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The Glasgow and Clyde Valley (GCV) catchment contains a wide of range of diverse habitats and landscapes types. A long history of intensive land-use throughout the GCV has resulted in the loss and fragmentation of semi-natural habitats and a subsequent reduction in biodiversity. Conservation policy and practice now seek to reverse the effects of fragmentation by combining site protection and rehabilitation measures with landscape-scale approaches that improve connectivity and landscape quality.
The 2006 GCV Structure Plan promotes the vision of a Green Network that spans the eight local authority areas which constitute the GCV area. The Integrated Habitat Network (IHN) modelling approach will support this by providing a strategic framework for functioning habitat networks across the GCV focusing on three key habitat types.
The development and application IHN modelling provides a Decision Support Tool that can identify areas that are ecologically connected and can be used to target and justify planning gain and conservation effort in relation to policy drivers.
Habitat network modelling has the potential to support and guide the planning process and to target conservation effort by highlighting areas that prioritise the greatest development potential of habitat protection and enhancement. An analysis of the habitat networks was undertaken on a GCV wide basis to identify potential Priority Enhancement Areas. These are key areas for habitat restoration detailed in the GIS maps chosen on the basis that they are:
The Priority Enhancement Areas include areas such as the Clyde Valley and Kilpatrick Hills woodlands, the wetlands of the Kelvin and Forth Clyde canal and the unimproved grasslands of Renfrewshire.
The identification of Priority Enhancement Areas will help target effort towards the development of networks for woodlands, wetlands, and grasslands in these areas and will also help link the GCV IHN to neighbouring habitat networks in Falkirk, Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, and Edinburgh and the Lothian, further highlighting the importance of ecological connectivity throughout Scotland’s Central Belt.
In addition to the GCV wide analysis the model was applied to individual sites to demonstrate how optimal solutions can be found which do not negatively affect proposed developments, but which can incorporate strategically located habitats to provide connectivity and enhance the network. This type of analysis will be extremely useful in informing master planning or the development of Community Growth Areas or Corridors.
For full details see report below:
Glasgow and Clyde Valley Integrated Habitat Networks (PDF-1697K)
Glasgow & Clyde Valley Green Network Partnership
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