Characterizing the fragmentation level of Italian’s National Parks due to transportation infrastructures

• Published in: Transportation research. Part D, Transport and environment Vol. 36; pp. 18 - 28
• Main Authors: Bruschi, Daniele, Astiaso Garcia, Davide, Gugliermetti, Franco, Cumo, Fabrizio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier India Pvt Ltd 01.05.2015
• Subjects: Biodiversity; Fragmentation; Geographic Information System (GIS); Geographic information systems; Habitat fragmentation; Habitats; Infrastructural Fragmentation Index (IFI); Italian National Parks (INPS); National parks; Satellite navigation systems; Sustainable transport; Transportation infrastructures; Wildlife conservation; Transportation infrastructures; Habitat fragmentation; Infrastructural Fragmentation Index (IFI); Geographic Information System (GIS); Sustainable transport; Italian National Parks (INPS)
• ISSN: 1361-9209; 1879-2340
• DOI: 10.1016/j.trd.2015.02.006

•The habitat fragmentation due to transportation infrastructures in the INPS was assessed.•For each INP, an IFI index weighted mean was calculated.•All obtained results were recorded in a GIS database.•The results represent relevant indicators for the prioritization of biodiversity conservation. In the last decades, due to the population increase and the relative need of new land to cultivate, expand urban centers and develop transportation networks, most of the Italian natural protected areas are subject to different typologies of human pressures that generally cause habitat fragmentation. This process represents a major concern for biodiversity conservation and a key driver of species loss. The main purpose of this paper was to investigate levels of natural habitat fragmentation due to roads and railways networks in the Italian National Parks (INPS) through the use of an Infrastructural Fragmentation Index (IFI). All the operations (geospatial analysis, image classification, and fragmentation analysis) were performed using a Geographic Information System (GIS) software for elaborating a national database. The obtained results include an IFI value for each natural territorial unit inside any INP. Moreover, in order to highlight which are the INPS characterized by higher infrastructural fragmentations, an IFI weighted mean was calculated for each INP. These results represent important indicators for the prioritization of biodiversity conservation interventions and the planning of a INPS sustainable management.