Biodiversity & Environment
WILDLIFE ENHANCEMENT PLANS LEAP FORWARD
Wildlife will benefit from the creation of the GCV Green Network as years of habitat fragmentation are reversed by a groundbreaking new project.
The GCV Green Network Partnership’s Integrated Habitat Network (IHN) Model project will guide the design of new development to strengthen habitat networks.
It is hoped this will help address damage caused by decades of earlier development which contributed to today’s fragmented environment.
The IHN project, the largest of its kind ever attempted in Scotland, will improve linkages between existing wildlife habitats and create new pathways to allow animals more freedom of movement, allowing biodiversity to flourish across the area.
The first phase of the project has established a working model which can be used by planners and land managers to make informed decisions about how to better integrate new development with the habitat requirements of local wildlife.
In the coming months a dedicated IHN Officer will be encouraging potential users to use the Model and to adapt the Model to their requirements in order to create a series of detailed habitat network plans.
By working together this will help guide the direction of future urban development projects across the Clyde Valley improving and enhancing both biodiversity and the local environment.
