Ökologisches Kolloquium – Ecological restoration of Green Infrastructure at landscape scale;
Learnings from the European Green Belt
Given by Prof. Dr. Thomas Wrbka, University of Vienna, on 27th January 2024
A major goal of the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) is to enhance the connectivity, integrity and resilience of ecosystems. With respect to the CBD, Dr. Wrbka studied Green Infrastructure (GI) and its potential to contribute to the goals of the CBD. Green Infrastructure is defined as a planned network of natural and semi natural areas, which deliver a wide range of ecosystem services and functions. Thus, they can inhance the connectivity of habitat networks e.g. functioning as stepping stones for migratory species.
The Interreg Central Europe project – MaGICLandscapes was initiated to provide a set of information about the benefits and importance of GI. First of all, an inventory of GI was build by assessing thegreen land cover, structure, functionality and ecosystem services on different spatial scales. Dr. Wrbka and his team used an integrated approach by considering cross-sectoral policy as well as planning objectives. They analysed the connectivity of habitats e.g. by morphological spatial patterns. The results were combined in various maps (regarding connectivity and functionality) and a final strategy and action plan providing support for politicians, in planning processes and landscape management. A further objective was to raise the awareness of the concept of GI.
The second part of the presentation was about the European Green Belt as a heritage of the Cold War, which evolved to one of the biggest international conservation project across Europe. It is a transboundary cooperation of 24 neighbouring countries with 40 National Parks that are directly situated within the Green Belt. Further, the Green Belt functions as a migratory corridor, that is particularly important in the upward shift of species to higher latitudes due to climate change.
With respect to increasing pressure factors on natural ecosystems like land use, climate change and changes in the demographic and socio-economic structure across Europe, international conservation and restoration efforts are needed. Projects like the Green Wall can function as role models and promote further Green Infrastructure implementations.