Green infrastructure has weak conceptual links with efficient biodiversity conservation.

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Conservation Biology
• Environmental Policy

Background:

• Resilient ecological networks are a key policy strategy to combat biodiversity loss.
• Current policy approaches may prioritize network structure over essential ecological processes for species survival.
• Green infrastructure (GI) is a prominent framework for implementing ecological networks in European policy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the rationale behind resilient ecological networks in European GI policy.
• To compare policy-driven research with empirical evidence on landscape effects on ecological processes.
• To identify divergences between GI policy/research and scientific evidence for effective conservation.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of research on biodiversity within European GI policy.
• Comparison of policy-related findings with empirical studies on landscape properties and ecological processes.
• Analysis of how landscape properties influence population persistence.

Main Results:

• A divergence exists between interventions in GI research and evidence from empirical conservation studies.
• Policy and research on GI may insufficiently acknowledge ecological processes vital for long-term population conservation.
• Current approaches may not fully integrate scientific understanding of landscape-ecology interactions.

Conclusions:

• Current GI policy and research may not optimally support biodiversity conservation due to a gap in understanding ecological processes.
• There is a need to better integrate scientific evidence on ecological processes into future biodiversity conservation policies.
• Improved integration of ecological principles is crucial for enhancing biodiversity outcomes in conservation planning.