Data centre overview

Page Last modified 22 May 2017

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The Biodiversity data centre (BDC) provides access to data and information on species, habitat types and sites of interest in Europe and to related products for biodiversity indicators and assessments. Priority is given to policy-relevant data and information for European and national institutions, professionals, researchers and the public.

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Natura 2000 Barometer

Dashboard (Tableau) 22 May 2018

The Natura 2000 Barometer provides an overview on the Natura 2000 network of sites under the Birds and the Habitats Directives, in terms of information on area and site numbers.

Copernicus Land Monitoring Service - High Resolution Layers - Forests

Data 16 May 2018

The high resolution forest product consists of three types of (status) products and additional change products. The status products are available for the 2012 and 2015 reference years: 1. Tree cover density providing level of tree cover density in a range from 0-100% 2. Dominant leaf type providing information on the dominant leaf type: broadleaved or coniferous 3. A Forest type product. The forest type product allows to get as close as possible to the FAO forest definition. In its original (20m) resolution it consists of two products: 1) a dominant leaf type product that has a MMU of 0.5 ha, as well as a 10% tree cover density threshold applied, and 2) a support layer that maps, based on the dominant leaf type product, trees under agricultural use and in urban context (derived from CLC and high resolution imperviousness 2009 data). For the final 100m product trees under agricultural use and urban context from the support layer are removed. The high resolution forest change products comprise a simple tree cover density change product for 2012-2015 (% increase or decrease of real tree cover density changes).

Natura 2000: Birds and Habitats Directives

Figure 07 May 2018

Data: 2017

Percentage of NUTS3 regions covered by high and very high fragmentation pressure classes

Figure 26 Apr 2018

The map shows the percentage of NUTS3 regions covered by high an very high fragmentation pressure classes. Fragmentation pressure classes express the number of meshes per 1000 km2.

Fragmentation pressure within and outside of Natura 2000 sites per country

Data Visualization 26 Apr 2018

Status of marine fish and shellfish in European seas

Indicator Assessment 03 Apr 2018

Safeguarding healthy commercial fish and shellfish populations is one of the 11 descriptors of the Marine Stretegy Framework Directive (MSFD) for achieving GES. This objective is closely related to the objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), in particular the objective of ensuring the maximum sustainable yield (MSY) for all stocks by 2015 where possible, and at the latest by 2020. Currently, around 74 % of the assessed fish and shellfish stocks in Europe’s seas are not in GES, whereas only 26 % are in GES when assessing both the level of fishing mortality and reproductive capacity; this assessment does not include the third GES criterion on age and size structure of the populations as this cannot be assessed at present. These percentages vary considerably between MSFD (sub)regions — from at least 67-88 % of the stocks meeting at least one of the GES criteria in the regions in the NE Atlantic and the Baltic Sea to only one out of 27 (4 %) and one out of 8 (13 %) in the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea respectively. Important signs of improvement are being observed in the NE Atlantic Ocean and Baltic Sea. Since the early 2000s, better management of fish and shellfish stocks has contributed to a clear decrease in fishing pressure in these two regional seas. Signs of recovery in the reproductive capacity of several fish and shellfish stocks have started to appear. If these efforts continue, meeting the 2020 objective for healthy fish and shellfish stocks in the NE Atlantic Ocean and Baltic Sea could be possible based on two of the three criteria (i.e. fishing mortality and reproductive capacity). In contrast, there is little likelihood that the 2020 policy objective will be met in the Mediterranean and Black Seas.

Natura 2000 data - the European network of protected sites

Data 03 Apr 2018

Natura 2000 is the key instrument to protect biodiversity in the European Union. It is an ecological network of protected areas, set up to ensure the survival of Europe's most valuable species and habitats. Natura 2000 is based on the 1979 Birds Directive and the 1992 Habitats Directive. This version covers the reporting in 2017.

Fragmentation pressure of urban and transport infrastructure expansion

GIS Map Application 12 Jan 2018

Classes represent the number of meshes per 1 000 square kilometres. Light colours mean less fragmentation pressure and dark colours mean more fragmentation pressure exerted by urban and transport infrastructure expansion.

Forest: growing stock, increment and fellings

Indicator Assessment 08 Dec 2017

The ratio of forest fellings to increment is relatively stable and remains under 80 % for most countries across Europe. This utilisation rate has allowed Europe's forest stock to continue to increase. The average growing stock density in European forests is 163 m 3 per hectare. While this varies considerably between countries, high individual values can be mainly put down to ecological conditions that favour tree growth, the protection of forest areas and, locally, forest harvesting difficulties.

Natura 2000 European protected areas — interactive map

GIS Map Application 15 Sep 2017

Ecological network of European protected areas

Europe's seas and selected characteristics of EU marine protected area networks

Figure 18 Dec 2015

The table shows the areal extent of Europe's seas and selected characteristics of EU marine protected areas (MPAs), namely area coverage, percentage of coverage and total number of sites. Data excludes the Icelandic Sea, Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea

Coverage of marine protected areas in Europe's seas

Figure 18 Dec 2015

The table shows the percentage cover of MPAs and distance to 10% target for each regional and sub regional sea and by distance zone from the coastline modified from the report: Spatial analysis of Marine Protected Area Networks in Europe´s seas. EEA Technical report, no 17/2015

Climate change and the seas

Infographic 15 Oct 2015

Climate change is warming the oceans, causing acidification of marine environments, and changing rainfall patterns. This combination of factors often exacerbates of other human pressures on the seas, leading to biodiversity loss in the oceans.

Natura 2000 Barometer The Natura 2000 Barometer provides an overview on the Natura 2000 network of sites under the Birds and the Habitats Directives, in terms of information on area and site numbers.

Copernicus Land Monitoring Service - High Resolution Layers - Forests The high resolution forest product consists of three types of (status) products and additional change products. The status products are available for the 2012 and 2015 reference years: 1. Tree cover density providing level of tree cover density in a range from 0-100% 2. Dominant leaf type providing information on the dominant leaf type: broadleaved or coniferous 3. A Forest type product. The forest type product allows to get as close as possible to the FAO forest definition. In its original (20m) resolution it consists of two products: 1) a dominant leaf type product that has a MMU of 0.5 ha, as well as a 10% tree cover density threshold applied, and 2) a support layer that maps, based on the dominant leaf type product, trees under agricultural use and in urban context (derived from CLC and high resolution imperviousness 2009 data). For the final 100m product trees under agricultural use and urban context from the support layer are removed. The high resolution forest change products comprise a simple tree cover density change product for 2012-2015 (% increase or decrease of real tree cover density changes).

Natura 2000: Birds and Habitats Directives Data: 2017

Percentage of NUTS3 regions covered by high and very high fragmentation pressure classes The map shows the percentage of NUTS3 regions covered by high an very high fragmentation pressure classes. Fragmentation pressure classes express the number of meshes per 1000 km2.

Fragmentation pressure within and outside of Natura 2000 sites per country

Status of marine fish and shellfish in European seas Safeguarding healthy commercial fish and shellfish populations is one of the 11 descriptors of the Marine Stretegy Framework Directive (MSFD) for achieving GES. This objective is closely related to the objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), in particular the objective of ensuring the maximum sustainable yield (MSY) for all stocks by 2015 where possible, and at the latest by 2020. Currently, around 74 % of the assessed fish and shellfish stocks in Europe’s seas are not in GES, whereas only 26 % are in GES when assessing both the level of fishing mortality and reproductive capacity; this assessment does not include the third GES criterion on age and size structure of the populations as this cannot be assessed at present. These percentages vary considerably between MSFD (sub)regions — from at least 67-88 % of the stocks meeting at least one of the GES criteria in the regions in the NE Atlantic and the Baltic Sea to only one out of 27 (4 %) and one out of 8 (13 %) in the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea respectively. Important signs of improvement are being observed in the NE Atlantic Ocean and Baltic Sea. Since the early 2000s, better management of fish and shellfish stocks has contributed to a clear decrease in fishing pressure in these two regional seas. Signs of recovery in the reproductive capacity of several fish and shellfish stocks have started to appear. If these efforts continue, meeting the 2020 objective for healthy fish and shellfish stocks in the NE Atlantic Ocean and Baltic Sea could be possible based on two of the three criteria (i.e. fishing mortality and reproductive capacity). In contrast, there is little likelihood that the 2020 policy objective will be met in the Mediterranean and Black Seas.

Natura 2000 data - the European network of protected sites Natura 2000 is the key instrument to protect biodiversity in the European Union. It is an ecological network of protected areas, set up to ensure the survival of Europe's most valuable species and habitats. Natura 2000 is based on the 1979 Birds Directive and the 1992 Habitats Directive. This version covers the reporting in 2017.

Fragmentation pressure of urban and transport infrastructure expansion Classes represent the number of meshes per 1 000 square kilometres. Light colours mean less fragmentation pressure and dark colours mean more fragmentation pressure exerted by urban and transport infrastructure expansion.

Forest: growing stock, increment and fellings The ratio of forest fellings to increment is relatively stable and remains under 80 % for most countries across Europe. This utilisation rate has allowed Europe's forest stock to continue to increase. The average growing stock density in European forests is 163 m 3 per hectare. While this varies considerably between countries, high individual values can be mainly put down to ecological conditions that favour tree growth, the protection of forest areas and, locally, forest harvesting difficulties.

Natura 2000 European protected areas — interactive map Ecological network of European protected areas

Europe's seas and selected characteristics of EU marine protected area networks The table shows the areal extent of Europe's seas and selected characteristics of EU marine protected areas (MPAs), namely area coverage, percentage of coverage and total number of sites. Data excludes the Icelandic Sea, Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea

Coverage of marine protected areas in Europe's seas The table shows the percentage cover of MPAs and distance to 10% target for each regional and sub regional sea and by distance zone from the coastline modified from the report: Spatial analysis of Marine Protected Area Networks in Europe´s seas. EEA Technical report, no 17/2015

Climate change and the seas Climate change is warming the oceans, causing acidification of marine environments, and changing rainfall patterns. This combination of factors often exacerbates of other human pressures on the seas, leading to biodiversity loss in the oceans.

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Copernicus Land Monitoring Service - High Resolution Layers - Forests

Data 16 May 2018

Natura 2000 data - the European network of protected sites

Data 03 Apr 2018

EUNIS habitat classification

Data 09 Feb 2018

The EUNIS habitat classification is a comprehensive pan-European system to facilitate the harmonised description and collection of data across Europe through the use of criteria for habitat identification. It is hierarchical and covers all types of habitat from natural to artificial, from terrestrial to freshwater and marine.

European Red Lists of species

Data 12 Dec 2017

The European Red Lists of species is a review of the conservation status of more than 10 000 European species (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, freshwater and marine fishes, butterflies, dragonflies, freshwater molluscs, selected groups of beetles, terrestrial molluscs, vascular plants including medicinal plants, bees, grasshoppers, locusts and crickets, lycopods and ferns), according to IUCN regional Red Listing guidelines applied to the EU28 and to the Pan-European level. New in the 2017 version of the database is the inclusion of European Red List of lycopods and ferns.

EUNIS habitat classification The EUNIS habitat classification is a comprehensive pan-European system to facilitate the harmonised description and collection of data across Europe through the use of criteria for habitat identification. It is hierarchical and covers all types of habitat from natural to artificial, from terrestrial to freshwater and marine.

European Red Lists of species The European Red Lists of species is a review of the conservation status of more than 10 000 European species (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, freshwater and marine fishes, butterflies, dragonflies, freshwater molluscs, selected groups of beetles, terrestrial molluscs, vascular plants including medicinal plants, bees, grasshoppers, locusts and crickets, lycopods and ferns), according to IUCN regional Red Listing guidelines applied to the EU28 and to the Pan-European level. New in the 2017 version of the database is the inclusion of European Red List of lycopods and ferns.

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Climate change and the seas

Infographic 15 Oct 2015

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Status of marine fish and shellfish in European seas

Indicator Assessment 03 Apr 2018

Forest: growing stock, increment and fellings

Indicator Assessment 08 Dec 2017

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Natura 2000 Barometer

Dashboard (Tableau) 22 May 2018

The Natura 2000 Barometer provides an overview on the Natura 2000 network of sites under the Birds and the Habitats Directives, in terms of information on area and site numbers.

Fragmentation pressure within and outside of Natura 2000 sites per country

Data Visualization 26 Apr 2018

Natura 2000 Barometer The Natura 2000 Barometer provides an overview on the Natura 2000 network of sites under the Birds and the Habitats Directives, in terms of information on area and site numbers.

Fragmentation pressure within and outside of Natura 2000 sites per country

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Fragmentation pressure of urban and transport infrastructure expansion

GIS Map Application 12 Jan 2018

Natura 2000 European protected areas — interactive map

GIS Map Application 15 Sep 2017

Ecological network of European protected areas

Natura 2000 European protected areas — interactive map Ecological network of European protected areas

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Natura 2000: Birds and Habitats Directives

Figure 07 May 2018

Data: 2017

Percentage of NUTS3 regions covered by high and very high fragmentation pressure classes

Figure 26 Apr 2018

The map shows the percentage of NUTS3 regions covered by high an very high fragmentation pressure classes. Fragmentation pressure classes express the number of meshes per 1000 km2.

Natura 2000: Birds and Habitats Directives Data: 2017

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Status of marine fish and shellfish in European seas

Safeguarding healthy commercial fish and shellfish populations is one of the 11 descriptors of the Marine Stretegy Framework Directive (MSFD) for achieving GES. This objective is closely related ...