nature

Larch - assessing fragmentation and spatial cohesion of habitats

LARCH is an ecological model to assess the sustainability of ecological networks for species. Well-functioning ecological habitat networks are the basis for the conservation of protected (plants and/or animals) species. Suitability for local populations  is determined using species-specific area requirements. LARCH calculates a measure for spatial cohesion that is used to estimate the sustainability of ecological networks  and to evaluate the connections between scattered  habitat areas. Implementation of barrier effects (e.g.

Nature inclusive planning, a vision for Small Island Development States

Small tropical islands are rich in biodiversity and host a wide variety of globally threatened ecosystems. These ecosystems are important for coastal protection and tourism, but also for erosion control and making the islands resistant to climate change. At the same time, there are all kinds of factors that cause a lot of pressure on both nature and other forms of land use that crowd together on the small area, such as a growing population and tourism industry, built development, erosion, salt intrusion and climate change, the latter resulting in sea-level rise and more frequent storm events.

Compiling nature data to support sustainable tourism on small tropical islands

Small tropical island are hotspots for biodiversity. Fringing reefs, cacti fields, cloud forests, mangroves and seagrass beds are home to a vast array of exotic animals and plants. Millions of tourists are attracted by this astonishing beauty. Local communities heavily lean on tourism for their economy. At the same time, tourism and global warming put pressure on the island ecosystem.

AVANAR - spatially determines opportunities for outdoor recreation and matches them with local demand

AVANAR spatially determines the opportunities for outdoor reaction and matches them with the local demand. AVANAR takes availability, reachability and accessibility of the green environment into account. It helps local authorities to identify the shortages of recreational opportunities.