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

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  • 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Animal husbandry in Europe that sustained once wide-spread semi-natural grasslands has been replaced by maximum sustained yield agriculture and forestry.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
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    4. 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.
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    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.

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