title: Green infrastructure development at European Union's eastern border: Effects of road infrastructure and forest habitat loss.
abstract: The functionality of forest patches and networks as green infrastructure may be affected negatively both by expanding road networks and forestry intensification. We assessed the effects of (1) the current and planned road infrastructure, and (2) forest loss and gain, on the remaining large forest landscape massifs as green infrastructure at the EU's eastern border region in post-socialistic transition. First, habitat patch and network functionality in 1996-98 was assessed using habitat suitability index modelling. Second, we made expert interviews about road development with planners in 10 administrative regions in Poland, Belarus and Ukraine. Third, forest loss and gain inside the forest massifs, and gain outside them during the period 2001-14 were measured. This EU cross-border region hosts four remaining forest massifs as regional green infrastructure hotspots. While Poland's road network is developing fast in terms of new freeways, city bypasses and upgrades of road quality, in Belarus and Ukraine the focus is on maintenance of existing roads, and no new corridors. We conclude that economic support from the EU, and thus rapid development of roads in Poland, is likely to reduce the permeability for wildlife of the urban and agricultural matrix around existing forest massifs. However, the four identified forest massifs themselves, forming the forest landscape green infrastructure at the EU's east border, were little affected by road development plans. In contrast, forest loss inside massifs was high, especially in Ukraine. Only in Poland forest loss was balanced by gain. Forest gain outside forest massifs was low. To conclude, pro-active and collaborative spatial planning across different sectors and countries is needed to secure functional forest green infrastructure as base for biodiversity conservation and human well-being.
authors.affiliation: Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Faculty of Forest Sciences, School for Forest Management, Forest-Landscape-Society Network, PO Box 43, SE-739 21 Skinnskatteberg, Sweden. Electronic address: per.angelstam@slu.se.
authors.forename: Per
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Angelstam
authors.affiliation: Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Faculty of Forest Sciences, School for Forest Management, Forest-Landscape-Society Network, PO Box 43, SE-739 21 Skinnskatteberg, Sweden. Electronic address: okhaulyak@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Olha
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Khaulyak
authors.affiliation: Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Faculty of Forest Sciences, School for Forest Management, Forest-Landscape-Society Network, PO Box 43, SE-739 21 Skinnskatteberg, Sweden; Ivan Franko National University, Faculty of Geography, Doroshenko Street 41, 79000 Lviv, Ukraine; WWF Danube Carpathian Programme, Mushaka Street 42, 79000 Lviv, Ukraine. Electronic address: taras.yamelynets@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Taras
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamelynets
authors.affiliation: Aleksandras Stulginskis University, Institute of Forest Management and Wood Science, Studentų 13, LT-53362 Akademija, Kauno r., Lithuania. Electronic address: gintautas.mozgeris@asu.lt.
authors.forename: Gintautas
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mozgeris
authors.affiliation: Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Faculty of Forest Sciences, School for Forest Management, Forest-Landscape-Society Network, PO Box 43, SE-739 21 Skinnskatteberg, Sweden. Electronic address: vladimir.naumov@slu.se.
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Naumov
authors.affiliation: University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Department of Landscape Ecology and Nature Conservation, Dobrzańskiego St. 37, 20-262 Lublin, Poland. Electronic address: tadeusz.chmielewski@up.lublin.pl.
authors.forename: Tadeusz J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Chmielewski
authors.affiliation: Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Faculty of Forest Sciences, School for Forest Management, Forest-Landscape-Society Network, PO Box 43, SE-739 21 Skinnskatteberg, Sweden. Electronic address: marine.elbakidze@slu.se.
authors.forename: Marine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Elbakidze
authors.affiliation: Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Faculty of Forest Sciences, School for Forest Management, Forest-Landscape-Society Network, PO Box 43, SE-739 21 Skinnskatteberg, Sweden; Aleksandras Stulginskis University, Institute of Forest Biology and Silviculture, Studentų 13, LT-53362 Akademija, Kauno r., Lithuania. Electronic address: michael.manton@slu.se.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Manton
authors.affiliation: WWF Danube Carpathian Programme, Mushaka Street 42, 79000 Lviv, Ukraine; National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, State Museum of Natural History, 18 Teatralna Street, Lviv 79008, Ukraine. Electronic address: bohdan.prots@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Bohdan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Prots
authors.affiliation: National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Centre of Biological Resources, Department of Wildlife Conservation, Akademicheskaya Street 27, 220072 Minsk, Belarus. Electronic address: sviatsviat@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Sviataslau
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Valasiuk
mesh_terms: D044822:Biodiversity; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D017753:Ecosystem; D005062:European Union; D016468:Forestry; D065928:Forests; D006801:Humans; D014197:Trees
keywords: Biodiversity; Development co-operation; Ecosystem services; Forest loss and gain; Functional habitat networks; Road development