Open Source Delphi/Kylix Ecosystem Sciences Software

The Forestry Commission and Natural England commissioned a bespoke data collection and presentation tool for calculating the potential for increasing the extent of tree cover across the north west of England. The data was divided into sub-regions by landscape type using Natural England's Character Area classifications. The potential within each of these Character Areas was then estimated by working groups of local experts who were capable of making reasoned assessments of both the opportunities and constraints to woodland creation. Subsequently, this project was considerably extended and adopted as a national system. It is currently being used to compile the National Woodland Potential dataset for the whole of England.

This software uses data gathered from published biodiversity inventories, together with physical and vegetational maps, to build a biodiversity map (darkening geographical landscape according with the richness/diversity of species).

Comunidata reads a table with abundance data for different species in different points, as well as environmental data for each point. Then it sorts the species according to its pondered mean along the environmental gradient, and shows the graph.