The Green Belt as a European Ecological Network strengths and gaps

Kun Zhang
REVIEW AND GAPS: EUROPEAN ECOLOGICAL NETWORKS IN THE PAST 40 YEARS
3 THE HISTORY OF ECOLOGICAL NETWORKS: THREE PERIODS
Historic predecessors to ecological networks include landscape axis and avenue designs
in Europe (1700s-1930s), the early concepts of arranging for cities to have ‘green belts, and
also the idea of the ‘Parkway’ in North America (1920s-1960s). Concepts to develop
greenways and greenway network exist, among other places, in the United States (1960spresent).
All of these efforts provide the background for modern designs for urban open space
systems, and also for nature conservation and sustainable spatial planning. Based on these
concepts and approaches, it took nearly 300 years for the modern idea of the ‘ecological
network’ to be developed (1970s-present).
Based on the theories and practices published in the relevant literature, the development
of the ‘ecological network’ concept may be divided into three periods. The first period is the
initial period of spontaneous initiatives. The second period is the development with a clear
concept and specific organizations. The third period is the further implementation and
extension of ecological networks.
3.1 The first period: singular and spontaneous initiatives (around 1970s-1980s)
While exploring the beginning of the ecological network idea most of the literature
points at five countries: Lithuania, Estonia, former Czechoslovakia, Demark and The
Netherlands. Pioneers of thinking about ecological network are from these countries. Hence,
during this period, ecological network efforts originated more or less spontaneously as
singular events. Aims are varied and mainly focus on nature conservation at regional or
national scales. Nature conservation is mainly concerned with crucial species and with
habitats to be in their natural state. The concept of ecological networks has, during this time,
not been generally accepted as a planning and management strategy.
Early in the 1970s studies have been carried out that are based on the so called ‘island
biography’ concept. On this basis, plans were made in Lithuania and Estonia to combat
isolation effects that resulted from landscape fragmentation. In the beginning of the 1980s
ecological network planning started in former Czechoslovakia. In the same period the concept
of nature corridors was introduced as a relevant part of Danish regional plans and in 1984 the
concept of ecological networks was worked out as a national plan [6]. At the European level,
the Diploma Sites network(1965, the network of Biogenetic Reserves(1976)and
EECONET had been discussed [3].
3.2 The second period: clear concept and specific organizations (around 1990s-2000s)
The end of the Cold War and establishing the European Community provides the
political background during this period. Better academic exchange was now possible, such as
about nature conservation in European countries. Projects were started that were based on
transboundary cooperation and on international protection protocols (such as Natura 2000). It
107