Development of indicators for assessment of green infrastructure for a territorial network of ecological stability
Keywords:
landscape structure; biodiversity; nature conservation value; indicators; ecological networks.
Abstract
Landscape structure and biotic indicators have a significant role in assessing the green infrastructure of a landscape and design of a territorial ecological network. In this contribution, a methodological approach has been developed for assessing and defining indicators of current land use and biota that can be used for designing a territorial network of ecological stability. We used the assessment of ecological stability of the elements of the current landscape structure, an index of the ecological stability of a representative geo-ecosystem, the cumulative effect of high ecological stability landscape elements, and the Shannon Diversity Index (SHDI) to measure the degree of entropy, or landscape diversity. The assessment of biota was based on qualitative habitat field data and an evaluation of their overall nature conservation importance based on the type of land cover and habitats, the importance of habitats, their current conservation status, how many rare habitats are in a region, and how many vulnerable species are present in habitats. The assessment was applied on a local level, using the example of the Dolný Lopašov study area. The spatial distribution of green infrastructure is not balanced within the study area. The most significant elements of the ecological network consist of natural and semi-natural habitats that have a favourable conservation status. The Malé Karpaty Mountains, situated in the northern region, are forest-covered and have the highest ecological stability. Intensively cultivated fields are dominant in the central and southern parts of the study areas and are characterised by a low proportion of green infrastructure and low ecological stability. The results of the modelling of the cumulative impact of landscape elements on ecological stability by distance show that the cumulative impact of woodland elements positively affects the ecological stability of the area, especially in the area of intensively cultivated fields, an element with a low degree of ecological stability. Using selected indicators of current landscape structure and biota helps to assess the overall ecological stability of the area, identify the most stable areas, as well as areas with the lowest ecological stability, where it is necessary to complete and design new elements of green infrastructure to increase the function of the ecological network.References
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Ružičková, H. (1990). Grasslands and their implication to landscape ecological planning (LANDEP). Ekologia CSFR, 9, 233–240.
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Schliep, R., Walz, U., Sukopp, U., & Heiland, S. (2018). Indicators on the impacts of climate change on biodiversity in Germany – Data driven or meeting political needs? Sustainability, 10(11), 3959.
Sklenicka, P., & Charvatova, E. (2003). Stand continuity – a useful parameter for ecological networks in post-mining landscapes. Ecological Engineering, 20, 287–296.
Stanová, V., & Valachovič, M. (Eds.). (2002). Katalóg biotopov Slovenska. [Catalogue of Slovak habitats]. Daphne – Inštitút Aplikovanej Ekológie, Bratislava (in Slovak).
Stasiov, S. (2005). Millipede communities (Diplopoda) of oak-hornbeam ecosystems (the Malé Karpaty Mts, Trnavská pahorkatina hills, SW Slovakia). Ekológia, 24, 143.
Szili-Kovács, T., Kátai, J., & Takács, T. (2011). Mikrobiológiai indikátorok alkalmazása a talajminőség értékelésében [Use of microbiological indicators in soil quality assessment]. 1. Módszerek. Agrokémia és Talajtan, 60, 273–286 (in Hungarian).
Verburg, P. H., Crossman, N., Ellis, E. C., Heinimann, A., Hostert, P., Mertz, O., Nagendra, H., Sikor, T., Erb, K.-H., Golubiewski, N., Grau, R., Grove, M., Konaté, S., Meyfroidt, P., Parker, D. C., Chowdhury, R. R., Shibata, H., Thomson, A., & Zhen, L. (2015). Land system science and sustainable development of the earth system: A global land project perspective. Anthropocene, 12, 29–41.
Adu-Acheampong, S., & Samways, M.J. (2019). Mobility traits influence grasshopper vulnerability to agricultural production in the Cape floristic region biodiversity hotspot. Neotropical Entomology, 48, 992–1000.
Bezák, P., Mederly, P., Izakovičová, Z., Moyzeová, M., & Bezáková, M. (2020). Perception of ecosystem services in constituting multi-functional landscapes in Slovakia. Land, 9, 195.
Chen, X., Kang, B., Li, M., Du, Z., Zhang, L., & Li, H. (2023). Identification of priority areas for territorial ecological conservation and restoration based on ecological networks: A case study of Tianjin City, China. Ecological Indicators, 146, 109809.
Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora, Official Journal L 206. 22/07/1992. Pp. 7–50.
De Montis, A., Ganciu, A., Cabras, M., Bardi, A., & Mulas, M. (2019). Comparative ecological network analysis: An application to Italy. Land Use Policy, 81, 714–724.
Eliáš, P., Dítě, D., Kliment, J., Hrivnák, R., & Feráková, V. (2015). Red list of ferns and flowering plants of Slovakia. 5th edition. Biologia, 70, 218–228.
Endel, S., Kuta, D., & Wernerova, E. (2020). Territorial system of ecological stability in selected Czech cities. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 444, 012015.
Estrada-Carmona, N., Sánchez, A. C., Remans, R., & Jones, S. K. (2022). Complex agricultural landscapes host more biodiversity than simple ones: A global meta-analysis. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 119, e2203385119.
Fernandez, C., Spayd, J., & Brooks, R. P. (2019). Landscape indicators and ecological condition for mapped wetlands in Pennsylvania, USA. Wetlands, 39, 705–716.
Grass, I., Loos, J., Baensch, S., Batáry, P., Librán-Embid, F., Ficiciyan, A., Klaus, F., Riechers, M., Rosa, J., Tiede, J., Udy, K., Westphal, C., Wurz, A., & Tscharntke, T. (2019). Land-sharing/-sparing connectivity landscapes for ecosystem services and biodiversity conservation. People and Nature, 1, 262–272.
Hashemi, R., & Darabi, H. (2022). The review of ecological network indicators in graph theory context: 2014–2021. International Journal of Environmental Research, 16, 24.
Hong, S.-H., Han, B.-H., Choi, S.-H., Sung, C. Y., & Lee, K.-J. (2013). Planning an ecological network using the predicted movement paths of urban birds. Landscape Ecological Engeneeering, 9, 165–174.
Hong, W., Guo, R., Li, X., & Liao, C. (2022). Measuring urban ecological network resilience: A disturbance scenario simulation method. Cities, 131, 104057.
Ivan, P., Macura, V., & Belčáková, I. (2014). Various approaches to evaluation of ecological stability. In: 14th International Multidisciplinary Scientific Geoconference SGEM 2014, Geoconference on Ecology, Economics, Education and Legislation, Albena, Bulgaria. Vol. 1. Stef92 Technology Ltd., Sofia. Pp. 799–805.
Jiang, C., & Jin, X. (2020). Critical factors in regional construction of ecological networks. Journal of Environmental Protection and Ecology, 21, 359–365.
Kubeš, J. (1996). Biocentres and corridors in a cultural landscape. A critical assessment of the ‘territorial system of ecological stability.’ Landscape and Urban Planning, 35, 231–240.
Labuda, M., & Murtinova, S. (2014). Environmentálne hodnotenie multifunkčnosti poľnohospodárstva (Komparačná analýza) [Environmental assessment of the multifunctionality of agriculture]. Acta Environmentalica Universitatis Comenianae (Bratislava), 22, 25–36 (in Slovak).
Lehtonen, M., Sébastien, L., & Bauler, T. (2016). The multiple roles of sustainability indicators in informational governance: Between intended use and unanticipated influence. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 18, 1–9.
Mackovčin, P. (2000). A multi-level ecological network in the Czech Republic: Implementing the territorial system of ecological stability. GeoJournal, 51, 211–220.
Miklos, L. (1996). Landscape-ecological theory and methodology: A goal oriented application of the traditional scientific theory and methodology to a branch of a new quality. Ekológia (Bratislava), 15, 377–385.
Miklós, L., Diviaková, A., & Izakovičová, Z. (2019). Ecological networks and territorial systems of ecological stability. Springer International Publishing, Cham.
Miklós, L., Izakovičová, Z., Boltižiar, M., Diviaková, A., Grotkovská, L., Hrnčiarová, T., Imrichová, Z., Kočická, E., Kočický, D., Kenderessy, P., Mojses, M., Moyzeová, M., Petrovič, F., Špinerová, A., Špulerová, J., Štefunková, D., Válkovcová, Z., & Zvara, I. (2006). Atlas reprezentatívnych geoekosystémov Slovenska [Atlas of representative regions and types of landscape in Slovakia]. Ministry of the Environment of the SR, Institute of Landscape Ecology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (in Slovak).
Moyzeova, M., & Kenderessy, P. (2015). Territorial systems of ecological stability in land consolidation projects (example of proposal for the Lses of Klasov Village, Slovak Republic). Ekologia (Bratislava), 34, 356–370.
Ran, Y., Lei, D., Li, J., Gao, L., Mo, J., & Liu, X. (2022). Identification of crucial areas of territorial ecological restoration based on ecological security pattern: A case study of the central Yunnan urban agglomeration, China. Ecological Indicators, 143, 109318.
Ružičková, H. (1990). Grasslands and their implication to landscape ecological planning (LANDEP). Ekologia CSFR, 9, 233–240.
Ružičková, H., Halada, L., Jedlička, L., & Kalivodová, E. (1996). Biotopy Slovenska: Príručka k mapovaniu a katalóg biotopov [Biotopes of Slovakia: A handbook for mapping and a catalogue of biotopes]. Ústav Krajinnej Ekológie SAV, Bratislava (in Slovak).
Ružičková, J. (2007). Fragmentácia krajiny, delenie, násobenie [Landscape fragmentation, division, multiplication]. Enviromagazín, 2007, 14–15.
Sandifer, P. A., Sutton-Grier, A. E., & Ward, B. P. (2015). Exploring connections among nature, biodiversity, ecosystem services, and human health and well-being: Opportunities to enhance health and biodiversity conservation. Ecosystem Services, 12, 1–15.
Schliep, R., Walz, U., Sukopp, U., & Heiland, S. (2018). Indicators on the impacts of climate change on biodiversity in Germany – Data driven or meeting political needs? Sustainability, 10(11), 3959.
Sklenicka, P., & Charvatova, E. (2003). Stand continuity – a useful parameter for ecological networks in post-mining landscapes. Ecological Engineering, 20, 287–296.
Stanová, V., & Valachovič, M. (Eds.). (2002). Katalóg biotopov Slovenska. [Catalogue of Slovak habitats]. Daphne – Inštitút Aplikovanej Ekológie, Bratislava (in Slovak).
Stasiov, S. (2005). Millipede communities (Diplopoda) of oak-hornbeam ecosystems (the Malé Karpaty Mts, Trnavská pahorkatina hills, SW Slovakia). Ekológia, 24, 143.
Szili-Kovács, T., Kátai, J., & Takács, T. (2011). Mikrobiológiai indikátorok alkalmazása a talajminőség értékelésében [Use of microbiological indicators in soil quality assessment]. 1. Módszerek. Agrokémia és Talajtan, 60, 273–286 (in Hungarian).
Verburg, P. H., Crossman, N., Ellis, E. C., Heinimann, A., Hostert, P., Mertz, O., Nagendra, H., Sikor, T., Erb, K.-H., Golubiewski, N., Grau, R., Grove, M., Konaté, S., Meyfroidt, P., Parker, D. C., Chowdhury, R. R., Shibata, H., Thomson, A., & Zhen, L. (2015). Land system science and sustainable development of the earth system: A global land project perspective. Anthropocene, 12, 29–41.
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2023-05-02
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