The Environmental Stratification of Europe (EnS) is a statistically derived land classification, providing a novel global spatial framework for the integration and analysis of ecological and environmental data. The dataset distinguishes 84 strata that are relatively homogeneous in environmental conditions and can be aggregated into 13 environmental zones (EnZ).
The EnS is available as a raster and vector spatial dataset for use with a Geographical Information System, and has a 1km spatial resolution and is projected in the INSPIRE ETRS89-LAEA projection.
The EnS 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 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
This dataset contains:
1) EnSv8.zip - The ESRI shape files for the EnS (84 strata) and the EnZ (13 zones, with .avl legend). (Note this is an updated versions from the map published in 2005 paper, as described in the Readme_EnSv8.pdf file in this .zip
2) maps.zip - A set of maps of the EnS with strata labels and the EnZ as .png and .tif files in 600dpi print quality
3) prin_components.zip - GeoTiff files of the 20 principal component rasters of the classification variables. pc1-4 were clustered to create the EnS (as described in the GEB paper), and the Eigenvectors and Eigenvalues of the principal components as a .csv file (PCA_eigenvaules_eigenvectors.csv). These statistics were not described in the paper but may be of interest to better understand the strata.
