METHODOLOGY FOR IDENTIFYING THE ECOLOGICAL CORRIDORS. CASE STUDY: PLANNING FOR THE BROWN BEAR CORRIDORS IN THE ROMANIAN CARPATHIANS

Abstract

Achieving an ecological connectivity of the existing protected areas can contribute both to avoiding landscape fragmentation and, consequently, preserving the environment, including the animal species which are most affected by human impacts, such as the brown bear. Provided that these large carnivores can move over long distances, it is very important to identify their migration corridors using specific methodologies. In the last decade, the habitat and ecosystems fragmentation has been noticeably increasing in the Carpathian ecological region. As a result, several attempts were made to develop appropriate approaches for identifying the ecological corridors of the brown bears, in order to include them in the spatial plans along with the appropriate zoning-based restrictions. This article aims at proposing a novel method, focused on identifying the ecological corridors used by the brown bear in the Romanian Carpathian. The study is very important because it implements the connectivity concept into the spatial planning practice, increasing its sustainability. The approach relies on developing a model based on specific parameters and using ArcGIS in conjunction with the CorridorDesign and Linkage Mapper applications. The crucial advantage of the method is that it addresses a very important spatial planning issue and is able to support the decision making processes in relationship to preserving biodiversity and ensuring the maintenance of ecosystems and their services. Its flexibility allows for adapting it to the particular restrictions of different planning systems. At the same time, the cross-cutting approach used for establishing the exact geographical location of ecological corridors is actually making connectivity an operational concept that can be used for drafting the spatial plans and, therefore, addressing jointly the perspectives of spatial planners and environmental conservationists, and eventually reconciling them. Last but not least, the integrated approach addresses the inter-dependency and interrelatedness of the natural and human systems. Further research is needed to improve the method, by translating it from the national scale to the local one, taking into consideration the existing specific terrain conditions and barriers, in order to obtain a more effective long-term protection.