UNESCO BiosphereH3 Hex Grid1.49M Records

Ecosystem Health

Biodiversity health scores across the Isle of Man, mapped on an H3 hexagonal grid combining 1.49 million species occurrence records, satellite tree cover, and SRTM elevation data.

Open Interactive Ecosystem Map

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1,947

Total Hexes

res 8

9,370

Total Species

1,473,121 observations

19.0

Mean Health

range 2–84

Biodiversity Hotspot

Best Biome

highest mean score

Hotspots

hexes with score >= 75

Biome Types

distinct classifications

What the Ecosystem Map Shows

The full-screen interactive map divides the Isle of Man into 1,947 hexagonal cells using Uber's H3 spatial indexing system at resolution 8. Each hex covers approximately 0.74 km².

Every hex is classified into one of 7 biome types and scored from 0–100 for biodiversity health. Click any hex to see its species breakdown, taxonomic groups, tree cover, and elevation. Select from the “Most Abundant” or “Least Healthy” lists to explore biodiversity hotspots and cold spots.

When AI species illustrations are available, a filmstrip along the bottom of the map displays representative species for the selected hex — click any thumbnail to view the full illustration.

Open the Map

How It Was Built

🧬

GBIF Species Data

1,473,121 occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, covering 9,370 species observed across the Isle of Man from 1800 to present.

🌳

Hansen Tree Cover

30-metre resolution satellite imagery from the Hansen Global Forest Change project (UMD/Google/NASA), providing canopy density for every hex.

⛰️

SRTM Elevation

30m radar topography from NASA's Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, queried via the OpenTopoData API to identify upland heath and moorland above 200m.

⬡

H3 Hexagonal Grid

Uber's hierarchical spatial index creates uniform hexagons that avoid distortion at edges, enabling fair comparison between adjacent cells.

🏗️

Planning Applications

80,000+ planning application polygons from the IoM Government ArcGIS service, centroid-mapped to the same H3 grid. Use the “Planning” view on the fullscreen map or explore the impact analysis.

Biome Classifications

🌳Ancient Forest227 hexes

Dense woodland with high biodiversity

🌿Wetland & Curragh225 hexes

Waterlogged habitats — bogs, curraghs, marshes

🏔️Upland Heath60 hexes

Moorland and mountain heath above 200m

🌾Farmland Mosaic246 hexes

Agricultural land with hedgerow networks

🌊Coastal1003 hexes

Shoreline and intertidal — seabirds, marine life

🏘️Urban Fringe0 hexes

Towns and gardens — accessible wildlife

⭐Biodiversity Hotspot186 hexes

Exceptional species richness — conservation priority

Top 5 Most Abundant Hexes

Near South Barrule

⭐ Biodiversity Hotspot · 1292 species · 2,731 obs

Near Glen Helen

⭐ Biodiversity Hotspot · 1044 species · 1,757 obs

Near Ballaugh

⭐ Biodiversity Hotspot · 1200 species · 27,118 obs

Near Dhoon Glen

⭐ Biodiversity Hotspot · 1281 species · 10,200 obs

Near Ballaugh

⭐ Biodiversity Hotspot · 1478 species · 26,434 obs

5 Least Healthy Hexes

Near Ballasalla

🌾 Farmland Mosaic · 1 species · 1 obs

Near Curragh

🌾 Farmland Mosaic · 27 species · 28 obs

Near Curragh

🌾 Farmland Mosaic · 11 species · 15 obs

Near Ballaugh

🌾 Farmland Mosaic · 49 species · 74 obs

Near Groudle

🌾 Farmland Mosaic · 20 species · 32 obs

Health Score Methodology

Each hexagon is scored on four equally-weighted dimensions, normalised to 0–100:

Species richness — the count of unique species observed within the hex, drawn from 1,473,121 GBIF occurrence records.
Taxonomic diversity — the number of distinct taxonomic groups (birds, mammals, plants, fungi, etc.) to reward breadth of life.
Tree cover — satellite-derived canopy percentage from the Hansen Global Forest Change dataset (30m resolution).
Elevation — metres above sea level from SRTM 30m radar topography, used to classify upland heath and moorland habitats above 200m.

Biome classification uses a rule-based system: hexes with no land pixels are marked coastal, hexes above 200m with sparse tree cover become upland heath, high tree cover with rich species diversity indicates forest, and so on. The “Biodiversity Hotspot” biome is awarded to hexes in the 90th percentile for species richness regardless of other characteristics.

Data generated 26/03/2026 | GBIF occurrence data © respective data publishers | Hansen tree cover © UMD | Elevation from SRTM © NASA/USGS.

Biosphere Dashboard

Species, habitat, and ecosystem overview

Planning Impact

How 80k planning apps relate to ecosystem health

Tree Cover

Satellite-derived tree canopy change 2000-2024

Species Map

Interactive map of species observations

Data attribution — Species data provided by Manx National Heritage, NBN Atlas, GBIF, Manx Wildlife Trust, Manx BirdLife, and partners. This data represents decades of fieldwork and conservation effort.