The aim of the project is to develop a computerised system for analysing the conservation value of forests that integrates the agreed criteria of different disciplines.

The aim of the project is to develop a computerised system for analysing the conservation value of forests that integrates the agreed criteria of different disciplines.

The valuation of forests in ecological and biological terms is becoming increasingly important at different scales of natural environment management. In parallel with this interest, information about the territory and the criteria and methods for its valuation have also increased considerably.

During the first phase of the project, work will be done on the definition of criteria, indicators and decision-making rules that help to assess the state of conservation of a forest and, at the same time, a compilation of existing databases will be made that will be harmonized in an environmental information system.

This tool will be applied as a validation exercise to a specific case, that of the Pyrénées-Orientales. To this end, the unique and mature forests in the area will be identified, based on interviews with experts and field visits, and will be contrasted with the classification generated by the computer tool of these forests with respect to their conservation value.