Client: Scottish Natural Heritage

Contract Summary: We have been contracted to develop guidance for a range of audiences to explain some of the concepts in spatial ecology, focusing particularly on ecological networks.

In recent years there's been increased interest in the idea of managing wildlife at a landscape scale - rather than just concentrating on isolated, protected areas such as nature reserves, we also need to improve the quality of the broader landscape around those areas.  A range of techniques have developed for this, including 'habitat networks'Habitat Network: a set of separate habitats  that are sufficiently connected for a species to move between the individual habitats which are used to establish where to target future management effort.  As these techniques and approaches have developed, a wide range of different terms and methods have been used, many of which are quite technical and not that easily understood by the average person working on the ground.

To help overcome some of this confusion, SNH have contracted Walking-the-Talk to produce guidance on spatial ecology and ecological networks.  The guidance will be designed for a range of different users, including planners, land managers and policy developers and will define the main terms used in this rapidly growing field.

The draft guidance can be accessed by steering group members (please log in before accessing these pages)

Contract completion date:  Oct 2009