Countdown 2010: Pan-European Ecological Networks

Pan-European Ecological Networks

Источник: http://www.countdown2010.net

Integrating conservation and sustainable use

     Europe’s biodiversity occurs largely in ecosystems that have a long association with Man. Over the past millennia human activity has increased the number and variety of habitats and biodiversity has increased correspondingly. However over the last century, rapid increases in the use of natural resources and the spread of human habitation have reversed this trend and species and habitats have been put under extreme pressure. As a result habitats are becoming destroyed or fragmented, losing their ability to provide the required goods and services and species are reducing in number and geographic range. Thus to halt this loss of biodiversity, human resource use must become sustainable and integrated with biodiversity conservation.
     Ideally to restore ecosystems, habitats and species we would be able to protect vast areas from human exploitation. However the demands of economic development in Europe are such that this is not possible even in the last remaining areas of wilderness. The ecological network concept offers a way of reconciling these two conflicting demands by integrating biodiversity conservation with the exploitation of natural resources. This is done through embedding areas that are necessary to ensure the continued functioning of ecological processes or the viability of species populations within a wider landscape of semi-natural and managed lands (see diagram for details).

Ecological networks contain four main elements:

     1. Core areas: These are areas where the primary function is biodiversity conservation. They are usually legally protected under national or European legislation (e.g. Natura 2000 sites). These areas should provide a substantial representation of key natural or semi-natural ecosystems and contain viable populations of important or threatened species. Land use within these areas is managed to give priority to biodiversity conservation.
     2. Corridors: These are areas of suitable habitat that provide functional linkages link between core areas. For example, they may stimulate or allow species migration between areas. Corridors can be continuous strips of land or ‘stepping stones’ that are patches of suitable habitat. Using corridors to improve ecological coherence is one of the most important tools in combating the fragmentation that is threatening so many of Europe’s habitats. Generally speaking corridors can be associated with higher levels of land use, as long as their function is maintained.
     3. Buffer zones: Protected areas should not be considered as islands that are safe from negative external effects. The resource use that occurs outside them can have serious impacts on species and habitats within, for example air/water pollution from industrial activities around a protected area can have serious effects on species inside it. Buffer zones allow a smoother transition between core areas and surrounding land use. The size and utilisation of buffer zones depends heavily on the particular needs of the specific ecosystem and its local population.
     4. Sustainable use areas: These are remaining areas that can come under more intensive land use. But they should still take full account of the successful provision of ecosystem goods and services.

The Pan-European Ecological Network

     The Pan-European Ecological Network (PEEN) is one of the most important implementation tools of the Pan-European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy (PEBLDS). PEEN aims to link the different European and national protected areas and ecological networks with goal of ensuring the favourable conservation status of Europe’s key ecosystems, habitats, species and landscapes.