The actual relevance of ecological corridors in nature conservation

The paper considers theoretical and applied foundations of the concept of the ecological corridors in nature conservation. Their relevance comes from recent ecological phenomenon of habitat fragmentation which is rapidly increasing during last decades. Habitat fragmentation is one of the main threats to richness and diversity of wildlife. Ecological corridors can mitigate the loss and fragmentation of habitat. Corridors perform as 'bridges' between habitats for species and they provide a flow of the natural or even anthropogenic caused disturbances. In this paper we will present the meaning and significance of ecological corridors in nature conservation, as well as types of ecological corridors and their ecological benefits. Methodological and practical approaches in nature protection system in Serbia are included

The actual relevance of ecological corridors in nature conservation

The paper considers theoretical and applied foundations of the concept of the ecological corridors in nature conservation. Their relevance comes from recent ecological phenomenon of habitat fragmentation which is rapidly increasing during last decades. Habitat fragmentation is one of the main threats to richness and diversity of wildlife. Ecological corridors can mitigate the loss and fragmentation of habitat. Corridors perform as 'bridges' between habitats for species and they provide a flow of the natural or even anthropogenic caused disturbances. In this paper we will present the meaning and significance of ecological corridors in nature conservation, as well as types of ecological corridors and their ecological benefits. Methodological and practical approaches in nature protection system in Serbia are included

The actual relevance of ecological corridors in nature conservation

The paper considers theoretical and applied foundations of the concept of the ecological corridors in nature conservation. Their relevance comes from recent ecological phenomenon of habitat fragmentation which is rapidly increasing during last decades. Habitat fragmentation is one of the main threats to richness and diversity of wildlife. Ecological corridors can mitigate the loss and fragmentation of habitat. Corridors perform as “bridges” between habitats for species and they provide a flow of the natural or even anthropogenic caused disturbances. In this paper we will present the meaning and significance of ecological corridors in nature conservation, as well as types of ecological corridors and their ecological benefits. Methodological and practical approaches in nature protection system in Serbia are included. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 47007 i br. 176008

Connecting existing cemeteries saving good soils (for livings)

Background: Urban sprawl consumes and degrades productive soils worldwide. Fast and safe decomposition of corpses requires high-quality functional soils, and land use which competes with both agriculture and buildings. On one hand, cremation does not require much land, but it has a high energy footprint, produces atmospheric pollution, and is unacceptable to some religious communities. On the other hand, as exhumations are not practiced, "green burials" require more surface area than current burial practices, so a new paradigm for managing land use is required. Conclusions: In this paper, we propose a concept for 'green belt communalities' (i.e., ecological corridors with multiple, yet flexible, uses and services for future generations). With the expansion of urban centers, ecological corridors gradually disappear. Cemeteries for burial plots preclude alternative uses of the land for a long time. By combining these two aspects (need for connectivity and land take imposed by cemeteries), two positive results can be achieved: protecting memories of the past and connecting ecosystems with multiple-use corridors. This new paradigm works best in flat or hilly terrain where there are already several urban agglomerations that contain traditional cemeteries. Stakeholders who might consider this concept are local administrators, planners, and the communities of individuals who share specific beliefs on burial systems

The fourth dimension in landscape analysis: changing of heritage and ecological values in the Évora cultural landscapes.

Time is one of the most important driving forces in Landscape Ecology. Time along with geosystem, biosystem and socialsystem determines landscape heterogeneity which reveals itself in different patterns and functions. Cultural Landscapes are the result of the interactions between man and environment along time

Áreas Potenciais à Formação De Corredores Ecológicos Entre Remanescentes De Mata Atlântica

In Brazil, the remaining areas of Atlantic Forest are intensely fragmented. The connection of forest fragments through ecological corridors is an important step in biodiversity conservation. Certain areas are more resilient, and in those areas, natural forest regeneration, for example, can be encouraged. The aim of this study was to identify areas of greater resilience in order to support the connection of Atlantic Forest fragments with ecological corridors. Forest fragments in the municipality of Paraíba do Sul, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, were mapped using the supervised maximum likelihood classification of an Operational Land Imager (OLI)/Landsat-8 sensor image. Next, we analyzed the influence of terrain attributes (aspect, incident solar radiation, slope, and curvature profile) on natural regeneration. The areas with the greatest potential to achieve natural regeneration and to form ecological corridors were indicated through fuzzy membership functions. Within Paraíba do Sul, 31% of the territory is covered by vegetation in different stages of regeneration. Recordings were made of 1,251 forest fragments in a middle or advanced stage of regeneration. These fragments are usually situated in the southeast, south, and southwest aspects, in areas that receive the least amount of global solar radiation (Wh·m-2) per year, and on slopes with an angle of inclination greater than 20%. The adjustment of fuzzy functions identified 17,327.5 ha with a tendency to recover, and which are therefore strategic areas in the development of ecological corridors. © 2016, Sociedade de Investigacoes Florestais. All rights reserved.40580381

Research on Ecological Corridor Planning of Lanzhou Yuzhong Ecological Innovation City from the Perspective of Ecological Civilization

The practice and research of ecological civilization is a focus of current planning and design, as well as a scientific strategy under the current situation of resource constraint, environmental degradation and ecosystem degradation. Urban elements such as buildings, green land, farmland,water systems and mountains can be connected by ecological corridors into a green ecological system design.At present, many ecological and environmental problems, such as urban heat island effect, fog and haze, automobile exhaust have a negative effect on the construction of social ecological environment. In order to build a new modern city with prosperous economy, beautiful environment and social civilization, scientific and efficient ecological corridors should be designed to improve the environmental quality of the eco-city, and promote the construction and development of ecological civilization and green cities. Based on the relevant research and specific practices of ecological corridors at home and abroad,combine the needs of the planning and construction of the Yuzhong Ecological Innovation City, and discuss on the connotation and characteristics of ecological corridors, and discuss the key elements of ecological corridor planning.This article will take the ecological corridor planning of Yuzhong Eco Innovation City as an example. We design ecological corridor based on field investigation, literature and geographic information system..The planning and design of the ecological corridor in the planning area proposed in this paper can provide positive suggestion on the planning and design of the ecological corridor in other ecological innovation cities

Considerations of territorial fragmentation and ecological corridors

Ao longo deste artigo são abordadas as diversas dimensões do conceito de fragmentação territorial bem como os instrumentos de análise espacial no seu estudo e avaliação. São igualmente afloradas as metodologias para a definição territorial de redes de corredores ecológicos. A utilização de indicadores de composição e configuração permite a monitorização dos efeitos da fragmentação territorial, causados pelas diferentes açcões do homem na matriz territorial. Indicadores, que caracterizam as manchas territoriais tendo em conta a dimensão, a forma e o grau de conectividade das manchas do habitat na resistência e promoção dos movimentos das espécies de fauna e flora. O planeamento de redes de corredores ecológicos tem por objectivo minimizar os efeitos negativos da fragmentação territorial. A modelação geográfica e as metodologias de estatística espacial apresentam-se como um meio na identificação de soluções e alternativas de redes de corredores ecológicos para a articulação territorial

Linking ecosystem services and circuit theory to identify ecological security patterns

The rapid process of urbanization, accompanied by the sharp increase of urban population and expansion of artificial surface, has resulted in the loss of natural ecosystems and the degradation of ecosystem services. Identifying and protecting key places that have high importance for ecological sustainability are great challenges. Ecological security patterns are such an integrated approach to protecting regional ecological sustainability. In this study, taking Yunnan Province, China as a case study area, ecological sources were identified through ecosystem services, and circuit theory was used to model ecosystem processes in heterogeneous landscapes via calculating the ‘resistance’ or ‘current’, and thus to identify ecological corridors and key ecological nodes. The results showed that, ecological security patterns included 66 ecological sources, 186 ecological corridors, 24 pinch-points and 10 barriers. In details, the ecological sources were mainly distributed in the southwest and northwest of Yunnan Province, with the ecological corridors locating along the high mountains, and both ecological sources and corridors were mostly covered with forest land. Pinch-points covered by forest land and cultivated land, were distributed in the middle of Yunnan Province along the rivers. Approximately 75.9% nature reserves were located in the identified ecological sources, and the remainings were mainly distributed in eastern Yunnan Province with small area, showing the effectiveness in identifying ecological security patterns. Among 81 projects of low–slope hill development carried out in Yunnan Province, 46.9% showed potential human stress on regional ecological security. Based on ecosystem services and circuit theory, this study provides a new approach to identifying the spatial range of ecological corridors and the specific location of key nodes for effective ecological conservation and restoration