Integrating ecological networks modelling in a participatory approach for assessing impacts of planning scenarios on landscape connectivity

Abstract

This research aims at integrating ecological networks modelling in a participatory approach in order to assess impacts of land-use planning scenarios on landscape connectivity. This approach was applied to the metropolitan area of Bordeaux, a highly dynamic territory that has been modified by several decades of rapid urbanization. Whilst ecological network modelling is widely used in the academic spheres, the concept of ecological network itself also rose within operational stakeholders acting in land-use planning. However, exchanges between scientists and stakeholders about this concept and its modelling and decision-making applications remain rare and generally relate to discussions about results of analyzes carried out by scientists on their own. To our knowledge, no studies to date have involved stakeholders throughout the whole modelling process. In this purpose, we developed an adapted companion modelling approach bringing together scientists and stakeholders for co-constructing (1) a multi-species approach based on ecoprofiles, (2) a conceptual model of the territory’s social-ecological functioning and (3) five land-use planning scenarios over a 15-years horizon. In parallel, we used a landscape graphs approach for modelling ecological networks of ecoprofiles, computing local and global connectivity metrics and estimating scenarios’ impacts on multi-species connectivity. The results globally showed negative impacts of dystopian scenarios or anticipated trends in planning on landscape connectivity (from −20.5% to −8.1% on average, respectively), and in a lesser extent positive impacts of utopian or transformative scenarios (+1.5% and 4.5% on average, respectively). Scenarios’ impacts also varied among ecoprofiles, with some ecoprofiles showing similar or antagonistic effects. These results served as a support of debates between stakeholders on the consequences of policy decisions and actions on connectivity, and on the possibilities of translating connectivity modelling in land-use planning and biodiversity conservation in an urban context.