Ecological Solutions for Linear Infrastructure Networks: the key to green infrastructure development

Abstract

The rapid expansion of linear infrastructure networks poses a global threat to biodiversity and ecosystem services (Laurance and Balmford 2013, van der Ree et al. 2015). Over the last few decades, research and careful planning have led to solutions which begin mitigating the negative effects of these infrastructures (Lesbarrères and Fahrig 2012, van der Grift et al. 2013, Rytwinski et al. 2016). Transport monitoring protocols and data are becoming more widely available, and novel actions are being tested and promoted (Vercayie and Herremans 2015, Schwartz et al. 2020). Robust protocols, landscape genetics, ecological connectivity modeling, remote sensing including GPS animal tracking, among other tools, are being frequently used in infrastructure planning and management (Balkenhol and Waits 2009, Carvalho et al. 2018, Valerio et al. 2020, Zeller et al. 2020, Shilling et al., 2020). The approach towards linear infrastructure planning is also transforming. Linear Infrastructure-related habitats are increasingly valued for the biodiversity conservation opportunity they provide and have become a key contributor to Green Infrastructure development (Dániel-Ferreira et al. 2020, Ouédraogo et al. 2020). There is also a growing awareness about the need for coexistence between infrastructure and biodiversity, and citizens participate in this process (Périquet et al. 2018, Waetjen and Shilling 2018). IENE (Infrastructure & Ecology Network Europe) is a network of experts on linear infrastructures (LI) and biodiversity from Europe and across the world. The main aim of IENE is to provide a platform to promote cross-boundary cooperation in research, mitigation and planning of LI (Seiler and Helldin 2015), facilitated by frequent national and international meetings. IENE organizes an international conference every two years, focusing on biodiversity and transportation (IENE 2021). These conferences provide a way to present innovative research, identity critical questions and problems, discuss ways to increase the efficiency of solutions, and improve the communication among decision makers, planners, and researchers. IENE is also a founding member of the Global Congress on Linear Infrastructure and Environment, which brings together experts from every continent to discuss globally important issues of the interaction between linear infrastructure and the environment. Furthermore, IENE, together with other international transport and ecology conference organizations, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), has helped to develop The Global Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Transport and other Linear Infrastructure, a strategy to support biodiversity conservation and enhance ecological connectivity at the governance, policies, planning and implementation stages of transport projects around the world (Georgiadis et al., 2020).

The IENE2020 International Conference “LIFE LINES – Linear Infrastructure Networks with Ecological Solutions” aimed to improve environmental sustainability of infrastructure by bringing together and sharing the experiences of experts involved in the planning, research and administration of linear infrastructures around the world. The Conference focused on transportation infrastructures, but it also included other linear infrastructures such as electric power lines. The Conference was held online from 12 to 14 January 2021, and was organized by the University of Évora, LIFE LINES project (LIFE14 NAT/PT/001081 https://lifelines.uevora.pt/), and IENE. The Conference was attended by over 300 participants from 31 countries, representing different stakeholders including ecologists, road and linear infrastructure technicians, NGOs, and policymakers. Participations were highly diverse, with 197 presentations, 13 workshops and two side events (LIFE SAFE CROSSING workshop and LIFE LINES Final Seminar), covering several important topics such as: (1) Innovative Solutions for Linear Infrastructure Impact assessment, Mitigation and Monitoring; (2) Challenges and Opportunities for Infrastructure-Related Habitats; (3) Linear Infrastructure Ecology; (4) Citizen Science and the Involvement of Civil Society; and (5) Legislation and Policy (IENE 2020 Organising and Programme committees, 2021).