EEA geospatial data catalogue
Environmental zones 2018 - version 1.0, June 2020
This dataset is based on the Environmental Stratification of Europe (EnS) dataset from the University of Edinburgh, a statistically derived land classification which provides a novel global spatial framework for the integration and analysis of ecological and environmental data (Metzger, Marc J. 2018). It provides a robust spatial analytical framework for the aggregation of local observations, identification of gaps in current monitoring efforts and systematic design of complementary and new monitoring and research.
The version 8 of the source EnS dataset, used for the creation of this dataset, distinguishes 84 strata that are relatively homogeneous in environmental conditions and can be aggregated into 13 environmental zones:
• Alpine North (ALN)
• Boreal (BOR)
• Nemoral (NEM)
• Atlantic North (ATN)
• Alpine South (ALS)
• Continental (CON)
• Atlantic Central (ATC)
• Pannonian (PAN)
• Lusitanian (LUS)
• Anatolian (ANA)
• Mediterranean Mountains (MDM)
• Mediterranean North (MDN)
• Mediterranean South (MDS)
The original dataset (vector format, 1 km spatial resolution) has been rasterised into pixel size of 100m to align with Corine Land Cover. Its spatial coverage has been extended as follows:
• Türkiye is covered only partially in the original dataset. Missing parts are supplemented by a comparable national dataset provided by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of Türkiye.
• The dataset is extended along the coastline to fully cover the spatial extent of CORINE Land Cover.
• Canary Islands, Madeira archipelago and the Azores are not included in the original dataset and added as environmental zone “Macaronesia (MAC)”.
• Iceland is not included in the original dataset and added as environmental zone “Arctic (ARC)”
Simple
Identification info
- Date (Creation)
- 2019-10-01
- Date (Publication)
- 2020-06-30
- Edition
-
01.00
- Citation identifier
- eea_r_3035_1_km_env-zones_p_2018_v01_r00
- Point of contact
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Organisation Individual Electronic mail address Website Role European Environment Agency
Point of contact European Environment Agency
Custodian
- Spatial representation type
- Grid
Spatial resolution
- Spatial resolution
- 1 km
- Topic category
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- Environment
- Biota
Extent
))
Temporal extent
- Time period
- 2018-01-01 2018-12-31
Extent
- Maintenance and update frequency
- As needed
- GEMET
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-
biodiversity
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biogeography
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biogeographical region
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environment
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agriculture
-
- Continents, countries, sea regions of the world.
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-
EEA39
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- Spatial scope
-
-
European
-
- Temporal resolution
-
-
As needed
-
- EEA topics
-
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Biodiversity
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Forests and forestry
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Agriculture and food
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Resource constraints
- Access constraints
- Other restrictions
- Other constraints
- no limitations to public access
Resource constraints
- Use constraints
- Other restrictions
- Other constraints
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License CC-BY 4.0 ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Copyright holder: European Environment Agency (EEA).
- Language
- English
- Additional Information
-
The original spatial resolution is 1 km, but the pixel size is 100 m.
Data quality info
- Hierarchy level
- Dataset
Report
Result
- Title
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Commission Regulation (EU) No 1089/2010 of 23 November 2010 implementing Directive 2007/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards interoperability of spatial data sets and services
- Date (Publication)
- 2010-12-08
- Explanation
-
See the referenced specification
Resource lineage
- Statement
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This dataset is derived from “The Environmental Stratification of Europe” (Metzger, Marc J. (2018). The Environmental Stratification of Europe, [dataset]. University of Edinburgh. https://doi.org/10.7488/ds/2356.) This dataset is a statistically derived land classification, providing a novel global spatial framework for the integration and analysis of ecological and environmental data. The version 8 of the original dataset distinguishes 84 strata that are relatively homogeneous in environmental conditions and can be aggregated into 13 environmental zones:
• Alpine North (ALN)
• Boreal (BOR)
• Nemoral (NEM)
• Atlantic North (ATN)
• Alpine South (ALS)
• Continental (CON)
• Atlantic Central (ATC)
• Pannonian (PAN)
• Lusitanian (LUS)
• Anatolian (ANA)
• Mediterranean Mountains (MDM)
• Mediterranean North (MDN)
• Mediterranean South (MDS)
The classification procedure is described in: Metzger M.J., Bunce R.G.H, Jongman R.H.G, Mücher C.A., Watkins J.W. (2005). "A climatic stratification of the environment of Europe". Global Ecology and Biogeography 14: 549-563 - https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1466-822x.2005.00190.x
The original dataset from the University of Edinburgh (vector format, 1km spatial resolution) has then been processed as follows:
1. Conversion of the original polygon data (Environmental zones version 8, https://datashare.is.ed.ac.uk/handle/10283/3091) to raster with resolution of 100 x 100 m to fully align with CORINE Land Cover.
2. Integration of missing parts in Türkiye by a comparable national dataset provided by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of Türkiye.
3. Expansion of environmental zones along the coastline to fully cover the spatial extent of CORINE Land Cover.
4. Addition of Canary Islands, Madeira archipelago and Azores as zone "Macaronesia".
5. Addition of Iceland as zone "Arctic".
See report "HNV farmland 2020" for further details (Note: to be published by end of 2020).
- Hierarchy level
- Dataset
Reference System Information
Reference System Information
- Code
- EPSG:3035
Metadata
- Metadata identifier
- 6ef007ab-1fcd-4c4f-bc96-14e8afbcb688
- Language
- English
- Character encoding
- UTF8
- Contact
-
Organisation Individual Electronic mail address Website Role European Environment Agency
Point of contact
Type of resource
- Resource type
- Dataset
- Metadata linkage
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https://sdi.eea.europa.eu/geonetwork/srv/api/records/6ef007ab-1fcd-4c4f-bc96-14e8afbcb688
- Date info (Creation)
- 2020-10-13T11:02:35Z
- Date info (Revision)
- 2025-10-09T10:56:43.564329Z
Metadata standard
- Title
-
ISO 19115/19139
- Edition
-
1.0
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