next
previous
items

Data

European Mountain Areas

Data
Prod-ID: DAT-215-en
Created 23 Jul 2019 Published 30 Jul 2019 Last modified 30 Jul 2019
1 min read
The delineation of European mountain areas was carried out by using digital elevation models, considering different criteria combination of thresholds of altitude, climate, and topography variables (IP2008 8.2.7 Regional and territorial development of mountain areas, ETC/LUSI - EEA). This dataset was created in 2008, covers the full European continent and is a reference layer for the EEA Report No 6/2010 on Europe's ecological backbone: recognising the true value of our mountain.

European data

European Mountain Areas

Metadata

Additional information

The criteria for generating the European mountain areas data were based on the global dataset by Kapos et al. (2000), using the GTOPO30 global digital elevation model (DEM) developed by the US Geological Survey. The dataset excluded the climatic criteria for areas north of 62ºN. Additionally, to create continuous areas, and considering that topographic constraints play a greater role when they extend over a certain area, isolated mountainous areas of less than 10 km2 were not considered. However, non-mountainous areas of less than 10km2 within mountain massifs were included (ETC/LUSI - EEA, 2008).

Kapos, V., Rhind, J., Edwards, M., Price, M.F. and Ravilious, C. 2000.
Developing a map of the world’s mountain forests In M.F. Price and N. Butt (eds.)
Forests in sustainable mountain development: A state-of-knowledge report for 2000. CAB International, Wallingford: 4-9.

 

Permalinks

Geographic coverage

Temporal coverage

Document Actions