Spatial Modeling for the management of green and blue infrastructure

Abstract

Connecting natural habitats to allow animal and plant species to move has become a major issue in environmental policies. However, the identification and management of ecological networks raises difficulties due to the diversity of methods for analyzing connectivity and the lack of harmonized data at the country level. The aim of this study is to use graph theory to more finely integrate the functional connectivity of the landscape into the modeling of ecological networks at different spatial scales. The use of generic data and a standardized method makes it possible to identify core areas and corridors in a uniform way throughout the French metropolitan area and to overcome regional administrative boundaries. The results highlight a nationwide ecological network that can be compared to the existing green and blue infrastructure in a decision-making perspective.