Resilient Ecological Networks (RENs), are networks of habitat linking protected sites and other biodiversity hotspots across the wider landscape, providing maximum benefit for biodiversity and human well-being. Such networks have existing or potential for healthy resilient ecosystems, which provide a range of important ecosystem services, as well as allowing the movement of species across landscapes in response to climate change and disruptive or adverse events. The maintenance, enhancement and re-creation of RENs are vital for nature recovery.
RENs are composed of Core Zones (including protected sites such as SSSIs) and Nature Recovery Zones. These mapped together form an applied opportunity map for a Network.
The current layers available are the mapped products of the Gwent Levels Nature Network, which define resilient ecological networks in this area: Core and Nature Recovery Zone.
As well as this set of priority networks, it is useful to also be able to view these layers alongside other open datasets available which are the:
- Sites of Special Scientific Interest NRW_DS98776
- Priority Ecological Networks NRW_DS125572
The output of the project has identified 42 core zones covering 18,979 hectares (ha) and 86 nature recovery zones covering 2,214 ha as two GIS layers. These broadly comprise freshwater, fen, bog, semi-natural grassland, and native woodland ecosystems. The Core Zone layer is based on sites designated for nature conservation in Wales (SAC, SSSI, NNRs, SINC, Priority habitats as identified in Section 7 of the Environment (Wales) Act, and Ancient Woodland database).
These layers highlight areas of opportunity and serve as an evidence base to support action planning, while remaining flexible and not prescriptive in terms of specific conservation measures.
