Developing a Landscape Ecology-Based Diagnostic Methodology to guide Agrobiodiversity Conservation and Support in Peri-Urban Landscapes

In the context of the ongoing decline in biodiversity within peri-urban landscapes (PUL) of the urban-rural interface, this study proposes a diagnostic tool derived from landscape ecology. The primary objective of this tool is to assist in the formulation of management strategies that are designed to preserve agrobiodiversity within these complex and ever-changing environments. A case study is presented related to Oasi Ca’ Granda farm (South of the Metropolitan City of Milan), where there is an overlap between environmental degradation, landscape simplification and negative externalities related to land use. The method is divided into two primary stages (1). The initial step in the process is the “reading” of the landscape, which is achieved through a multiscale analysis of structural and functional elements. It considers diversity indices, patch structure and size, ecological connectivity and bionomic providers (Fig. 1), allowing the understanding for both vulnerability drivers and ecological potential at both local and large territorial scales. The subsequent phase is the “writing” of the landscape, though which strategic interventions are cast by Nature Based Solutions (NBS). The purpose of such interventions is to stimulate ecological restoration processes, thereby supporting agrobiodiversity and improving the delivery of ecosystem services (2, 3). Strategic interventions are based on agroforestry practices and green and blue infrastructures. These are used as integrated tools to increase the structural and functional complexity of the PUL. These elements have the capacity to engender ecological resilience and facilitate biodiversity at various scales. The multi-scale study leads to the identification of a farm-scale masterplan, the intention of which is to serve as an evolutionary and replicable development framework. The combination of scientific instruments and local environmental scientific knowledge is a key aspect of the study. The outlined strategy has been shown to make the ecological contributions of management visible and accountable. It addresses ecological fragmentation, functional disconnections and the loss of spatial identity by providing a method to transform environmental pressures into an opportunity for systemic balancing and regeneration.