The Habitat Map of Switzlerland: continual improvement

The characterisation of organisms is tied to specific site conditions. Habitats are increasingly used to assess the state and development of biodiversity. In this context, the project "Development of a Habitat Map for Switzerland", funded by the FOEN, was carried out at WSL over two years and completed in October 2021. The demand for the Habitat Map of Switzerland is very high. In order to meet the needs of the various users and maintain usability, it is important that the Habitat Map is continuously maintained, improved and updated at regular intervals. The highest priorities for improvement are habitats that stakeholders have identified as very important and for which we believe substantial improvements are currently feasible. Primarily, these are urban areas, agriculture (especially cropland), and shrublands and hedgerows. This project therefore, aims to improve the mapping of these habitats.

The current version of the Habitat Map of Switzerland is available for download from EnviDat, and can be interactively viewed on map.geo.admin.ch

Publications

Price B., Huber N., Nussbaumer A., Ginzler C. (2023) The habitat map of Switzerland: a remote sensing, composite approach for a high spatial and thematic resolution product. Remote Sens. 15(3), 643 (24 pp.). doi:10.3390/rs15030643 Institutional Repository DORA

Price B., Huber N., Eggenberg S., Ginzler C. (2023) Die Lebensraumkarte der Schweiz: ein Fernerkundungs­produkt für Planung, Forschung und Praxis. In Eidg. Forschungsanstalt für Wald, Schnee und Landschaft, WSL (Ed.), WSL Berichte: Vol. 134. Neue Fernerkundungs­technologien für die Umweltforschung und Praxis. Birmensdorf: Eidg. Forschungsanstalt für Wald, Schnee und Landschaft, WSL. 73-79. doi:10.55419/wsl:33077 Institutional Repository DORA

https://www.envidat.ch/#/metadata/habitat-map-of-switzerland