IRI-Vulnerability: Reduction of Ecological Values (REV) [ET] [Version 1]

The product is a raster TIFF layer with a spatial resolution of 1 km, providing current ecological value data across Europe. This dataset offers up-to-date information, making it suitable for contemporary environmental analyses and applications. The methodology used for ecological values assessment (EVA) is based on characterising the ecosystems' biological distinctiveness (BD) and conservation status (CS) based on the methodology scheme proposed by Dinerstein et al., (1995. We stated that ecosystems hosting high taxonomic richness or rare plant communities, or habitats of endangered species highly contribute to their value through their enhanced functioning. The destruction or degradation of these valued ecological components, notably by fires, can have long-term implications for ecosystem health and conservation. The previously described indicators (from BD and CS) were introduced in the Principal Components Analyses (PCA) model [24], taking the positive direction for values close to 1000 and negative for those close to 0. Species richness, forest productivity, density of habitat, key biodiversity areas, exceptional forest, unique habitat preservation and places of special conservation conserve the original direction. In contrast, the human pressure and loss of forest indicators inverse the direction, taking values close to 1000 where human pressure and loss of forest values were low. Regarding the previous explanation, we selected the first PCA because it represents the synergies between conservation status and biological distinctiveness. For example, zones with fewer roads and railways and a loss of forest cover conserve better ecological values. Contact:Emilio Chuvieco, UAH: emilio.chuvieco@uah.es Arrogante-Funes, F., Mouillot, F., Moreira, B., Aguado, I., & Chuvieco, E. (2024). Mapping and assessment of ecological vulnerability to wildfires in Europe. Fire Ecology, 20(1), 98. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42408-024-00321-8 E. Dinerstein et al., “A conservation assessment of the terrestrial ecorregions of Latin America and the Caribbean,” Banco Mundial, Washington DC, Sep. 1995. Accessed: Feb. 13, 2025. [Online]. Available: http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/957541468270313045