Compiling a high-resolution country-level ecosystem map to support environmental policy: methodological challenges and solutions from Hungary

Abstract

High-resolution ecosystem maps increase the efficiency of policy implementation. However, due to challenges related to both data and methods, such maps of appropriate scale and quality are still rarely available for nationwide analyses. We present solutions to some typical challenges of national-scale ecosystem mapping through the new Ecosystem Map of Hungary. It is a comprehensive, spatially and thematically detailed map with a hierarchical typology. The mapping methodology combined several novel elements from the integration of various large-scale databases in a (theoretical) data cube to the use of image-based predictive mapping (with a Random Forest classifier, using Sentinel-1 and -2 and environmental data). A participatory method involving local experts was used for validation, addressing the lack of suitable reference data as well as improving map-maker and map-user interaction. Besides the original objective of supporting conservation-related decision-making, further uses emerged from a variety of fields including spatial planning, education and recreation.