What is Marxan with Zones?
Marxan with Zones is based on the same principles standard Marxan, but allows for multiple zones, zoning contributions, costs, and the spatial relationships between zones to all be considered in spatial optimization. This tool can be applied in various contexts to help identify configurations of sites (or ‘planning units’) that contribute to a wide range of ecological, social, cultural, and economic objectives. This makes Marxan with Zones well placed to support local and regional planning across marine, freshwater and terrestrial areas, where the goal is often to achieve a balance across a range of competing objectives.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MARXAN AND MARXAN WITH ZONES?
Standard Marxan is essentially a one zone problem. It identifies priorities based on input data and parameters. Planning units are either selected or not selected. Marxan with zones solves the same problem as standard Marxan for each zone, as well as accounting for the relationships between different zones.
SOME EXAMPLES OF WHERE MARXAN WITH ZONES HAS BEEN USED.
- To plan for multi-functional landscapes in East Kalimantan, Indonesia. Find out more here.
- To design multi-objective marine zones in the St. Kitts and Nevis, West Indies. Find out more here.
- Assessing land-use scenarios in the Daly Catchment, Australia. Find out more here.
- Creation of multiple use zoning plans in Tun Mustapha Park, northern region of Sabah, Malaysia (Northern Borneo). Find out more here.
- Identifying zoning configurations of “no-take” and “limited-take” options in the English Channel. Find out more here.
- Assessing marine zoning plans for the Aegean Sea, the Mediterranean Sea between Europe and Asia. Find out more here.