The RegioNatApp – a web-based GIS tool for analyzing the impact of agri-environmental measure placement on habitat connectivity

The RegioNatApp is a web-based GIS prototype that helps farmers and advisors place biodiversity-promoting agricultural measures (BPAM) to optimize habitat connectivity. It computes Probability of Connectivity (PC) metrics in real time using regional habitat layers. On a test farm (18 fields; 72 equal-sized measures), spatial placement strongly affected outcomes: the best option per field increased dPC by a median of 503% relative to the worst, while only 37 measures provided stepping-stone value. The tool makes theoretical network metrics actionable, highlighting where equal effort yields disproportionate gains. Limitations include input-data quality, assumed dispersal distances, and simplified geometries. Future work targets linear elements, farm-wide and multi-farm optimization, and combining measures for cumulative effects.