One of the major challenges of this century is to combat the collapse of biodiversity. But what is biodiversity?
Derived from the contraction of the English words biological diversity, the term biodiversity refers to the variability of living organisms in an ecosystem, whether terrestrial or aquatic.
Imagine, as you read what follows, that you are in a microscopic cell before ascending to the stratosphere. Biodiversity is:
- Number and abundance of genes (genetic diversity between individuals of the same species).
- Number and abundance of species in a defined environment (species diversity).
- All interactions within an ecosystem and between different ecosystems (ecosystemic diversity).
Why is biodiversity collapsing?
In other words, this means that genetic diversity is decreasing, ecosystems are disappearing, along with plant, animal, fungal species, etc. And their interactions are disappearing.
As we decided to write this article on ecological networks, WWF was updating its study outlining global biodiversity trends and planetary health. In this report, they notably use the Living Planet Index (LPI), which tracks the abundance of mammal, bird, fish, reptile, and amphibian populations worldwide. The LPI indicates an average 69% decline in the relative abundance of wild animal populations between 1970 and 2018.
More specifically, for our country, WWF published the Living Planet Report – For Belgium in 2020. In Wallonia, the situation of common birds was concerning (population decline of -1.3%/year). The decline is particularly pronounced for bird species dependent on agricultural environments (-3% per year).
In nearly 30 years, bird populations in agricultural areas have decreased by 57.4%, and this decrease is accelerating.
The situation is also worrying for species specializing in wooded areas, whose populations have declined by 28.7% since 1990. It is important to remember that agricultural areas occupy nearly 44% of Wallonia. Forests, meanwhile, cover approximately 20% of the country’s surface area.
There are several causes for the collapse of biodiversity:
- climate change,
- invasive species,
- overexploitation,
- pollution,
- and the fragmentation of natural habitats.
This, of course, stems from our lifestyles, our economic and demographic growth.
In this article, we wanted to focus on habitat fragmentation, one of the major factors in biodiversity loss in agricultural areas.
Land Fragmentation
The State of the Walloon Environment (2017): territory fragmentation results from the breaking up of a continuous natural habitat due to the presence of “ecological barriers” (roads, railways, buildings, intensively managed agricultural plots, etc.). It leads to a reduction in the surface area of this habitat and an increase in the isolation of the species living there, thus contributing to biodiversity erosion.
The Ecological Network as a Concrete Solution
Imagine for a moment a child playing by moving only by placing their feet on elevated surfaces. Without these conditions, the child can no longer move.
The “network” is therefore about connecting elements to one another to form corridors, pathways, allowing animals to move to protect themselves, feed, and reproduce. It is to enable a pollen grain to meet a female flower further away, allowing genetic mixing favorable to the maintenance of a species.
For a given species, individuals need to move from one flower to another, from one branch to another. To be safe, hidden from predators or harsh weather conditions. This applies over short or longer distances.
This ecological network is a theoretical concept in Landscape Ecology. It includes:
- Core areas featuring environments of high biological interest where all actions undertaken should favor nature conservation.
- Development areas which encompass environments of lesser biological interest than core areas but whose ecological potential can be enhanced through adequate management. The conservation of species and their habitats is compatible with economic exploitation, provided certain measures are taken.
- Linkage areas which are environments of small surface areas or exhibiting a linear character in the landscape. These areas are, first and foremost, habitats for numerous indigenous wild species and form the ecological network of the territory. Their number, quality, and continuity are crucial for establishing genuine ecological connections between core and development areas, thereby enabling genetic mixing of populations.
Sometimes, the terms green infrastructure or blue infrastructure are used. This is a land-use planning concept integrating the environmental principle of ecological networking.
What does an ecological network look like?
It can consist of a copse, an orchard, rows of trees and/or hedges, or agroforestry schemes. Not only shrubby or tree-like plant species, but also herbaceous layers, flowering or not, and permanent or temporary water areas.
It also involves reflecting on agricultural practices and land use. The State of the Walloon Environment (2017) indicates, for example, that the conversion of permanent grasslands into annual crops or temporary grasslands explains the evolution of fragmentation between 2001 and 2007 in territories where it increased. Conversely, the conversion of parts of annual crops into grass strips, permanent grasslands, etc., would explain the improvement of ecological connections in territories where fragmentation decreased.
In this debate, discussions and requirements also circulate regarding new constructions by individuals and businesses.
Why Does PlantC Work With You for the Ecological Network?
PlantC works on the concrete implementation of developments that promote biodiversity. Our projects contribute to the ecological network of our territory through their locations, composition, and diversity, whether these projects are forestry, agricultural, or on corporate land.
Each project is different and must be conceived within a hyperlocal context (at the plot level) but also within its territorial context (the integration of the plot into a given landscape). This is what you achieve with us!
WWF includes this in its 2022 report on action pathways “for a positive Nature balance.” System-wide changes must be applied to our production and consumption patterns, the technologies we use, as well as our economic and financial rationales.
PlantC is part of these changes; PlantC is among the proposals offered to businesses and citizens who also wish to contribute at their level, according to their capabilities and objectives.
Each ecosystem provides important services for our well-being: feeding us, housing us, clothing us, and heating us. That is why it is vital to preserve our ecosystems or to recreate them.
“Everyone has a role to play in addressing these emergencies, and most now recognize that transformations are necessary. This awareness must now translate into action.” Sir Robert Watson, former Chair of IPBES and IPCC.
We remind you that you can act with us with a simple click.
In our next articles, we will endeavor to illustrate these points with concrete examples.
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