The effects of human activities on ecosystems are often visible but challenging to measure precisely.
To address this, IUCN France developed the first Gradient of Naturality, a dataset that enables urban planners and researchers to map ecosystem's exposure to human influence, aiding in their protection.
Based on this work, a styled map of mainland France displays "naturality" through a grid of colored hexagons.
As anticipated, well-preserved ecosystems are typically located in mountainous and forested regions with low human population.