The Protected Areas KPI analyses the extent and proximity of formally designated protected areas relative to the monitored site. Protected areas are geographically defined zones managed for the conservation of biodiversity and natural ecosystems. Only protected areas within a radius of 25 km from the site boundary are considered.
Proximity to a protected area is a key ecological indicator: sites adjacent to or overlapping with protected areas benefit from ecological corridors, reduced anthropogenic pressure, and greater resilience to climate change. This KPI draws on multiple authoritative databases including Natura 2000 (Europe), CPCAD (Canada), and PAD-US (USA).
This is a vector/database-based KPI — not derived from satellite imagery but from internationally recognised protected area registers updated annually.
The Protected Areas KPI combines two complementary measurements: a spatial overlay index and a distance-based analysis.
The overall Protection Index is computed as:
where Inner Index = fraction of the site's land area that falls within a protected area, Outer Index = distance-decay weighted score applied to the land outside the site boundary
The Inner Index measures the proportion of site pixels with a non-zero protected area raster value. The Outer Index applies a linear distance-decay function: the closer a protected area is to the site edge, the higher its contribution.
Two distance methods coexist on the platform: edge-to-edge geodesic (shortest path from the site polygon boundary to the nearest point on each protected area polygon) and centroid-to-bounding-box-center Haversine (from the site centroid to the bounding-box center of each protected area, used for distance band counts).
Data are sourced from Natura 2000, CPCAD, and PAD-US databases — all in EPSG:4326 (WGS84). No fixed spatial resolution applies; rasterization is computed dynamically per site.
Map Layer. An interactive map overlay showing all protected areas within 25 km of the site, each rendered with a unique color drawn from a rainbow color palette.
Purpose: To visualise the spatial distribution, size, and proximity of protected areas surrounding the site.
Description: The map canvas displays the site boundary and all intersecting or nearby protected areas as colored polygons. Each area has a unique color to distinguish it from its neighbors. A left sidebar lists all areas sorted by distance (default) or size. A right panel shows summary statistics. Clicking an area highlights it on the map and displays its metadata card.
How it's calculated: Each protected area found within the 25 km bounding-box is checked for exact intersection with the site polygon. Overlapping and nearby areas are rasterized with a unique integer identifier. Border pixels are drawn at a fixed 100 m width.
Legend: Each protected area receives a unique rainbow color. There is no fixed color-to-meaning mapping — colors are for visual distinction only. No A–E quality scale applies to this map layer.
Interpretation example:
If the map shows a dense cluster of colored polygons immediately around the site boundary, the site has high protected-area connectivity — a strong indicator of biodiversity value and ecological corridor function.
Ring Gauge. A circular ring gauge displaying the overall Protection Index value from 0 to 1.
Purpose: To summarise in a single figure how protected the site and its immediate surroundings are, combining both coverage and proximity.
Description: The gauge shows the overall index (e.g., 0.11) at its center with the label "Overall" below it. The ring is colored according to the site's quality grade. Below the ring, two subsidiary cards show the Inner (ROI) and Outer (CA) index values separately, allowing the user to understand how much of the protection comes from within the site versus from nearby areas.
0.11Protection Index
How it's calculated: The overall index is the average of the inner index (fraction of site pixels that are protected) and the outer index (distance-decay weighted score outside the site). Range: 0.00 to 1.00.
Legend:
| Level | Range | Color | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 0.75 – 1.00 | ■ #00A67A | Excellent — site largely or fully within a protected area |
| B | 0.50 – 0.75 | ■ #00DF80 | Good — strong overlap or very close proximity |
| C | 0.20 – 0.50 | ■ #FFD21E | Moderate — partial overlap or moderate proximity |
| D | 0.10 – 0.20 | ■ #FF8B16 | Poor — little overlap, significant distance |
| E | 0.00 – 0.10 | ■ #FF367F | Critical — site isolated from protected areas |
Interpretation example:
If the gauge shows 0.11, the site falls in the D (Poor) range — there is little or no overlap with a protected area, but nearby areas exist within the region.
Progress Bar. A horizontal fill bar showing the percentage of the site surface that is directly inside a protected area.
Purpose: To answer the question: "What share of my site's land area is formally protected?"
Description: The bar label shows "Coverage" with the numeric value (e.g., 21.26%) above the filled track. The bar fills from left (0%) to right (100%) using an emerald green gradient.
Coverage21.26%
How it's calculated: The coverage percentage is computed as the intersection area between the site polygon and all protected area polygons, divided by the total site area, expressed as a percentage. The calculation is performed in a metric projection (EPSG:3857) for accurate area measurement.
Interpretation example:
If Coverage shows 21.26%, approximately one fifth of the site's land is directly inside a designated protected area — a meaningful level of formal protection for biodiversity.
Mini Bar Chart. A horizontal bar chart showing the count of protected areas grouped by distance band from the site.
Purpose: To show how protected areas are distributed across distance bands — revealing whether the site is surrounded by nearby areas or only connected at a landscape scale.
Description: Four rows correspond to the bands 0–5 km, 5–10 km, 10–25 km, and 25–35 km. Each row shows a colored bar proportional to the count and the numeric count on the right.
Areas per band
How it's calculated: Each protected area is assigned to a band based on the Haversine distance from the site centroid to the bounding-box center of the protected area. The bands extend to 35 km (slightly beyond the 25 km KPI radius) to provide full context.
Legend:
| Band | Color | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 0–5 km | ■ #00A67A | Immediate vicinity |
| 5–10 km | ■ #00DF80 | Near surroundings |
| 10–25 km | ■ #FFD21E | Landscape scale |
| 25–35 km | ■ #FF8B16 | Extended buffer |
Interpretation example:
If 10 areas fall in the 0–5 km band and 7 in the 5–10 km band, the site has strong landscape connectivity — a high density of protected areas in its immediate neighborhood.
Detail Card. A card highlighting the closest protected area by edge-to-edge distance.
Purpose: To identify the single nearest protected area and provide its key attributes at a glance.
Description: The card shows the area's name (e.g., "Parco naturale dell'Adda Nord"), its size in hectares, and the edge-to-edge distance from the site boundary in kilometers. An amber distance value is prominently displayed. Classification badges (NAT2000) indicate which international registers include this area.
How it's calculated: Edge-to-edge geodesic distance is computed from the site polygon boundary to the nearest point on the protected area polygon, then converted to meters using the geodesic formula.
Interpretation example:
If the nearest area card shows 0.42 km to "Parco naturale dell'Adda Nord" (98,504 ha), the site is within walking distance of a large regional nature park — a strong ecological connectivity signal.
Distribution Table. A tabular breakdown of protected areas by distance band, showing count, total area, and percentage of the total.
Purpose: To provide a quantitative summary of how protected area coverage is distributed across distance bands.
Description: Rows correspond to distance bands (0–5 km, 5–10 km, 10–25 km, 25–35 km, total). Columns show: Band, Number of Areas, Area (ha), % of Total. A total row at the bottom sums all bands.
How it's calculated: Band assignment uses the Haversine centroid-to-bounding-box-center method. Area values are the sum of reported areas (not recomputed by 3Bee).
Interpretation example:
If the 10–25 km band contains 36 areas totaling 45,000 ha, it means the landscape context around the site is rich in formal protection even if the site itself is not directly inside a protected area.
Bubble Chart. A scatter/bubble chart plotting each protected area as a bubble positioned by distance (x-axis) and size in hectares (y-axis), with bubble radius proportional to the area's hectares.
Purpose: To reveal the relationship between how far each protected area is from the site and how large it is — showing whether nearby areas are also the largest.
Description: The x-axis represents distance in meters from the site to the protected area. The y-axis represents the protected area's size in hectares. Each bubble is labeled with the area's hectares value. Hovering reveals a tooltip with full area name and size. The chart is found under the "Chart" tab of the "Areas sensitive to Biodiversity" section in the Biodiversity Assessment.
How it's calculated: Each bubble corresponds to one protected area from the site's dataset. Position is determined by the area's distance and size. Bubble radius scales with hectares.
Interpretation example:
If a large bubble appears near x=0, a major protected area overlaps or borders the site — combining both size and proximity for maximum ecological benefit.
Summary Dashboard. A grid of four KPI metric cards plus two text rows and two distribution tables summarising the protected areas dataset.
Purpose: To give a comprehensive numerical overview of the site's protected area context without navigating the map.
Description: The dashboard contains four metric cards: Total number of protected areas, Total protected area (ha), Minimum distance (km), and Percentage of site in protected area (%). Below the cards, two text rows show the nearest area name and the largest area name with its size. Two distribution tables follow: one by distance band (columns: Band, Number of Areas, Area ha, % of Total) and one by area type (columns: Type, Count, ha, %).
How it's calculated: Card values are derived from the site's protected area dataset. The type classification uses designation codes: Ramsar Site, SPA (Birds Directive), SAC (Habitats Directive), Regional Nature Reserve, Regional Nature Park, Other Regional Protected Areas.
Interpretation example:
If the Summary shows 69 total areas, 57,889 ha total surface, and 0.42 km minimum distance, the site sits in a biodiversity-rich landscape with dense protected area coverage.
Data Table. A paginated, searchable table listing all protected areas within the 25 km radius, one row per area.
Purpose: To provide complete, downloadable detail on every protected area associated with the site.
Description: Columns are: Area Name, Area (ha), Distance (km). The table shows 6 rows per page with page navigation controls. A search box filters rows by name. A Copy button copies the visible data to the clipboard.
How it's calculated: Each row corresponds to one protected area from the site dataset. Distance is the edge-to-edge geodesic value.
Interpretation example:
If the table shows "Parco naturale dell'Adda Nord — 98,504 ha — 0.42 km" as the first row, the site's nearest protected area is a large regional park immediately adjacent.
Assessment Sidebar Row. A row in the assessment category sidebar showing the Protected Areas KPI grade for Site and Control.
Purpose: To allow quick comparison of the site's biodiversity protection level against its control area across all assessment pages.
Description: The row is labeled "Protected areas" and appears under the "E4 | Biodiversity" category in the sidebar. Two colored badges show the quality grade (A–E) for the Site (ROI) and for the Control area (CA) respectively.
How it's calculated: The grade is derived from the Protection Index value using the quality thresholds: A >= 0.75, B >= 0.50, C >= 0.20, D >= 0.10, E < 0.10.
Legend:
| Level | Range | Color | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | >= 0.75 | ■ #00A67A | Excellent protection |
| B | >= 0.50 | ■ #00DF80 | Good protection |
| C | >= 0.20 | ■ #FFD21E | Moderate protection |
| D | >= 0.10 | ■ #FF8B16 | Poor protection |
| E | < 0.10 | ■ #FF367F | Critical — site isolated |
Interpretation example:
If the Site badge shows D and the Control shows C, the site has lower protected area connectivity than its surrounding landscape — a potential biodiversity risk to monitor.
Highlights Card. A summary card in the Highlights section showing the site's Protection Index value at a glance.
Purpose: To surface the protected areas status on the main highlights page for quick cross-site comparison.
Description: The card shows the label "Protected areas" and the site's Protection Index value. It is one of several KPI cards visible on the highlights summary view.
How it's calculated: The value displayed is the overall Protection Index (range 0–1).
Interpretation example:
If the card shows 0.62, the site has good protected area connectivity, likely due to proximity or partial overlap with one or more designated areas.
Highlights Table Row. A row in the KPI comparison table in the Highlights section, showing the Protected Areas Index for the selected site.
Purpose: To enable quantitative comparison of the Protected Areas Index across sites or time periods in a tabular format.
Description: The row is labeled "Protected Areas Index" and appears in the KPI table view of the Highlights section. The cell shows the numeric index value.
How it's calculated: The value is the overall Protection Index (range 0–1).
Interpretation example:
If the row shows 0.11, the site has limited protected area connectivity — a D grade — which can be cross-referenced against other sites to benchmark landscape protection quality.
Highlights Card. A slider card in the platform-level Overview Highlights section showing how many sites in the portfolio have a protected area overlapping their boundary.
Purpose: To provide a portfolio-level summary of protected area coverage across all monitored sites.
Description: The card shows a headline count (e.g., "0 sites") with the label "Number of sites with protected areas inside". A second card shows "Number of sites with protected areas within 10 km" (e.g., "3 sites").
How it's calculated: Sites are counted as having a protected area "inside" if the site's coverage percentage is greater than 0%. Sites are counted as "within 10 km" if the minimum distance to any protected area is 10 km or less.
Interpretation example:
If 3 out of 5 portfolio sites have protected areas within 10 km, the portfolio is broadly located in a biodiversity-sensitive landscape, even if no site directly overlaps a protected zone.
| Source | Provider | Coverage | Format | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natura 2000 | European Environment Agency (EEA) | Europe | Vector (polygon) | 2025 |
| Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD) | Government of Canada | Canada | Vector (polygon) | 2023 |
| Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US 4.1) | USGS | USA | Vector (polygon) | 2025 |
The Protection Index combines an inner and outer component. The Inner Index is computed by rasterizing the site polygon and counting the fraction of pixels that fall within a protected area (non-zero raster value divided by total site pixels). The Outer Index applies a distance-decay function to the surrounding landscape: a Euclidean distance transform is computed from the site boundary outward, normalized to the maximum search radius (25 km). Protected areas closer to the site edge contribute more heavily.
Two distance methods are used internally. Edge-to-edge geodesic measures the shortest path from the site polygon boundary to the nearest point on each protected area polygon — used for per-area distance metadata and the Nearest Area card. Centroid-to-bounding-box-center Haversine measures from the site centroid to the bounding-box center of each protected area — used for distance band counts (0–5 km, 5–10 km, 10–25 km, 25–35 km). The Haversine formula uses Earth radius = 6,371 km. Both methods produce slightly different distances for the same area.
All sources are in EPSG:4326 (WGS84). No fixed spatial resolution is used — rasterization is computed dynamically per site at a resolution targeting a maximum file size. Coverage percentage is calculated using the intersection area between the site polygon and all protected area polygons in metric projection (EPSG:3857).