Green infrastructure — analysis results

In March 2012, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency was commissioned, in consultation with several other authorities, to “draw a landscape analysis and analyse relevant instruments for the development of green infrastructure” with the aim of clarifying the geographical and spatial distribution in the landscape of areas and structures that are of particular importance for biodiversity, for their long-term conservation and to demonstrate the need for reinforcement and improved contact. One conclusion is that there is a great need for both a tool and improved governance in order to be able to conduct cross-sectoral planning with measures for green infrastructure, both at national and regional level in Sweden. Within the assignment, work on analysing landscapes and policy instruments to strengthen the green infrastructure has begun. The report should be seen as a first step where further deepening is necessary to strengthen the green infrastructure http://www.naturvardsverket.se/Start/Om-Naturvardsverket/Regeringsuppdrag/Redovisade-regeringsuppdrag-2012/Utveckling-av-den-grona-infrastrukturen/. We point out a number of areas that should be explored in more detail in a next step, as the time for carrying out the mission has led to large boundaries. The landscape analysis has been focused on the forest and agricultural landscapes within five different terrestrial habitats: pine forest, spruce forest, trivial deciduous forest, deciduous forest, grasslands and lakes, streams and coastal waters. The Mosaic landscape is treated in general terms. The analysis is based on the spatial distribution of valuable areas/value cores and also includes the other landscape’s potential as dispersion and reinforcement areas. However, not all types of nature have undergone the same type of analysis. The maps presented are based on a large amount of data compiled in part new ways by also including a rough estimate of the species’ potential to spread through the everyday landscape.