Ecogain is running an innovation project to increase biodiversity and ecosystem services in power line corridors, in close collaboration with Svenska kraftnät, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Umeå and Södra Skogsägarna.
Smarter practices deliver large-scale impact on existing land
Power line corridors can provide habitats for a wide range of species that are otherwise excluded from the landscape. The regular clearing of power line corridors has in some places created meadow-like environments that can provide food and shelter for plants, butterflies and bees.
In the coming year, the innovation project will gather knowledge and experience and develop proposals for new methods of power line management. The aim is to develop methods that are technically feasible, economically justifiable, geographically adaptable and that benefit one or more ecosystem services.
Previous studies of power line corridors have focused on the most species-rich environments - the biological hotspots. These studies have produced good results, but on limited areas. This project focuses on the other parts, i.e. the nearly 140,000 hectares of power line corridors that exist throughout Sweden. Is it possible to manage power line corridors in a smarter way? Can we increase biodiversity, or invest in other ecosystem services such as increased wildlife grazing, even on this land that does not have the highest values today?
Contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals
The project is funded within the framework of Vinnova's program Challenge-driven innovation - for collaborative projects that work long-term to solve societal challenges to contribute to the global sustainability goals.
