The rewilding of terrestrial landscapes must take account of human activities and infrastructure. People live, work and play on dry land which means that rewilding efforts need to take account of other forms of land use like agriculture, roads, and cities.
Slide 1. Food production – Integrating rewilding with sustainable agricultural practices can create multifunctional landscapes that benefit both nature and people. This is particularly true in less productive landscapes like mountains where small-scale agriculture and extensive livestock herding can be compatible with the return of wilder nature. A focus on promoting coexistence is often necessary so that the return of wildlife is compatible with maintaining these local livelihoods.
In fertile lowland areas, overlap with intensive forms of agriculture often makes it difficult to apply ambitious rewilding approaches. However, rewilding should be seen as a gradient where any progress towards the restoration of wild nature is an improvement. In this regard, the integration of sustainable agricultural practices can help to create more biodiverse, multifunctional landscapes that benefit both nature and people.
Agroforestry combines trees and shrubs with crops and livestock and enhances biodiversity, improves soil health and provides additional income streams for farmers. Establishing buffer zones of natural vegetation around agricultural fields is one way to reduce pesticide runoff, enhance pollination, provide habitats for wildlife and increase connectivity.
Slide 2. Urban areas – Urban areas are expanding throughout Europe and rewilding efforts can bring nature into cities, providing numerous benefits: Green spaces – creating parks, green roofs, and urban forests can improve air quality, reduce urban heat islands, and provide recreational opportunities for residents. Wildlife corridors – establishing corridors that connect urban green spaces with rural areas can facilitate wildlife movement and enhance biodiversity.
Slide 3. Infrastructure – Infrastructure like roads, rail lines, power lines, fences and dams can negatively impact landscape connectivity and impede natural processes. There are many ways to improve such infrastructure so that it has less impact on wildlife. Examples include:
- wildlife passages on roads and fish passages on dams
- insulating and increasing the visibility of power lines to reduce bird mortality
- fitting bird detection technology on wind turbines
- developing solar power infrastructure on roofs and brownfield sites, rather than on intact natural habitats.
