From Landscape Ecosystem to Ecological Connectivity. As a New Approach for Biodiversity Conservation in Tunisia

To improve the ecological quality of natural ecosystems and protect biodiversity, a new way of space structuration is recommended. Indeed, the planning and establishment of Green and Blue Infrastructure (GBI) are being increasingly adopted as an appropriate approach worldwide. For example, the GBI plans in the United States, Portugal, and China was successfully developed and adopted as an ideal reference for many researchers. It is an ecological network that is planned to offer a range of ecological, economic, and social benefits. Particularly, it provides opportunities for human well-being, such as recreation, education, aesthetics, culture, etc. It contributes strongly to the improvement of the living environment of the population, ensures better connectivity of spaces, and safeguards fauna and flora biodiversity. The main objective of this research is to maintain and enhance ecological connectivity in a Tunisian region located in the Sahel, Enfidha. The methodology developed focuses on habitat composition and ecosystem connectivity to determine the structural connectivity of linear and spatial habitats taking place in the study area. It comprises three steps. In the first step, the spatial arrangement of landscape features was studied. It identifies landscape diversity and characterizes habitat composition from the land use map (2017). Then, the core areas were identified corresponding to the representative species living in these environments. In the third step, ecological corridors were highlighted as large-scale linkages showing areas where species can move freely. Three different landscape ecosystems have been identified: forest ecosystem, semi-natural rangeland ecosystem and wetland ecosystem. The GBI map is created by merging landscapes’ ecosystems with core areas and ecological corridors. It represents a key solution to reduce habitat fragmentation and promote biodiversity conservation in the Enfidha region. Steps presented to elaborate on this GBI can be considered a reference to decision-makers and stakeholders in their future territorial projects in terms of sustainable development.