Last update: 03/10/2005

Ecological networks

“Ecological networks” were proposed by the scientific community in the early 1980s as a possible tool to structure the territory and preserve biodiversity. The term indicates a physical network of central areas connected by corridors and supported by buffer areas, to facilitate the dispersal and migration of species for the conservation of nature, both within and outside protected areas.
Indeed, scientists were already aware of human action’s negative effects on habitats.
The drastic and progressive change in the utilization of land, particularly following an urbanization that is disrespectful of environmental needs, marked the beginning of the so-called territory fragmentation phenomenon. 
“Habitat” Directive no. 92/43/EEC is today one of the main international references for policies in favour of ecological continuity.
The Directive has determined a series of regulations to construct, by 2004, a European network of areas of great naturalistic value for the preservation of the habitat and endangered species. This was named Natura 2000 Network.
The network also incorporates approaches and applications of the Birds Directive no. 79/409/EEC which provides to protect important sites for birdlife. The explicit introduction of the “ecological network” in international policies dates back to 1993, when during the international conference “Conserving Europe’s Natural Heritage: Towards a European Ecological Network” of Maastricht, the EECONET initiative was presented. The proposed objective was to maintain and improve the preservation of natural and semi-natural habitats by means of territory fragmentation.
In Europe, concepts related to ecological gridding and environmental continuity are indeed spreading rapidly within territorial planning policies. Even in Italy, local administrations in different territories have already included the ecological network concept among their planning tools.
Since 1996, the APAT Environmental Protection Agency (formerly ANPA) has promoted a national coordination project inspired by the contents of the Habitat Directive. It is named “Ecological networks: activity plan to define tools in favour of the territory’s ecological continuity”. This activity completes the REN (National Ecological Network) project promoted by the Ministry of the Environment and Territorial Protection.
The aim of APAT’s project is to determine the guidelines to support territorial policies for correct local-scale planning.
Indeed, planning at this scale has a fundamental role in preserving and using biodiversity in a sustainable way.
Similarly, a multimedia product containing simplified guidelines was produced in order to provide an easy guide to promote quality on a large-scale to an assorted public of technicians, administrators, teachers, associations, project managers and constructors, among others.
Spreading basic knowledge on protection and conservation of the natural habitat is, indeed, an essential element towards reaching new scenarios which have factual contents of sustainability.