Strengthening Ecological Connectivity : An exploratory study on establishing ecologicalcorridors in Frösön, Sweden

Abstract: The growing demand for urban areas has been a driving force for extensive changes to landscape. Thisrequires more focus on finding a balance between promoting urban development, and conservingbiodiversity in urban areas. The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity andEcosystem Services (“IPBES”) suggests encouraging sustainable urban planning, as well as“maintaining, and designing for, ecological connectivity in urban spaces”. Ecological connectivity canbe modelled based on circuit theory. Landscape can be depicted as a conductive surface and resistancecan be attributed to landscape types according to its permeability to the movement of a species.Frösön is a district in the growing municipality of Östersund, Sweden, where several developmentplans are intended. This study aimed to identify where structural ecological connectivity existed inFrösön. It also aimed to determine where connectivity was disturbed by urban development, andexplore the options available to strengthen connectivity through establishing new ecological corridors.Land cover data was analysed to identify the forest patches that were larger than 50 000m2, andresistance values were attributed per land cover type. Circuitscape was used to model the connectivitybetween the forest patches, revealing the connectivity across Frösön. The development plans wereassessed to determine where the developments overlapped existing corridors with high connectivityvalues between forest patches. New corridors (pathways connecting high connectivity valuesbetween forest patches) that could compensate for the impact by development plans on connectivityas well as strengthen connectivity throughout Frösön were proposed. The findings in this reportconcur with the IPBES that urban development can be sustainable while preserving biodiversity.Additionally, the inclusion of connectivity models in the environmental impact assessment (“EIA”)process for developments, enables proactive decision-making on the design and location ofdevelopments. Moreover, it encourages urban development and the preservation of landscapeconnectivity. This study will be valuable to environmentalists carrying out EIAs and specialists thatopine on environmental policy and/or legislation.