FINAL BOOKLET: “WEBS OF LIFE. ALPINE BIODIVERSITY NEEDS ECOLOGICAL CONNECTIVITY

Target groups
Policy maker; Civil servants / administration; Planner; Scientists; Specific institutions; Civil society / citizen

Area of application
Project actions were implemented within the whole Alpine region as defined by the Alpine Convention. (p.12) ECONNECT selected and implemented actions in seven Pilot Regions, four of which were transnational (p.16).

The 7 Pilot Regions of ECONNECT were selected following a clearly defined process and in accordance with a set of shared criteria, encompassing diverse natural and ecological conditions (p.43); The following ECONNECT pilot Regions served as case studies for comparison: • “Berchtesgaden - Salzburg” (Austria-Germany) • “Hohe Tauern and Dolomite Region” (Austria,Italy); • “Monte Rosa” (Italy, Switzerland); • “The south-western Alps” (NPs Mercantour/Alpi Marittime ) (France, Italy); • “The Rhaethian Triangle” (Austria-Italy-Switzerland). (p.24); Common criteria to select areas (p.14): • Selection of the important areas for ecological connectivity at the alpine level, • Identification of the legal, social and economic barriers preventing the preservation and restoration of ecological networks and proposals on how to over- come them; • Assessment of how policies affect the establishment of ecological connectivity and how ecological networks in turn, influence spatial/infrastructure development and economic activities.

Time frame
The results were compiled from September 2008 to November 2011. The result is aging as the data and different legislations in which is based are changing.

Keywords
Final report, connectivity, biodiversity, recommendations, actions, raising awareness, pilot regions, corridors, landscape connectivity, knowledge transfer, protected area, ecological

Accessibility
open access to the report. As it is a summarizing final report, data are not directly accessible from the report

Transferability and re-usability
The report describes in a summarizing way the methods and processes which were applied during the project. The working steps are transferable to other regions. The implemented actions on the field are not transferable as they are very specific to each pilot regions, they can always serve as a model. The comunication strategies are transferables and re-usable.

Sector policies adressed
Agriculture, Agro-tourism, Ecology, Economic development, Education, Environmental protection, nature conservation, Forestry, Land use planning, Natural resource management, Regional development, Regional planning, Risks / natural hazards, Rural development, Spatial development, Spatial planning, Territorial observation, Tourism, Transport / mobility, Urban design,