Zonation – a practical tool for nature conservation and land use planning

Zonation is a software developed in Finland, used for conducting prioritisation analyses of conservation values based on geographic information. Its results are particularly utilised to support nature conservation and land use planning, as well as scientific research.
Henkilö katsoo värikästä karttaa luonnossa. A person looking at a colourful map in nature
A conservation priority map is read in Potunsuo, Hämeenlinna, Finland. © Kaisu Aapala

The Zonation software enables prioritisation analyses of conservation values based on spatial data to support decision-making, conservation area planning, and the avoidance of negative ecological impacts. It can incorporate a wide range of data, including information on uncertainties and connectivity. The analyses can be highly detailed and extensive, depending on the available datasets.

Zonation is free of charge and openly available. It has been used both in Finland and globally since 2006.

The practical use of Zonation in Finnish conservation work began in the late 2000s, when the University of Helsinki and Metsähallitus started collaborating on the METSO programme for forest biodiversity in Southern Finland. The collaboration model of utilizing the Zonation software for the needs of METSO programme, funded by the Ministry of the Environment, continued until 2024.

More information about the Zonation software and how to download it (github.com)

In 2018, the Society for Conservation Biology awarded Zonation’s developer, Atte Moilanen, for his work. Moilanen is the first Finnish recipient of this award.

News about Moilanen’s award on the Society for Conservation Biology’s website (conbio.org)

Cost-effective nature conservation

From the outset, Zonation’s development has been guided by the goal of using limited conservation resources efficiently. Cost-effective conservation means, for example, that a protected area provides the greatest possible benefit to nature relative to its size.

Book on prioritising conservation values based on spatial data (Oxford University Press website)

Compared to similar tools, Zonation is particularly effective at accounting for connectivity between species and habitats. It can consider dependencies between species and habitats and identify ecological corridors between different areas.

Zonation’s operating model is designed to be transparent, allowing users to clearly understand how their choices influence the final outcome of the analysis Despite its ability to process very large spatial datasets, Zonation is technically accessible and can be used on a standard computer.

Examples of Zonation use in Finland

Zonation has been used in the planning of regional land use plans, conservation networks, conservation programmes, urban nature prioritisation, and various restoration projects. Tailored analyses have been conducted for individual organisations such as Metsähallitus Parks & Wildlife and the Finnish Forest Centre, as well as for the needs of the entire environmental administration.

Priodiveristy LIFE project for halting biodiversity loss

The objective of the national Priodiversity LIFE project is to halt biodiversity loss in Finland. In this project, the Zonation software is used in the preparation of regional biodiversity action plans, more familiarly known as LUMO programmes. These LUMO programmes are among the most significant of over 60 different measures aimed at halting biodiversity loss in Finland. The range of actions spans from grassroots-level restoration work to data management and promoting policy coherence within central government.

The work within the Priodiversity LIFE project is carried out through an exceptionally broad collaboration of stakeholders. The project is coordinated by Parks & Wildlife Finland (part of Metsähallitus), and also involves Metsähallitus Forestry Ltd and Wildlife Services, the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the Ministry of Finance, several ELY Centres (Southeast Finland, Lapland, Pirkanmaa, North Ostrobothnia, North Savo, Southwest Finland), the Finnish Environment Institute, Natural Resources Institute Finland, the Finnish Museum of Natural History, the Finnish Forest Centre, the Finnish Food Authority, the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation, and WWF Finland.

Halting biodiversity loss in forests

Since 2008, the Zonation software has been used to produce maps illustrating forest conservation values to support the implementation of the METSO Forest Biodiversity Programme for Southern Finland. However, as the maps served the needs of the environmental administration in the first place they have not been available openly. Only in 2018 the first fully openly available maps were released. You can find the links to these data and the work below:

Peatland and mires: Expansion and restoration of the Finnish mire conservation network

Mires cover nearly a third of the total Finnish land area. Over 50% of the mires have been ditched, and in Southern Finland the proportion of drained mires exceeds 75%. The state of mires has deteriorated dramatically. The majority of mire types in Southern Finland are threatened. The rate at which the status of mire species are deteriorating has accelerated over the last decade. 

The Mire Conservation Group identified the mire areas that are nationally the most valuable in terms of their natural value and that best complement the current network of conservation areas. The Zonation software was utilized in this task during years 2013-2014. The conservation was afterwards altered to volunteer conservation without any payments.

Now, thanks to resources of Helmi Habitats Programme, these nominated valuable mire areas are finally restored and / or attached to permanent mire conservation network.

More information

Coordinator Ninni Mikkonen (syke.fi)

  • Terrestrial prioritisation analyses
  • Support for METSO and Helmi conservation programmes

Senior Researcher Elina Virtanen (syke.fi)

  • Prioritisations related to marine environments
Published 21.1.2025 / Updated 2.7.2025