IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v10y2018i2p326-d129285.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Defining Benchmarks for Restoration of Green Infrastructure: A Case Study Combining the Historical Range of Variability of Habitat and Species’ Requirements

Author

Listed:
  • Michael Manton

    (Faculty of Forest Science and Ecology, Institute of Forest Biology and Silviculture, Aleksandras Stulginskis University, Studentu g. 13, LT-53362 Akademija, Kaunor, Lithuania)

  • Per Angelstam

    (Faculty of Forest Science and Ecology, Institute of Forest Biology and Silviculture, Aleksandras Stulginskis University, Studentu g. 13, LT-53362 Akademija, Kaunor, Lithuania
    School for Forest Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-739 21 Skinnskatteberg, Sweden)

Abstract

Animal husbandry in Europe that sustained once wide-spread semi-natural grasslands has been replaced by maximum sustained yield agriculture and forestry. This transformation coincides with declining populations of species dependent on semi-natural grasslands. A key task is therefore to define benchmarks for landscape restoration in terms of well-planned functional habitat networks, i.e., green infrastructure. Using a representative example of the European landscape gradient between agricultural and forest landscapes in southern Sweden as a case study, we analyzed the historic range of variability of the total area, quality, and size of grassland patches, and compared this to the requirements of focal grassland species. Spatial data covering the past two centuries indicated a 75–80% loss of total grassland area. Three factors affected the functionality of grasslands as green infrastructure. First, during the period 1927–1976, the loss of all grassland areas with high nature values was 41–59%. Second, as a measure of alteration, the number of semi-natural grassland types declined from 5 to 1. Third, to address habitat fragmentation, an analysis of changes in grassland patch size showed that patches sufficiently large to support local populations of complete focal grasslands species assemblages declined by 89–100%. The cumulative effect of loss, alteration, and fragmentation over the past two centuries indicates that the functionality of semi-natural grasslands has declined by at least 98%. However, this estimate does not consider land use changes before 1800, reduced connectivity, and altered biotic and abiotic processes in both semi-natural grasslands and the surrounding matrix. We stress the need to define the historic range of variability as a benchmark in relation to species’ requirements to maintain semi-natural grasslands as green infrastructure. Finally, integrated land management and governance that support multi-functionality of grasslands is needed.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael Manton & Per Angelstam, 2018. "Defining Benchmarks for Restoration of Green Infrastructure: A Case Study Combining the Historical Range of Variability of Habitat and Species’ Requirements," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-17, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:2:p:326-:d:129285
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/2/326/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/2/326/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ove Eriksson & Sara A. O. Cousins, 2014. "Historical Landscape Perspectives on Grasslands in Sweden and the Baltic Region," Land, MDPI, vol. 3(1), pages 1-22, March.
    2. Magnus Tuvendal & Johan Elmberg, 2015. "A Handshake between Markets and Hierarchies: Geese as an Example of Successful Collaborative Management of Ecosystem Services," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(12), pages 1-18, December.
    3. Angelstam, Per & Barnes, Garth & Elbakidze, Marine & Marais, Christo & Marsh, Alex & Polonsky, Sarah & Richardson, David M. & Rivers, Nina & Shackleton, Ross T. & Stafford, William, 2017. "Collaborative learning to unlock investments for functional ecological infrastructure: Bridging barriers in social-ecological systems in South Africa," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 27(PB), pages 291-304.
    4. ., 2006. "Sustainable Development," Chapters, in: David Alexander Clark (ed.), The Elgar Companion to Development Studies, chapter 123, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    5. Michael Manton & Per Angelstam & Per Milberg & Marine Elbakidze, 2016. "Wet Grasslands as a Green Infrastructure for Ecological Sustainability: Wader Conservation in Southern Sweden as a Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(4), pages 1-20, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Per Angelstam & Michael Manton, 2021. "Effects of Forestry Intensification and Conservation on Green Infrastructures: A Spatio-Temporal Evaluation in Sweden," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-29, May.
    2. Marine Elbakidze & Mersha Gebrehiwot & Per Angelstam & Taras Yamelynets & Diana Surová, 2018. "Defining Priority Land Covers that Secure the Livelihoods of Urban and Rural People in Ethiopia: a Case Study Based on Citizens’ Preferences," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-23, May.
    3. Michael Manton & Charles Ruffner & Gintautas Kibirkštis & Gediminas Brazaitis & Vitas Marozas & Rūtilė Pukienė & Ekaterina Makrickiene & Per Angelstam, 2022. "Fire Occurrence in Hemi-Boreal Forests: Exploring Natural and Cultural Scots Pine Fire Regimes Using Dendrochronology in Lithuania," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-25, February.
    4. Michael Manton & Evaldas Makrickas & Piotr Banaszuk & Aleksander Kołos & Andrzej Kamocki & Mateusz Grygoruk & Marta Stachowicz & Leonas Jarašius & Nerijus Zableckis & Jūratė Sendžikaitė & Jan Peters &, 2021. "Assessment and Spatial Planning for Peatland Conservation and Restoration: Europe’s Trans-Border Neman River Basin as a Case Study," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-27, February.
    5. Tudor Racoviceanu & Constantin Cazacu & Mihai Adamescu & Relu Giucă & Magdalena Bucur & Mariia Fedoriak & Per Angelstam, 2023. "Agricultural Intensification Reduces the Portfolio of Wetland Ecosystem Services: European Danube River Lowlands as a Global Biodiversity Hotspot," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-22, March.
    6. Per Angelstam & Terrence Bush & Michael Manton, 2023. "Challenges and Solutions for Forest Biodiversity Conservation in Sweden: Assessment of Policy, Implementation Outputs, and Consequences," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-58, May.
    7. Michael Manton & Per Angelstam, 2021. "Macroecology of North European Wet Grassland Landscapes: Habitat Quality, Waders, Avian Predators and Nest Predation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-17, July.
    8. Per Angelstam & Michael Manton & Taras Yamelynets & Ole Jakob Sørensen & Svetlana V. Kondrateva (Stepanova), 2020. "Landscape Approach towards Integrated Conservation and Use of Primeval Forests: The Transboundary Kovda River Catchment in Russia and Finland," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(5), pages 1-27, May.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Angelstam, Per & Elbakidze, Marine & Axelsson, Robert & Khoroshev, Alexander & Pedroli, Bas & Tysiachniouk, Maria & Zabubenin, Evgeny, 2019. "Model forests in Russia as landscape approach: Demonstration projects or initiatives for learning towards sustainable forest management?," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 96-110.
    2. Julia Brown, 2014. "Evaluating Participatory Initiatives in South Africa," SAGE Open, , vol. 4(2), pages 21582440145, April.
    3. Chiasson, Guy & Angelstam, Per & Axelsson, Robert & Doyon, Frederik, 2019. "Towards collaborative forest planning in Canadian and Swedish hinterlands: Different institutional trajectories?," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 334-345.
    4. Cucari, Nicola & Wankowicz, Ewa & Esposito De Falco, Salvatore, 2019. "Rural tourism and Albergo Diffuso: A case study for sustainable land-use planning," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 105-119.
    5. Davine N. G. Janssen & Eunice Pereira Ramos & Vincent Linderhof & Nico Polman & Chrysi Laspidou & Dennis Fokkinga & Duarte de Mesquita e Sousa, 2020. "The Climate, Land, Energy, Water and Food Nexus Challenge in a Land Scarce Country: Innovations in the Netherlands," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(24), pages 1-27, December.
    6. Kajsa Borgnäs, 2017. "Indicators as ‘circular argumentation constructs’? An input–output analysis of the variable structure of five environmental sustainability country rankings," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 19(3), pages 769-790, June.
    7. Fanqi Zou & Tinghui Li, 2022. "The Impact of Agricultural Ecological Capital Investment on the Development of Green Circular Economy," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-21, March.
    8. Michael Manton & Evaldas Makrickas & Piotr Banaszuk & Aleksander Kołos & Andrzej Kamocki & Mateusz Grygoruk & Marta Stachowicz & Leonas Jarašius & Nerijus Zableckis & Jūratė Sendžikaitė & Jan Peters &, 2021. "Assessment and Spatial Planning for Peatland Conservation and Restoration: Europe’s Trans-Border Neman River Basin as a Case Study," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-27, February.
    9. Bárbara Ayala-Orozco & Julieta A. Rosell & Juliana Merçon & Isabel Bueno & Gerardo Alatorre-Frenk & Alfonso Langle-Flores & Anaid Lobato, 2018. "Challenges and Strategies in Place-Based Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration for Sustainability: Learning from Experiences in the Global South," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-22, September.
    10. Per Angelstam & Michael Manton & Taras Yamelynets & Ole Jakob Sørensen & Svetlana V. Kondrateva (Stepanova), 2020. "Landscape Approach towards Integrated Conservation and Use of Primeval Forests: The Transboundary Kovda River Catchment in Russia and Finland," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(5), pages 1-27, May.
    11. Tan Yigitcanlar & Md. Kamruzzaman, 2015. "Planning, Development and Management of Sustainable Cities: A Commentary from the Guest Editors," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(11), pages 1-12, November.
    12. Järvelä Marja & Jokinen Pekka & Huttunen Suvi & Puupponen Antti, 2009. "Local food and reneweable energy as emerging new alternatives of rural sustainability in Finland," European Countryside, Sciendo, vol. 1(2), pages 113-124, January.
    13. Dhahri, Sabrine & Omri, Anis, 2018. "Entrepreneurship contribution to the three pillars of sustainable development: What does the evidence really say?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 64-77.
    14. Thomas Beery & K. Ingemar Jönsson & Johan Elmberg, 2015. "From Environmental Connectedness to Sustainable Futures: Topophilia and Human Affiliation with Nature," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(7), pages 1-18, July.
    15. Jana Špulerová & Alexandra Kruse & Paola Branduini & Csaba Centeri & Sebastian Eiter & Viviana Ferrario & Bénédicte Gaillard & Fausto Gusmeroli & Suzan Jurgens & Drago Kladnik & Hans Renes & Michael R, 2019. "Past, Present and Future of Hay-making Structures in Europe," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(20), pages 1-22, October.
    16. Sigwela, Ayanda & Elbakidze, Marine & Powell, Mike & Angelstam, Per, 2017. "Defining core areas of ecological infrastructure to secure rural livelihoods in South Africa," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 27(PB), pages 272-280.
    17. Corina Rădulescu & Rita Toader & Gratiela Boca & Madela Abrudan & Cristian Anghel & Diana Cezara Toader, 2015. "Sustainable Development in Maramures County," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(6), pages 1-22, June.
    18. Angelika Krebs, 2014. "Why Landscape Beauty Matters," Land, MDPI, vol. 3(4), pages 1-19, November.
    19. Järvelä Marja & Jokinen Pekka & Huttunen Suvi & Puupponen Antti, 2009. "Local food and reneweable energy as emerging new alternatives of rural sustainability in Finland," European Countryside, Sciendo, vol. 1(2), pages 113-124, January.
    20. Dayna Simpson & Danny Samson, 2010. "Environmental strategy and low waste operations: exploring complementarities," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 19(2), pages 104-118, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:2:p:326-:d:129285. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.