of sites which include natural habitats of community interest and community interest species habitats. The Special Areas of Conservation has been declared during two stages. During the first stage these were nominated as Sites of Community Importance. In the 6th North – Western Region there were identified 57 Sites of Community Importance (SCI) and 8 Special Protection Areas (SPA). Among the 6 counties of the 6th North – Western Region, the SCI are best represented in Maramureş county, and the SPA in Cluj county.

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Locating Spatial Opportunities for Nature-Based Solutions: A River Landscape Application

Water ◽

10.3390/w10121869 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (12) ◽

pp. 1869 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Paulina Guerrero ◽

Dagmar Haase ◽

Christian Albert

Keyword(s):

Hydrological Models ◽

Hydrological Response ◽

Landscape Approach ◽

Protection Measures ◽

Spatial Approach ◽

The Subject ◽

Essential Contribution ◽

Landscape Units ◽

Business As Usual

Compared to technical infrastructure, nature-based solutions (NBS) strive to work with nature and to move beyond business-as-usual practices. Despite decades of research from various academia fields and a commencing mainstreaming of the term, a lack of cohesiveness and pertinent methods regarding the subject matter hinders further implementation. Using a functional landscape approach, this paper aims to identify the spatial extent of existing and potential NBS locations and applies it across a case study in Germany. Inspired by hydrological models, which work with delineated hydrological response units, this research instead defines hydromorphological landscape units (HLU) based on biophysical spatial criteria to identify the potential areas that could function as NBS. This approach was tested for floodplain-based NBS. The identified HLU were then compared with historical floodplain and land-use data to differentiate between active or potential NBS. The spatial delineation identified 3.6 million hectares of already active floodplains areas, for which we recommend continued or modified protection measures, and 0.4 million ha where the hydromorphological conditions are apt to support floodplains, yet are cut-off from the flooding regime and require rehabilitation measures. The identification of NBS through explicitly defined HLU serves as a spatial approach to support NBS implementation. Taken together, our research can provide an essential contribution to systemize the emerging scholarship on NBS in river landscapes and to help in selecting and planning appropriate NBS in practice.

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An Assessment and Spatial Modelling of Agricultural Land Abandonment in Spain (2015–2030)

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12020560 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 560 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Carolina Perpiña Castillo ◽

Eloína Coll Aliaga ◽

Carlo Lavalle ◽

José Carlos Martínez Llario

Keyword(s):

Agricultural Land ◽

Natura 2000 ◽

Spatial Modelling ◽

Land Abandonment ◽

Research Centre ◽

The European Union ◽

Northern Spain ◽

Joint Research ◽

Protection Measures ◽

High Nature Value Farmland

This article presents a study based on the outputs from the LUISA Territorial modelling platform (Joint Research Centre of the European Commission) focused on regional and local future projections of land abandonment between 2015 and 2030. Spain is taken as representative of one of the countries highly affected by agricultural land abandonment in the European Union. The most relevant factors driving land abandonment (biophysical, agroeconomics, farm structure and demographic) are described and mapped. Results from the analysis reveal that the Galicia region, northern Spain (Asturias, Cantabria, Gipuzkoa, Bizkaia), north-eastern Spain (Aragón region), central Pyrenees/Ebro basin (Huesca, Navarra, Lleida) and south-eastern Spain (Murcia, Almería, Alicante, Málaga) are expected to undergo important abandonment processes. The study also concludes that land abandonment within mountainous, high nature value farmland and Natura 2000 areas is lower compared to the outside area without conservation and protection measures.

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Assessing agricultural system vulnerability to floods: A hybrid approach using emergy and a landscape fragmentation index

Ecological Indicators ◽

10.1016/j.ecolind.2017.10.050 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 105 ◽

pp. 337-346 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Feng Wu ◽

Yufan Sun ◽

Zhongxiao Sun ◽

Sihong Wu ◽

Qian Zhang

Keyword(s):

Hybrid Approach ◽

Landscape Fragmentation ◽

Agricultural System ◽

System Vulnerability ◽

Fragmentation Index

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Ecological Safety Assessment in Hulunbeier Steppe Based on the Landscape Pattern

Advanced Materials Research ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.726-731.1121 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 726-731 ◽

pp. 1121-1129 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jun Jing Gao ◽

Shi Hai Lv ◽

Zhi Rong Zheng ◽

Chao Yang Feng ◽

Sheng Xing Ye ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Landscape Pattern ◽

Spatial Information ◽

Landscape Fragmentation ◽

Ecological Safety ◽

Topographic Map ◽

Safety Index ◽

Continuous Increase ◽

Construction Land ◽

Fragmentation Index ◽

Unused Land

Based on TM remote sensing image and topographic map, the spatial information of landscape pattern was extracted in Hulunbeier steppe in 1995, 2000, 2005 and 2010. With the principles and methods of landscape ecology, landscape fragmentation index, division index, dominance index and fragility index were selected to construct the ecological safety index which was used to quantitatively analyze the dynamic changes of landscape pattern and elucidated ecological safety status in study area. Result showed that the overall landscape tended to become fragmentized and complicated with the total number of patches increasing in the study area from 1995 to 2010. The ecological safety index of landscape types can be classified into four grades, grassland > unused land, wood land > water body, crop land > construction land. Overall, the regional ecological safety status got worse with the ecological safety index of natural landscapes decreasing and the ecological safety index of artificial landscapes increasing. In particular, the area of construction land had a continuous increase with a higher growth rate (7.41% per year during 2005~2010), which will be unfavorable to regional ecological safety as the biggest potential risk.

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The Extent of Infrastructure Causing Fragmentation in the Hydrocarbon Basin in the Arid and Semi-Arid Zones of Patagonia (Argentina)

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su11215956 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (21) ◽

pp. 5956

Author(s):

Buzzi ◽

Rueter ◽

Ghermandi ◽

Lasaponara

Keyword(s):

Principal Component ◽

Mesh Size ◽

Oil Production ◽

Landscape Fragmentation ◽

Arid Zones ◽

Effective Mesh Size ◽

The Mean ◽

Patch Density ◽

Landscape Units ◽

Semi Arid

Fragmentation is a disruption in the connectivity of landscapes. The aims of this paper are (i) to quantitatively assess the fragmentation rates in three landscape units located in a hydrocarbon basin, and (ii) to model their behavior between 2001 and 2013 using landscape metrics at different scales of resolution. The following metrics were selected using principal component analysis (PCA): The Clumpiness Index (CLUMPY), patch density (PD), perimeter-area fractal dimension (PAFRAC) and effective mesh size (MESH). Results from our investigations pointed out that hydrocarbon activity increased the fragmentation at the sites. In particular, the CLUMPY index increased in all three landscape units, the average of PD decreased from 60 to 14 patches per 100 hectares, whereas the mean of MESH was quite constant, however, due to oil production, it decreased mainly in the coastal valleys. Finally, the PAFRAC also decreased at sites with oil production, being more evident in the plateau and coastal canyons. As a whole, outputs from our analyses clearly pointed out that the monitoring of landscape fragmentation trends in arid and semi-arid zones can be successfully achieved using metrics derived from satellite spectral information.

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An Infrastructure Fragmentation Index for Assessing Landscape Fragmentation Due to Transportation Infrastructure

ICSDC 2011 ◽

10.1061/41204(426)82 ◽

2012 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

C. Sangiorgi ◽

F. Irali

Keyword(s):

Landscape Fragmentation ◽

Transportation Infrastructure ◽

Fragmentation Index

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Distribution of deadwood and other forest structural indicators relevant for bird conservation in Natura 2000 special protection areas in Poland

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-94392-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Leszek Bujoczek ◽

Małgorzata Bujoczek ◽

Stanisław Zięba

Keyword(s):

Bird Species ◽

Natura 2000 ◽

National Forest Inventory ◽

Ground Vegetation ◽

Bird Conservation ◽

Space Filling ◽

Mountain Areas ◽

Depth Analysis ◽

Special Protection Areas ◽

Special Protection

AbstractNumerous bird species, often rare or endangered, rely on the presence of standing and downed deadwood for shelter, nesting, and foraging. Habitat quality was evaluated on the basis of deadwood volume, the density of large standing deadwood, and the space filling index (SFI). The SFI reflects the degree of space filling of the bottom layers taking into account tree trunks, seedlings, saplings, ground vegetation, stumps, and downed deadwood. Analysis encompassed all special protection areas (SPAs) in Poland (a total of 107 SPAs containing 7974 sample plots monitored under the National Forest Inventory). An additional in-depth analysis was conducted for 30 SPAs with the greatest share of forest habitats. The studied indicators varied substantially both between and within individual SPAs, with deadwood volume ranging from 1.3 to 50.5 m3 ha−1 (mean of 9.0 m3 ha−1) and the density of large standing deadwood (diameter at breast height ≥ 30 cm) from 0.1 to 16.0 ind ha−1 (mean of 2.2 ind ha−1). These values were relatively low compared to the density of living trees with corresponding dimensions (111 ind ha−1). SFI analysis indicated high or very high space filling of the bottom forest layers on 14–56% of sample plots in a given SPA. The presence of deadwood was found to be significantly positively affected by SPA location in the mountains, a greater proportion of sites with higher fertility, a greater share of forest area under strict protection, as well as higher stand volume within a given SPA. The correlation between deadwood volume and the density of birds (primary and secondary cavity nesters) in individual SPAs was positive (R = 0.60). As compared to lowland areas, SPAs in mountain areas are generally characterized by high stand volumes, a greater density of large living trees, and a greater amount of diverse deadwood. In those areas conservation measures should involve continuous monitoring and diagnosing of any problems associated with the populations of individual bird species; focused efforts should be implemented to support those species that exhibit unfavorable population trends. In most lowland SPAs measures aimed at the improvement of site conditions for birds must be more extensive than in the mountains, with a low abundance of dead trees (especially large ones). These parameters can be improved by retaining some senescent stands in managed forests until their natural death and implementing a strict protection regime in areas of high conservation value.

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