Map of the Week – Biodiversity and Habitat Classification
The ninth session of the Plenary of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) is taking place from 3 to 9 July 2022. IPBES is an independent intergovernmental body comprising 139 member Governments and many non-governmental observer organisations which provides policymakers with objective scientific assessments about the state of knowledge regarding the planet’s biodiversity, ecosystems and the contributions they make to people, as well as the tools and methods to protect and sustainably use these vital natural assets. On this occasion, two major new scientific reports are being launched, respectively on ‘Sustainable Use of Wild Species’ and ‘Values and Valuation of Nature’. [1] Did you know IPBES is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year?
Documenting, monitoring and assessing habitat types in a comparable manner across Europe is a tool for informing and supporting policy decisions on biodiversity. The most comprehensive hierarchical approach for describing habitats in European ecosystems is the EUNIS habitat classification. The definition of habitats used for the EUNIS habitat classification is: “a place where plants or animals normally live, characterized primarily by its physical features and secondarily by the species of plants and animals that live there”. [2] Explore the Map of the Week to discover the different habitats!
Wish to know more about biodiversity and the ocean?
- Watch the opening ceremony of the ninth session of the IPBES Plenary;
- Learn about Seabed 2030’s announcement on increase in ocean data;
- Discover upcoming events on the Ocean Decade website.
The data in this map are provided by EMODnet.
[1] https://ipbes.net/media_release/IPBES9
[2] https://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/biodiversity/an-introduction-to-habitats