Regional Planning

1
Regional Planning Ecological Networks A
Pragmatic Approach

• Peter Nowicki - ECNC - nowicki_at_ecnc.org
• SEENET Seminar
• Strasbourg, 11 October 2006

2
1st 2nd Level Drivers

• Exogenous
• Population growth
• Macro-economic growth
• Consumer preferences
• Agri-technology
• Environmental conditions
• World market prices

• Endogenous
• Agricultural policy
• Structural policy
• Environmental policy
• WTO and other international commitments

3
Regions withpositive population development
4
Regions withnegative population development
5
Artificial surfaces
6
Arable land
7
Permanent crops
8
Pasture
9
Heterogeneous agriculture
10
Forest
11
Diverse natural areas
12
Wetlands
13
What RP involves

• Identifying relationships
• Understanding processes
• Ordering values

14
Identifying RELATIONSHIPS

• Vegetation is dependent upon
• Soil
• Climate
• Soil is dependent upon
• Bedrock
• Climate
• Climate is dependent upon

15
Understanding PROCESSES

• Soil is formed by the erosive effect of wind and
  rain upon bedrock

16
Ordering VALUES

• Soil quality is important for
• Agriculture
• Housing
• Natural habitats
• Farmers, Developers and Naturalists may all want
  the same site

17
The nature of the game

• Competition over land, determined by
• Natural qualities
• Economic earning potential
• Intrinsic values held by the competitors

18
However, there is a logic

• and therefore a method
• Gather data
• Identify relationships
• Understand processes
• Assess suitability and constraints
• Order values

19
Data

• Relationships
• Soil humus mineral content, depth to bedrock
  water table, annual pattern of rainfall and
  variation in temperature
• Processes
• Erosion potential, shrink-swell characteristics,
  potential vegetation

20
Suitability

• Class 1 agricultural soil
• Appropriate for septic tanks
• Presence of orchids and rare beetles

21
Constraints

• Wind erosion likely
• Site situated in a flood plain
• Traditional grazing no longer economically viable

22
Putting values into the equation

• Nominal land values
• Agriculture 1000 / ha
• Housing 1500 / ha
• Nature reserve 500 / ha
• Relative use values
• Agricultural land abundant
• Housing land available outside the flood plain
• No other sites with orchids (and rare beetles)

23
Getting the picture into focus
Ecological Network Planning
24
(No Transcript)
25
Ecological Principles

• Time principle
• Ecological processes function at many time
  scales, some long, some short and ecosystems
  change through time.

26
Ecological Principles

• Species principle
• Particular species and networks of interacting
  species have key, broad-scale ecosystem-level
  effects.

27
Ecological Principles

• Place principle
• Local climatic, hydrologic, edaphic, and
  geomorphologic factors as well as biotic
  interactions strongly affect ecological processes
  and the abundance and distribution of species at
  any one place.

28
Ecological Principles

• Disturbance principle
• The type, intensity, and duration of disturbance
  shape the characteristics of populations,
  communities and ecosystems.

29
Ecological Principles

• Landscape principle
• The size, shape, and spatial relationships of
  land-cover types influence the dynamics of
  populations, communities, and ecosystems.

30
Implementing Principles

• Principles ? Guidelines

31
Guidelines for Land Use

• 1. Examine the impacts of local decisions in a
  regional context.

32
Guidelines for Land Use

• 2. Plan for long-term change and unexpected
  events.

33
Guidelines for Land Use

• 3. Preserve rare landscape elements, critical
  habitats, and associated species.

34
Guidelines for Land Use

• 4. Avoid land uses that deplete natural resources
  over a broad area.

35
Guidelines for Land Use

• 5. Retain large contiguous or connected areas
  that contain critical habitats.

36
Guidelines for Land Use

• 6. Minimize the introduction and spread of
  non-native species.

37
Guidelines for Land Use

• 7. Avoid or compensate for effects of development
  on ecological processes.

38
Guidelines for Land Use

• 8. Implement land-use and land-management
  practices that are compatible with the natural
  potential of the area.

39
So, we need to bring together

• The farmer
• The developer
• The naturalist
• along with
• The planner
• The forester
• The NGO representative
• The government expert

40
And that is what ecologicalnetwork planning is
all about

• Now for practical work!

41
(No Transcript)
42
A
B
43
A
B
44
And that is whatregional planning is all about

• Thank you!

45
(No Transcript)