Abstract
With their rich biodiversity and vital ecosystems, mountains play a key role for the well-being of people worldwide and for the protection of biodiversity on a global scale. However, these precious environments are strongly exposed to climate change, pollution and land use changes that threaten their flora and fauna as well as local mountain communities. Effective tools and mechanisms are needed to protect mountain biodiversity.
The Mediterranean Mountains covers about 1.7 million km2. Part of them, the Alps and Dinaric mountains are physically connected, but need to deepen their relations strengthen transnational and sectoral cooperation enabling long term protection of biodiversity in view of current and future climatic changes. In particular, the rich biodiversity in the Alps and Dinaric mountains are threatened by fragmentation and habitat loss. Additionally, current political and economic circumstances in the Balkan Peninsula are leading to transboundary barriers causing challenges for humans and for the general landscape connectivity of the area.
Ecological connectivity (EC) enables processes like gene flow, migration and dispersal of living organisms thus counteracting negative effects of habitat fragmentation and climate change. A generalized approach, methodology, and investigation based on GIS technologies on the state of ecological connectivity at the Alpine/Dinaric conjunction and of the Dinaric mountains at macro-regional level is still missing. Furthermore, transboundary linkages between Natura2000 sites and protected areas where ecological connectivity need to explored and consolidated.
Authors will present and discuss the results of a recent European project, the Adrion DINALPCONNECT project, that addressed this issue from the perspective of trying to find and to improve spatial models of ecological connectivity in these areas. In the project, at the macro-regional level, spatial data have been collected to analyse current EC and identify EC hot-spots (corridors or stepping stones) and barriers. These include spatial analysis, implementation of measures to reduce the negative impacts of grey infrastructure, social conflicts related to ecological connectivity, and the role of protected areas. Combining analytical results with expert knowledge exchanged during an international scientific conference and other local technical meetings, spatial models improvements of ecological connectivity have been tested. Success examples and problems encountered in the pilot application of the models in specific project case studies will also be highlighted.