RT Generic
T1 Conversion of European habitat data sources into common standards
A1 Bunce, Robert
A1 Bogers, Marion
A1 Jongman, Rob
A1 Ortega Quero, Marta
A1 Morton, Daniel
A1 Allard, Ana
A1 Prinz, Martin
A1 Peterseil, Johannes
A1 Elena-Rosselló, Ramón
AB It is important to develop protocols for harmonisation in order to convert habitat categories recorded in monitoring projects in Europe into a format that enables datasets to be integrated. This deliverable demonstrates the success of the procedures for most available projects. The present document delivers conversion tables and summarises the conclusions, which can be drawn from them, including comments on their integration with satellite imagery. In Austria, Sweden and Great Britain the protocols are now being used to produce data which can be integrated at the environmental stratum level. In Spain the work in EBONE has shown that additional survey at the right level of detail will be required. The national protocols for habitat monitoring in Great Britain, Sweden and Austria have been converted into a common format based on General Habitat Categories (GHCs). The conversion tables enable full integration.  This makes it possible to use national data in estimates for European comparisons and the production European habitat extent. Without common protocols it would be impossible to carry out comparisons between  environmental zones and biogeographical regions. Although conversion at a high level will be possible with the Spanish SISPARES the scale of the Minimum Mappable Units does not fit the detail of the other projects. Further data therefore needs to be collected in the Spanish SISPARES sites to provide detailed mapping for integration. An additional conclusion reached during  the preparation of protocols for the Countryside Survey of Great Britain, was that further divisions of the GHCs will be required to improve the relationship with Remote Sensing. These divisions are being made using ancillary data that are available in all existing projects as well as from the EBONE field records. The divisions will also provide more ecological details in rassland habitats. Other national and regional projects are expected to fit this approach. For example the categories of the Northern Ireland Countryside Survey are included as an example how additional datasets can be converted into CHG’s. The conclusion to be drawn from the results presented in this Deliverable is that for projects at the national or regional level within Europe, except SISPARES, the Minimum Mappable Units are comparable with the EBONE approach. Minimum standards for data collection have been achieved in order to make European  harmonisation possible. In addition, previous work in SINUS has shown that GHCs can be used to detect habitat change over a period of years.
PB Alterra
SN 1566-7197
YR 2012
FD 2012
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/98885
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/98885
LA eng
NO Bunce, R. G. H., Bogers, M. M. B., Ortega, M., Morton, D., Allard, A., Prinz, M., Peterseil, J., Elena-Rossello, R., & Jongman, R. H. G. (2012). Conversion of European habitat data sources into common standards. (Alterra-report; No. 2277). Alterra. https://edepot.wur.nl/197186
NO This research has been carried out in the framework of the EC FP7 project EBONE (EC-FP7 Contract ENV-CT-2008-212322) and co-financed by the Dutch Ministry of Economics, Agriculture and Innovation. Project code KB14-002-007.
NO Ministry of Economics, Agriculture and Innovation (Netherlands)
NO European Commission
DS Docta Complutense
RD 6 abr 2025