What is land use and why is it important for biodiversity?

MSA stands for Mean Species Abundance and expresses the richness and distribution of species in relation to a natural state, unaffected by human activities. The data comes from the Globio model (PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency), available in the "State of Biodiversity" section of XNatura. This indicator is crucial for agriculture, renewable energies, urban planning, and infrastructure. Example: an infrastructure project that excessively fragments habitat may reduce MSA and compromise local authorities' approvals.

MSA (Mean Species Abundance) assesses biodiversity through four impact factors: MSA Land Use, MSA Climate Change, MSA Infrastructure, and MSA LBA (Land-use Based Abatement). Each factor measures how much species abundance deviates from natural conditions. Analyzing them separately allows understanding the causes of ecological degradation and planning targeted interventions. XNatura visualizes these factors on a GIS map, identifying hotspots and priority areas. This enables businesses and governments to make data-driven decisions to protect biodiversity.

XNatura assesses MSA through two complementary approaches. The first is a physical model based on Globio that uses land use data to estimate human impact on biodiversity. Scientifically validated, it provides reliable ecological status analyses based on changes in land cover. The second is a proprietary XNatura algorithm that estimates MSA directly from satellite images, requiring no preliminary land-use data. This makes it globally scalable, even where data is scarce, allowing for rapid, high-resolution assessments.

XNatura projects MSA into future scenarios aligned with international frameworks and EU directives. Four targets are available: Sector alignment: align your environmental performance with similar realities in your sector. Regenerate 30% MSA: partially offset your company's impact. MSA 50 points: maintain 50% of your company's land in natural or semi-natural state. MSA 100 points: complete regeneration, returning the habitat to its original natural state. The platform automatically tracks progress towards the chosen goal.