EcoMAP

The mere existence of data and knowledge is not enough, it must also be available. More specifically, data and knowledge must be available in formats and at spatial scales that are relevant to the local decision-makers holding the key to land-use transformation. However, the available ecological data are often spatially scattered and managers struggle to connect the data to their local contexts. In addition, basic ecological information may be intangible for the systems and rules managers have to navigate and relate to. In both situations, existing environmental knowledge likely ends up being ignored, as it relates poorly to local cases and the decision-making processes.

ECoMAP aims to counter these challenges by

1. collaborating with local and regional decision-makers to identify mismatches between available and sought-after information
2. deriving ecological variables from existing raw ecological data that are of relevance for decision-making processes
3. using modelling approaches to fill the gaps in spatial coverage of ecological information, and
4. making the ecological information resulting from points 1-3 available as map-layers in the portal for ecological base maps at the Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre.