Land Cover Classification & Ecosystem Typologies

The BASIN Ecosystems land cover and ecosystem typology and RealValue was built based on the process and supporting materials found in this Appendix.

We evaluated 27 primary source Land Cover and Ecosystem Typologies, focusing on their relevance to Ecosystem Service Valuation (ESV), real assets, and corporate financial and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) disclosures.

From these, we selected the 7 typologies that are most applicable to our specific use case, giving additional weight to IUCN GET 2.0, ESVD, and FEMA ESV. These were prioritized because they are either based on seminal environmental assessments and frameworks (e.g., Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, TEEB, IUCN Red Lists) or specifically designed to facilitate Ecosystem Services Valuation.

The selected data was cross-referenced to develop the BASIN Ecosystems which identifies fourteen distinct ecosystem types.

Cross Reference Table

Source: BASIN RealValue Worksheet - PUBLIC

Scope and Methodological Notes

Our research primarily targets terrestrial restoration and conservation, deliberately setting aside open and deep-sea ecosystems. Although our scope is land-centric, the RealValue model's techniques are adaptable to marine environments. For more specialized marine ecosystem valuations, please consult the BlueValue database.