Making ecological networks and greenways a reality

Jongman, R. & Pungetti, G. (eds) (2004) Ecological networks and greenways: concept, design, implementation. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. xxi + 345 pp., figs, tables, line diagrams, halftones, index. Hardback: price £80.00, $120.00, ISBN 0-521-82776-0. Paperback: price £30.00, $50.00, ISBN 0-521-53502-6. The growth in urbanization and associated development pressures have led to land-use change and major ecological pressures on landscapes in both developed and developing countries. These changes have had impacts on biodiversity through habitat loss and fragmentation. In the past, approaches to nature conservation have focused on reserves, but there is increasing realization of the importance of the land outside these areas for the conservation of biodiversity. The need to move away from site-based protection towards the conservation of biodiversity in the wider landscape has led to a focus on developing linkages between sites of high nature concentration, e.g. nature reserves and national parks, and also linkages between the natural and human environment, such as ecological networks and greenways. This book covers many scientific and planning approaches to these two concepts. The book follows two themes. The first three chapters address the theory and concepts of ecological networks in Europe and greenways in USA, and offer a clear and comprehensive introduction to both concepts. The remainder of the book focuses on the design and implementation of ecological networks and greenways and contains contributions from Europe and the Americas (North and South). Case studies are included in each chapter, presenting approaches to developing ecological networks and greenways at both the regional and the national scales. Modelling, of both species and landscape, forms a major component of this book and acts as a link between the theory and practical application of the concepts. Several chapters are dedicated to the design of ecological networks from a species perspective at both the national (e.g. Estonia and the Netherlands) and the regional scales (e.g. Milan, Bologna and Modena, Italy; Gelderland, the Netherlands). Approaches used include the landscape-ecological model LARCH (Landscape ecological Analysis and Rules for the Configuration of Habitat) and the focal species approach. Two chapters on greenways present case studies showing how they have been implemented at different scales, with a chapter dedicated to the designing of a state-wide greenway network in Florida, and another on how greenways have been implemented on a smaller scale in several North American cities. The two chapters on roads and their impact on ecological networks present an interesting contrast of approaches in finding solutions for reducing the impact on ecological linkages for both major and rural roads. A particular strength of the book is that it emphasizes the importance of considering both cultural and natural elements of ecological linkages, ensuring that socio-economic as well as ecological aspects are incorporated in the development of ecological networks and greenways. This is a crucial point, as ecological linkages consist of both ecological and human components, and therefore consideration of both is required in planning for nature conservation and sustainable development, and projects are more likely to gain long-term political support if networks are shown to be multifunctional, fulfilling ecological, social and economic objectives. Several chapters demonstrate how both human and natural systems are being integrated in the development of ecological networks and greenways, including examples from Italy, Spain, Argentina and USA. The numerous case studies presented in this book, which cover a variety of different approaches to designing and implementing ecological networks and greenways, make this a very interesting and enjoyable read. I especially like the fact that the book does not focus purely on theory but illustrates how the concepts and theory can and are being put into practice, and how, with careful implementation, ecological linkages offer opportunities to manage landscapes for multiple objectives and can therefore make an important contribution to sustainable land-use planning. This makes the book a very worthwhile contribution to the body of literature in the field. Regarding the style, the book is illustrated with many black-and-white maps, graphs and diagrams, with black-and-white photographs in a few chapters. The single reference list at the end of the book works well. I have only a couple of criticisms. First, the book is weighted towards ecological networks. By the editors’ admission, it does not cover all the new scientific and planning approaches to ecological networks and greenways, but perhaps examples from Canada and Australia, amongst the first planners of greenways, would have been interesting, providing a useful comparison to the approaches taken to greenway development in USA, and would also have given more equal weight to the greenway concept. Second, I found some maps difficult to interpret due to the tones of grey shading used for the keys. The use of coloured maps would have aided interpretation. The aim of the editors was to enable a better understanding of ecological networks and greenways for a wide range of audiences, especially those in the scientific and planning communities. I believe that they have achieved their aim with a book that gives an overview of the most recent developments in this field of study. The book is ideal for anyone interested in the conservation of biodiversity, through ecological networks and greenways and their relevance to the planning process, including advanced undergraduate and post-graduate students, researchers, land managers and policy makers.

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