  Background/Purpose: In the context of the European Biodiversity policy, the
Green Infrastructure Strategy is one supporting tool to mitigate fragmentation,
inter-alia to increase the spatial and functional connectivity between
protected and unprotected areas. The Joint Research Centre has developed an
integrated model to provide a macro-scale set of indices to evaluate the
connectivity of the Natura 2000 network, which forms the backbone of a Green
Infrastructure for Europe. The model allows a wide assessment and comparison to
be performed across countries in terms of structural (spatially connected or
isolated sites) and functional connectivity (least-cost distances between sites
influenced by distribution, distance and land cover).
  Main conclusion: The Natura 2000 network in Europe shows differences among
countries in terms of the sizes and numbers of sites, their distribution as
well as distances between sites. Connectivity has been assessed on the basis of
a 500 m average inter-site distance, roads and intensive land use as barrier
effects as well as the presence of "green" corridors. In all countries the
Natura 2000 network is mostly made of sites which are not physically connected.
Highest functional connectivity values are found for Spain, Slovakia, Romania
and Bulgaria. The more natural landscape in Sweden and Finland does not result
in high inter-site network connectivity due to large inter-site distances. The
distribution of subnets with respect to roads explains the higher share of
isolated subnets in Portugal than in Belgium.
