Land environments of Spain, a proposal of land classification aimed at facilitating the analysis and management of biodiversity

Abstract

Galicia, D., Hervás, J., Martínez, R., Seoane, J., Hidalgo, R. (2010). Land environments of Spain, a proposal of land classification aimed at facilitating the analysis and management of biodiversity. Ecosistemas 19(3):52-65

The complex pattern and relationships of Spanish natural environments are revealed by a land classification that is constructed using a statistical procedure for identifying similar environmental areas, regardless of their geographic location across the country. Rather than treating all environments as equally different, the dissimilarity between them is also quantified. This classification is based on a comprehensive set of variables that strongly influence geographic variation in biotic patterns. The resolution is 1 km2. The resulting 90 strata (68  in  Iberian-Balearic Spain, 22 in the Canary Islands)  can  be  aggregated hierarchically depending on the level of generalization that is required. Although it was primarily constructed as a spatial reference framework for the development of the Natura 2000 network, this classification was conceived as a nationally consistent tool for monitoring, reporting and management of a range of issues, including biodiversity and land uses.