CREAF

The large quantity of information collected by the IEFC and in the Third National Forest Inventory (IFN3) enables us to carry out a detailed analysis of the current distribution of 74 woody species in forest habitats throughout the Catalan territory. Moreover, thanks to the GIS programs it is possible to relate this information to environmental, landscape and biotic variables (such as climate, topography and forest structure) and to obtain an ecological description of the habitat currently inhabited by these species. The Atlas reproduces the information currently available on the ecophysiological characteristics and the life cycle of species.

 

Secondly, a computer application is being developed to evaluate the biodiversity of Catalan forests. By means of statistical analysis, it is possible to obtain values for the maximum number of woody species likely to be found at any given point within the territory, depending on its topographical, climatic and structural characteristics. The transformation of these results into an easy-to-use computer application that is universally available on the internet provides a useful tool for evaluating the current state of any plot as the result of the management of Catalan forests. Finally, an analysis is being carried out of diverse aspects of the relationship between the richness of woody species and other topics.