Review of the applied methodologies and results

In order to provide a methodological support for all connectivity activities in the Alps, the Continuum Initiative evaluated existing approaches / methods developed for designing and implementing ecological networks.  A small group of scientists and practitioners has evaluated the applied methodologies and results from four approaches: from the joint project of the partners that started in 2002 (based mainly on species), from the project of ALPARC (based mainly on land use and habitats), from the Swiss national ecological network REN and from the Pan European Ecological Network (PEEN). This evaluation helped to find the most efficient application of these methods (but not the development of a new methodological approach) and the reliability of available results.

This evaluation was organised in 2 steps:

• A general assessment of 4 proposed methods
• Discussion of the results at a 2-days-workshop and development of the methodological package for the connectivity project. 

The results of the methodological evaluation have been published in an "Assessment Report":

Assessment Report "Evaluation of Approaches" (37 pages – 470 kB)

Assessment Report "Evaluation of Approaches" with Appendix (92 pages – 1 MB)