Mapping a Green Infrastructure Network: a framework for spatial connectivity applied in Northern Italy

Global environmental changes, including landscape fragmentation, are threatening the integrity of ecosystems and reducing their capacity to deliver ecosystem services. Spatial configuration of a green network supports ecological functions and services, that depend on living organisms and material movements across the landscape. It is important to study the structure of green infrastructure networks and to develop robust methodologies that can inform future planning. In this paper we describe a framework for connectivity analysis and enhancement within the green infrastructure networks. We review and combine methods to map and analyse the current spatial network configuration of green elements, in order to identify the key nodes and links that can maintain connectivity and consequently support the benefits provided across the landscape. The study explores the creation of network scenarios and the improvement or reduction of connectivity by adding, preserving, or removing corridors and core areas. Methods include morphological spatial pattern analysis, landscape connectivity metrics and graph theory elements. The analysis has been applied in the Northern Italian Plain, considering green riparian zones and the protected areas as elements of the network. The results show that this method can be used to analyse the status of green infrastructure networks and to identify the main needs for maintaining and improving network connectivity. This is important in the current context of change, as it may support decision-makers in developing tailored adaptation strategies that exploit nature-based solutions to reduce the risks caused by the major drivers of change.