County-level method for identifying Romanian ecological corridors: environmental and spatial planning issues
Keywords:
ecological connectivity, GIS assessment tools, Corridor Design, fragmentation, biodiversityAbstract
[EN] A solution for the habitat fragmentation, decline of biodiversity, loss of ecosystems and ecosystem services can be to increase the number of protected areas and the connectivity between them, by creating ecological corridors. Since this conservation practice is becoming more relevant considering the climate change, the concept of ecological connectivity must be integrated in most political frameworks, especially in relation with the spatial development, requiring appropriate legislation. The article aims at proposing a new technique of ecological connectivity modeling, demonstrated by a specific methodology aiming to identify the ecological corridors used the brown bear (Ursus arctos) within the Natura 2000 sites in the Romanian Carpathian Mountains covered by the Buzau County. The processed GIS layers together with the ArcGIS.x Corridor Design Tool were used to map the permeability in the studied area and thus to identify the ecological corridors. The obtained results are useful tools for spatial planners that must integrate, adapt and accept these corridors in their plans. It is the first study published at national level, a novel one, in which ecological corridors for the brown bear are identified based on a County Land Use Plan, embedding the ecological dimension in the concept of spatial planning.
[FR] La croissance numérique des aires naturelles protégées et des connections entre eux peut-être une solution contre la fragmentation des habitats, la réduction de la biodiversité et des services des écosystèmes. Donne la relevance agrandie de la conservation dans le contexte des changements climatiques, le concept de connectivite écologique faut être intégré dans la plupart des cadres politiques, surtout en relation avec le développement spatial, demandant une législation spécifique. Cet article a l’objectif de proposer une nouvelle technique pour modeler la connectivité écologique, démontrée par une méthodologie spécifique pour identifier les corridors écologiques utilisés par l’ours brun (Ursus arctos) dans les sites Natura 2000 situées dans les Carpates roumains, département de Buzau. Les strates SIG transformés avec l’outil ArcGIS.x Corridor Design Tool ont été utilisées pour construire une carte de perméabilité de l’aire d’étude et identifier les corridors écologiques. Les résultats obtenus sont des instruments utiles pour les planificateurs, qui peuvent intégrer, adapter, et accepter les corridors dans les plans spatiaux. C’est la première étude nationale, et cependant nouvelle, dont l’identification de corridors de l’ours brun est faite au niveau d’un plan départemental de l’occupation du sol, incluant le volet écologique dans le concept de planification spatiale.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15551/lsgdc.v49i1.04
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