IPBES Units of Analysis

The IPBES Units of Analysis were developed during the IPBES Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (https://ipbes.net/global-assessment) in 2019. 

The following have been identified as IPBES units of analysis globally:

Terrestrial:

Tropical and subtropical dry and humid forests

Temperate and boreal forests and woodlands

Mediterranean forests, woodlands and scrub

Tundra and High Mountain habitats

Tropical and subtropical savannas and grasslands

Temperate Grasslands

Deserts and xeric shrublands

Wetlands – peatlands, mires, bogs

Urban/Semi-urban areas

Cultivated areas

Aquatic, including both marine and freshwater:

Cryosphere

Aquaculture areas

Inland surface waters and water bodies/freshwater

Shelf ecosystems (neritic and intertidal/littoral zone)

Open ocean pelagic systems (euphotic zone)

Deep-Sea

Coastal areas intensively used for multiple purposes by humans

These IPBES terrestrial and aquatic units of analysis serve as a framework for comparison within and across assessments and represent a pragmatic solution. The IPBES terrestrial and aquatic units of analysis are not intended to be prescriptive for other purposes than those of IPBES assessments. They are likely to evolve as the work of IPBES develops.