Indicator: Ecological Integrity

Status	Available on Project Basis
Description	Ecological integrity reflects the overall health and resilience of an ecosystem by evaluating its structure, species composition, and ecological functions. It is measured using proxies such as human disturbance, habitat connectivity, and the presence of indicator species to assess ecosystem health.
Unit	Composite score (disturbance, connectivity, and indicator species presence, each scored from 0 to 1, combined into an overall integrity score).
Temporal Resolution	Annual Assessment.
Spatial Resolution	1 km²
Data	Remote sensing data (satellite imagery for detecting human disturbances like deforestation and assessing habitat connectivity) and field observations (data on indicator species through sightings, tracks, or other signs). Field data comes from ecologists, citizen scientists, or local experts.
Method	Ecological integrity is assessed annually for each 1 km² area by combining three metrics: (1) Disturbance, detected via satellite imagery to map human-driven changes such as deforestation, urban expansion, and land conversion; (2) Connectivity, measured by assessing how well an area is connected to other healthy ecosystems to support biodiversity; (3) Indicator species presence, using key species as biological indicators of ecosystem health. The presence of indicator species is confirmed through field observations, validated by photos, tracks, or recordings. The three metrics are combined, with higher scores indicating better ecological integrity. This method enables effective global monitoring of ecosystems with localized precision.