Green infrastructure can promote plant functional connectivity in a grassland species around fragmented semi‐natural grasslands in NW‐Europe

Species may benefit from green infrastructure, i.e. the network of natural and anthropogenic habitat remnants in human-dominated landscapes, if it helps isolated populations remaining patches to be functionally connected. The importance infrastructure is therefore increasingly emphasized conservation policy counter biodiversity loss. However, there limited evidence, particularly plants, that promotes functional connectivity, supports colonization across a landscape. We applied landscape genetics test whether structural connectivity grassland perennial Galium verum, 35 landscapes Belgium, Germany Sweden. used multivariate genetic clustering techniques, nestedness analyses conditional inference trees examine landscape-scale patterns diversity structure plant surrounding semi-natural grasslands. Inferred explained variation better than yielding positive effects on variation. road verge network, major component its most effectively composition G. verum. verum ramets occupying proved subsets focal populations, shaping nested population with grasslands, ancient ones, harbouring unique diversity. This pattern weakened as density increased, suggesting networks enable high occupancy by increased availability facilitates gene flow into Our study proposes can promote providing species survive outside core patches. As this often excludes specialist species, practice should primarily focus ancient, managed These grasslands both harbour act primary propagule sources for landscape, highlighting their value.