THE ALPINE ECOLOGICAL NETWORK
The Alps are the largest natural region left
in Europe and therefore of extraordinary importance for biodiversity. But the Alps are also home to 14 million people and one of the most visited areas in the world. This is not without impact on biodiversity. Habitat loss and fragmentation, climate change,
changes of agricultural practices and pollution count among the most important reasons for biodiversity loss and landscape destruction of the Alps.
The creation of a functioning ecological network in the Alps can contribute to conserve the extraordinary rich alpine diversity. Work has already been started. Three closely linked initiatives are working together in implementing such an ecological network: the platform “ecological network” of the Alpine Convention, the Ecological Continuum Initiative started by four active alpine network organizations and the ECONNECT project of 16 partners.
Joint efforts focussing on the Alpine massif as a whole are contributing directly to a very concrete application of an international treaty, the Alpine Convention, with its protocol on the protection of the natural environment. With their common activities, the Alps have become a core element of European biodiversity: equivalently to the “Green Belt” along the former Iron Curtain, the Alps constitute the heart of a second “European Green Belt”, ranging West to East from the Cantabrian mountains in Spain to the Carpathians. First contacts have been taken with neighbouring mountain ranges and some projects have been started to improve ecological connections between the Alps and their surroundings. These efforts will need to be further deepened so that it will be possible for animals and plants to migrate from the Alps to neighbouring mountain ranges: to the French Central massif and the Pyrenees, to the Jura, to the Apennines and to the Carpathians.
For more information please visit webpage: http://www.alpine-ecological-network.org/events
ECONNECT 
ECONNECT is funded by the EU within the framework of the ETC Alpine Space Programme and co-funded by ERDF; the project implementation period goes from September 2008 to August 2011. The total financing of the project amounts to 3.198.240,00€.
ECONNECT strives towards an ecological continuum across the Alps. Therefore, besides protected areas as core zones, it is essential to focus on linking these areas in order to achieve connectivity between alpine ecosystems. To achieve an ecological continuum across the Alps, the ECONNECT project will consider not just the purely naturalistic aspects (such as, for example, sustainable land use) but also the economic and social dimensions which are just as important in promoting ecological networks.
For more information please visit project webpage: http://www.econnectproject.eu/cms/?q=homepage/en
ECONNECT is funded by the EU within the framework of the ETC Alpine Space Programme and co-funded by ERDF; the project implementation period goes from September 2008 to August 2011. The total financing of the project amounts to 3.198.240,00€.
ECONNECT strives towards an ecological continuum across the Alps. Therefore, besides protected areas as core zones, it is essential to focus on linking these areas in order to achieve connectivity between alpine ecosystems. To achieve an ecological continuum across the Alps, the ECONNECT project will consider not just the purely naturalistic aspects (such as, for example, sustainable land use) but also the economic and social dimensions which are just as important in promoting ecological networks.
For more information please visit project webpage: http://www.econnectproject.eu/cms/?q=homepage/en
The Danube River Network of Protected Areas - has been established
on June 9th by the signing of the Declaration of Vienna, after about two years of preparational work. The Network strengthens the cooperation between the currently twelve protected areas in terms of nature protection.
Fields of work are:
- River Morphology & Revitalization
- Floodplain Management & Habitat Network
- Conservation of Danube Flagship Species
- Monitoring & Natura 2000
- Danube Nature Tourism
For the first three years of existence, the DANUBEPARKS activities are financed by the ETC-SEE Programme of the European Union.
DANUBEPARK's map is available here.
Contact Information:
Georg Frank (Project Manager)
Email: g.frank@danubeparks.org
Phone: +43 (0)2212-3450-19, Fax: DW 17
Mobil +43 (0)676-84223528
www.danubeparks.org
Landscapes without borders
Protected areas, like national parks, nature parks or biosphere reserves, are often isolated “islands” for the protection of the world’s biodiversity. They are separated
by less or unprotected landscapes, traffic corridors or settlements. Often animal
and plant species dispose of less space for migration, dispersion and reproduction than necessary.
To preserve natural and cultural heritage in the long run, TransEcoNet strives therefore for a better connection of protected and less or unprotected landscapes across national borders.
Sustainable development and management of transnational ecological networks
TransEcoNet elaborates strategies and gives recommendations how to develop and manage transnational ecological networks in Central Europe. >> more information
- TransEcoNEt News, 4th issue (March 2010)
Contact and further information:
TU Dresden
Faculty of Geosciences
Chair of Remote Sensing
Helmholtzstr. 10
D – 01062 Dresden
Anke Hahn
Tel.: +49 (0)351 463 37563
E-mail: anke.hahn@tu-dresden.de