Developing a wilderness quality index for continental Europe
This paper presents an updated wilderness quality map, WQI 2.0, for Europe, which extends the existing map (WQI 1.0) to include non-EU states in Eastern Europe. The analysis utilizes the Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud platform and incorporates contemporary datasets to assess wilderness quality acro...
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Online Access: | https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/210707/ https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/210707/8/land-13-00428.pdf https://doi.org/10.3390/land13040428 |
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ftleedsuniv:oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:210707 2024-04-28T08:26:17+00:00 Developing a wilderness quality index for continental Europe Strus, I Carver, S. 2024-04 text https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/210707/ https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/210707/8/land-13-00428.pdf https://doi.org/10.3390/land13040428 en eng MDPI https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/210707/8/land-13-00428.pdf Strus, I and Carver, S. orcid.org/0000-0002-4202-8234 (2024) Developing a wilderness quality index for continental Europe. Land, 13 (4). 428. ISSN 2073-445X cc_by_4 Article NonPeerReviewed 2024 ftleedsuniv https://doi.org/10.3390/land13040428 2024-04-09T23:39:29Z This paper presents an updated wilderness quality map, WQI 2.0, for Europe, which extends the existing map (WQI 1.0) to include non-EU states in Eastern Europe. The analysis utilizes the Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud platform and incorporates contemporary datasets to assess wilderness quality across the continent. WQI 2.0 is compared to the previous version from the EU Wilderness register and global data from the WCS Human Influence Index (HII). Results indicate a high level of consistency between the versions, validating the robustness of the approach and the value of up-to-date datasets. WQI 2.0 serves as a valuable tool for developing a coordinated European policy on wilderness protection, encompassing both EU and non-EU states. By identifying areas outside current protected boundaries, the map helps to identify regions at risk of degradation and loss, due to resource exploitation. While small changes are seen between WQI 1.0 and WQI 2.0, expanding the coverage over the whole of continental Europe provides a foundation for the longer-term monitoring and evaluation of conservation targets. The findings contribute to meeting international commitments, such as the COP15 Kunming–Montreal Agreement and CBD targets, by highlighting the importance of preserving intact wilderness areas and increasing protected areas through restoration and rewilding efforts. Future iterations, such as WQI 3.0+, can track trends and potential threats to wilderness areas, while also identifying opportunities for ecosystem recovery through restoration and rewilding. To ensure comprehensive coverage, there is a need to update the existing Wilderness Register 1.0 and expand its scope to include non-EU states. This can be facilitated through collaboration with national WQI mapping programs, building on the experiences of countries such as Scotland, France, Iceland, and Germany, which have well-established national mapping initiatives. Overall, WQI 2.0 and the proposed updates provide valuable tools for informed decision-making in ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Iceland White Rose Research Online (Universities of Leeds, Sheffield & York) Land 13 4 428 |
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White Rose Research Online (Universities of Leeds, Sheffield & York) |
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ftleedsuniv |
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English |
description |
This paper presents an updated wilderness quality map, WQI 2.0, for Europe, which extends the existing map (WQI 1.0) to include non-EU states in Eastern Europe. The analysis utilizes the Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud platform and incorporates contemporary datasets to assess wilderness quality across the continent. WQI 2.0 is compared to the previous version from the EU Wilderness register and global data from the WCS Human Influence Index (HII). Results indicate a high level of consistency between the versions, validating the robustness of the approach and the value of up-to-date datasets. WQI 2.0 serves as a valuable tool for developing a coordinated European policy on wilderness protection, encompassing both EU and non-EU states. By identifying areas outside current protected boundaries, the map helps to identify regions at risk of degradation and loss, due to resource exploitation. While small changes are seen between WQI 1.0 and WQI 2.0, expanding the coverage over the whole of continental Europe provides a foundation for the longer-term monitoring and evaluation of conservation targets. The findings contribute to meeting international commitments, such as the COP15 Kunming–Montreal Agreement and CBD targets, by highlighting the importance of preserving intact wilderness areas and increasing protected areas through restoration and rewilding efforts. Future iterations, such as WQI 3.0+, can track trends and potential threats to wilderness areas, while also identifying opportunities for ecosystem recovery through restoration and rewilding. To ensure comprehensive coverage, there is a need to update the existing Wilderness Register 1.0 and expand its scope to include non-EU states. This can be facilitated through collaboration with national WQI mapping programs, building on the experiences of countries such as Scotland, France, Iceland, and Germany, which have well-established national mapping initiatives. Overall, WQI 2.0 and the proposed updates provide valuable tools for informed decision-making in ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Strus, I Carver, S. |
spellingShingle |
Strus, I Carver, S. Developing a wilderness quality index for continental Europe |
author_facet |
Strus, I Carver, S. |
author_sort |
Strus, I |
title |
Developing a wilderness quality index for continental Europe |
title_short |
Developing a wilderness quality index for continental Europe |
title_full |
Developing a wilderness quality index for continental Europe |
title_fullStr |
Developing a wilderness quality index for continental Europe |
title_full_unstemmed |
Developing a wilderness quality index for continental Europe |
title_sort |
developing a wilderness quality index for continental europe |
publisher |
MDPI |
publishDate |
2024 |
url |
https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/210707/ https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/210707/8/land-13-00428.pdf https://doi.org/10.3390/land13040428 |
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Iceland |
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Iceland |
op_relation |
https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/210707/8/land-13-00428.pdf Strus, I and Carver, S. orcid.org/0000-0002-4202-8234 (2024) Developing a wilderness quality index for continental Europe. Land, 13 (4). 428. ISSN 2073-445X |
op_rights |
cc_by_4 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3390/land13040428 |
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Land |
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13 |
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428 |
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