Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities

Green Infrastructure:Linking Landscapes and Communities

By Ole M. Amundsen IIIStrategic Conservation Program Manager

The Conservation Fund

February 14, 2013

Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities

The Conservation Fund forges partnerships to conserve America’s legacy of land and water resources.

Through land acquisition, community and economic development, and training and education, the Fund and its partners demonstrate balanced conservation solutions that emphasize the integration of economic and environmental goals

The Conservation FundMission Statement

Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities

Strategic Conservation Services

• Green Infrastructure Approach

• Identify best lands to conserve and to accommodate development

• Implement strategies for smarter, sustainable land uses Greeninfrastructure.Net

IslandPress.org

Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities

Network connections are required for functioning infrastructure

Infrastructure features and processes need to be managed to maintain essential services

Funding for infrastructure needs to be provided up-front

Infrastructure is a necessity not an amenity

Why “Infrastructure”? Infrastructure – “the substructure or underlying foundation on which the continuance and growth of a community depends” Webster’s New World Dictionary

Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities

Green Infrastructure – What is it?• A strategically

planned and managed network of natural lands, working landscapes, and other open spaces that conserves ecosystem values and functions and provides associated benefits to human populations

Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities

Land Use (2001)

Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities7

Green Infrastructure Network DesignCore Areas: • Contain fully functional

natural ecosystems• Provide high-quality

habitat for native plants and animals

Hubs:• Slightly fragmented

aggregations of core areas, plus contiguous natural cover

Corridors:• Link core areas together • Allow animal movement

and seed and pollen transfer between core areas

Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities

Green Infrastructure Steps

Green Infrastructure Network DesignDEVELOP DESIGN

GOALS & OBJECTIVES/ SELECT DESIRED

GI ATTRIBUTES

ID LANDSCAPE TYPES/GATHER AND PROCESS DATA

IDENTIFY & CONNECT NETWORK

COMPONENTS (HUBS, LINKS & SITES)

ASSESS NETWORK COMPONENTS /

SET PRIORITIES FOR ACTION

SEEK “OUTSIDE” REVIEW &

INPUT

Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities

Step 1.

Green Infrastructure Network DesignDEVELOP DESIGN

GOALS & OBJECTIVES/ SELECT DESIRED

GI ATTRIBUTES

Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities

Central Indiana Land Trust GI Project Conserve significant contiguous

natural habitat Identify and protect a network of

stream and land corridors for wildlife movement and human enjoyment

Help local planning become more environmentally sensitive

Increase public awareness of the multiple benefits of green infrastructure

Increase public support for green infrastructure

Increase the coordination of green and gray infrastructure projects to maximize the benefits for nature and people

Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities

Resource Inventory, Analysis, and Synthesis

Gathering information on current natural resource conservation and green space programs and policies at the federal, state, regional and local level

Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities

Step 2.

Green Infrastructure Network DesignDEVELOP DESIGN

GOALS & OBJECTIVES/ SELECT DESIRED

GI ATTRIBUTES

ID LANDSCAPE TYPES/GATHER AND PROCESS DATA

Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities

Landscape Attributes

Identifying the landscape attributes or features present in the study area provides direction as to the diversity of data you will need to collect for network design.

Landscape Attribute

Large blocks of undisturbed forest

High-quality wetland complexes

Minimally impaired stream reaches plus associated riparian vegetation, within minimally impacted watersheds

Landscape Type

Forest

Wetland

Freshwater aquatics

Ecological Network

Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities

Identify Landscapes – Central Indiana

In the Central Indiana there were several landscapes of interest including:

• Forests• Freshwater aquatic• Wetlands

Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities

Identify Landscape Attributes – Central IndianaFeatures IncludeTrailsHistoric ResourcesLandcover TypesStream-River CorridorsLakesFloodplainsWetlandsRare, Threatened and Endangered Species

Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities

Step 3.

Green Infrastructure Network DesignSELECT Desired

GI ATTRIBUTES / DEVELOP DESIGN

GOALS & OBJECTIVES

IDENTIFY & CONNECT NETWORK

COMPONENTS (HUBS, LINKS & SITES)

ID LANDSCAPE TYPES/GATHER AND PROCESS DATA

Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities

• Species well distributed across their native range are less susceptible to extinction than species confined to small portions of their range.

• Large blocks of habitat, containing large populations of a target species, are superior to small blocks of habitat containing small populations.

• Blocks of habitat close together are better than blocks far apart.

Cont’d…

GI Network Design Guidelines

Better Worse

Better Worse

Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities

• Habitat in contiguous blocks is better than fragmented habitat.

• Interconnected blocks of habitat are better than isolated blocks; corridors or linkages function better when habitat within them resembles that preferred by target species.

• Blocks of habitat that are roadless or otherwise inaccessible to humans are better than roaded and accessible habitat blocks.

GI Network Design Guidelines

Better Worse

Better Worse

Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities

Central Indiana: Core Wetlands

Indiana Bat (Myotis sodalist) MaxEnt modeling

• Climate data

• Land use

• Other layers

King Rail (Rallus elegans)• Emergent wetlands/marshes• > 20 acres

Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities

Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) Models

MaxEnt is a machine learning technique that can be used to predict plant or animal distribution.

Compare species occurrences over a study area to a set of relevant environmental factors, such as vegetation or soil. Estimates spatial distribution of the species by assuming nothing about which is unknown (maximizing entropy) but by matching the occurrence data with underlying environmental variables. Useful for rare and endangered species since absence data is not required and the model needs relatively small number (50) occurrence points.

Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities

Indiana Bat MaxEnt Model

Indiana Bat Summer habitat preferences:• Forested habitat, near water, wetlands• Roosting sites under sloughing bark of large live or dead trees with direct sun exposure

Winter hibernacula (caves) could not be satisfactorily modeled, but most cave locations are known. Protecting known hibernacula and combating white-nose syndrome are the highest priority for this species.

For Indiana both the GAP data and National Land Cover Data were used and compared

Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities

Indiana Bat Model for the State of IN

Model Inputs• Point locations of focal species: A total of 208

element occurrences (both individuals and colonies) were used for Indiana.

• Grid (raster layers) representing relevant environmental factors: A total of 30 Environmental Variables were used for Indiana.

Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities

Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities

Hubs• Slightly fragmented

aggregations of core areas, plus contiguous natural cover

• Large enough to support populations of native species and serve as sources for emigration into surrounding landscape

DisturbanceDisturbanceExample Forest - In 300 Example Forest - In 300 Years:Years:-15 Fires15 Fires-4 Hurricanes4 Hurricanes-7 Windstorms7 Windstorms-InfestationsInfestations-BlightBlight-Disturbances the Disturbances the Rule, Not the Rule, Not the ExceptionExceptionSource Mark Anderson, TNC, LTA Rally 2004

How Big Are Hubs? It depends…

Source Mark Anderson, TNC, LTA Rally 2004

How Large Are Forest Hubs?

Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities

Corridors• Linear features linking core areas• Wind through human-dominated land like agriculture or development• Allow animal, seed, and pollen movement between core areas

Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities

How wide to make corridors? It depends…

Narrow corridor with no interior conditions

Studies on corridor width vary; best functioning corridors are wide enough for interior conditions and species(as shown at right)

Narrow corridor with eroded stream banks and invasive plants

Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities

Forested Buffers for StreamsNo rules of thumb, however, recent studies recommend a minimum buffer width of 115 feet of forested land cover to provide basic physical and chemical buffering.

For many eastern states, wildlife movement facilitated by buffers at 650 feet in fragmented areas to 1,100 feet (500 ft interior forests with 300 ft buffer on either side) in less fragmented areas.

Can consider reforestation in fragmented areas to achieve adequate widths for corridors.

Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities

Least Cost Path GIS ModelCalculates the least accumulative cost distance for each cell to the nearest source (e.g., between one core area and others) over a cost surface.A series of “cost” or “impedance” layers are created. The higher the cost, the more difficult it is for a species to move across the landscapeModel outputs are one cell width (30 meter) pathsPaths are expanded to a minimum size as required by focal species

Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities

Least Cost Path for Forest Corridors

Cost layer for forest is a composite of the following layers: Land cover (degree of forested land) Impervious surfaces Roads (remoteness, fragmentation)

Focal species: Bobcat, grey fox, turkey, andeastern box turtle: Corridor width set at 100 meters (328 feet)

Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities

Greening the Crossroads

Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities

Step 4.

Green Infrastructure Network DesignSELECT Desired

GI ATTRIBUTES / DEVELOP DESIGN

GOALS & OBJECTIVES

IDENTIFY & CONNECT NETWORK

COMPONENTS (HUBS, LINKS & SITES)

ASSESS NETWORK COMPONENTS /

SET PRIORITIES FOR ACTION

ID LANDSCAPE TYPES/GATHER AND PROCESS DATA

Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities

Characterizing a green infrastructure network• Resources may be too limited to protect an entire network in the

short term, so usually need to prioritize efforts.

• Different ways to characterize and prioritize network elements:– Overall ecological value– Development risk– Functional (hydrologic control, nutrient cycling, wildlife habitat,

etc.)– Ecosystem services (water quality, groundwater recharge, flood

protection, pollination, carbon sequestration, genetic bank, ecotourism, etc.)

– Combination (e.g., value and risk)

Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities

Step 5.

Green Infrastructure Network DesignSELECT Desired

GI ATTRIBUTES / DEVELOP DESIGN

GOALS & OBJECTIVES

IDENTIFY & CONNECT NETWORK

COMPONENTS (HUBS, LINKS & SITES)

ASSESS NETWORK COMPONENTS /

SET PRIORITIES FOR ACTION

SEEK “OUTSIDE” REVIEW &

INPUT

ID LANDSCAPE TYPES/ GATHER AND

PROCESS DATA

Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities

Public Involvement

• Over 80 stakeholders attended Leadership forums

• 129 stakeholders attended one of four focus group meetings on the following topics:– Working Lands– People, Greenways and Wildlife

Corridors– Forest Interiors– Water Quality and Quantity

• Technical review team of 26 experts

Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities

• Land Purchase• Nature Preserve Quality• Public Access• Larger Conservation Area

GTC Network Plan

BLOSSOM HOLLOW

Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities

• Working directly with planning staff to provide language for Comprehensive Plans and Zoning

•Providing GIS Shape Files to Planning Depts.

•Using the GTC Network shape file for critical lands in storm-water management plans

From Fishers Stormwater Management Plan

Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities

Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities

Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities

Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities

Functional connectivity describes the degree to which landscapes facilitate or impede the movement of organisms and processes.

Product of both landscape structure and the response of organisms and processes to this structure.

Functional Connectivity

Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities

Identifies and prioritizes areas most important for wildlife movement.Tool developed by Tool Developed by: John Norman -NRSC, CO. TCF Reviewers: Michael Schwartz ,Jazmin Varela Ted WeberRandomly places simulated organisms throughout suitable habitat in landscape. Optimal pathways identified between organism locations and other suitable habitat

Terrestrial Movement Analysis tool

Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities

Terrestrial Movement Analysis tool Runs multiple

iterationsRandom placement

varies for each iteration, thus pathway locations vary as well

Outputs from iterations averaged to create final pathways

Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities

Terrestrial Movement Analysis tool

The movement potential integrates - 1)patch connectivity (pathways)2)corridor cost, and 3)inter-corridor movement

Resulting in single value that ranges between 0 and 1 with one indicating the highest potential for movement.

Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities

Additional Information

Allen, W. 2012. Advancing Green Infrastructure at All Scales: From Landscape to Site. Environmental Practice 14 (1): 17‐25

Weber, Ted, “Development and application of a statewide conservation network in Delaware.” Journal of Conservation, Vol 3 (2007) pp. 17-46 http://www.journalconsplanning.org/

Mark Anderson, How much is enough? Conservation Planning at Multiple Scales, TNC, http://sweetwatertrust.org/forestreserves

Lerner, J. and W. Allen. 2012. Landscape‐Scale Green Infrastructure Investments as a Climate Adaptation Strategy: A Case Example for the Midwest United States. Environmental Practice 14 (1): 45‐56.

Ole M. Amundsen IIIStrategic Conservation Program Manageroamundsen@conservationfund.org phone 607-277-0999