## **Environment90m dataset (2025)**
This directory contains the **Environment90m dataset**, compiled by members of the Global freshwater biodiversity research working group (**GLOWABIO**, ) at the Institute for Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (**IGB**, ) in Berlin, Germany.
It is described in detail by a **publication** that is currently in preparation or under review:
* García Márquez, J. R., Grigoropoulou, A., Tomiczek, T., Schürz, M., Bremerich, V., Torres-Cambas, Y., … Domisch, S. (2025). Environment90m: Globally standardized environmental variables for spatial freshwater biodiversity science at high spatial resolution *[Manuscript in preparation]*.
### **Abstract:**
Abstract. The loss of freshwater habitats and biodiversity creates a high pressure on these spatially fragmented ecosystems. One particular challenge for obtaining a baseline regarding the spatial distribution of freshwater biodiversity, species distribution modelling and conservation planning frameworks is the lack of standardized high-resolution environmental information at very high spatial resolution, which ideally can provide a characterization of freshwater habitats anywhere in the world.
To address this challenge, we present the Environment90m dataset which provides a total of 106 variables for each of the 726 million sub-catchments of the Hydrography90m dataset which have an average size of 0.19 km2, corresponding to single stream segments. Specifically, Environment90m includes 47 variables related to topography and hydrography, 19 climate variables for the observation period of 1981-2010, as well as projections for 2041-2070 and 2071-2100 under the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) 1.26, 3.70 and 5.85. Moreover, Environment90m includes 22 land cover categories, 15 soil variables and for land cover, we also provide the annual time-series data from 1992-2020. In addition, Environment90m includes information on aridity and modelled streamflow. The summary statistics of all variables are available in the dataset (mean, min, max, range, sd).
The data is available at [https://hydrography.org/environme](https://hydrography.org/environment90m)[nt90m/environment90m_layers](https://hydrography.org/environment90m/environment90m_layers), and to facilitate data download and processing, we also provide dedicated functions within the hydrographr R-package. Moreover, we point to the GeoFRESH online platform, available at , which supports easy data retrieval for point locations anywhere in the world.
For all calculations, we used the open-source tools GDAL/OGR, GRASS-GIS and AWK, so that custom data can be easily generated using the hydrographr R-package. Environment90m, along with the tools, provides an array of opportunities for research and application in spatial freshwater biodiversity science, specifically biogeographical analyses and conservation in freshwater ecosystems.
### **Using Environment90m in R**
The R package **hydrographr** (see: , source code: ) contains several **functions to download Environment90m tables** (see: *[env90m](https://glowabio.github.io/hydrographr/reference/download_env90m_tables.html)*[tables.html](https://glowabio.github.io/hydrographr/reference/download_env90m_tables.html)).
Furthermore, a **vignette** shows how to use Environment90m for Species Distribution Modelling (see [case](https://glowabio.github.io/hydrographr/articles/case_stuy_Danube.html)*[study](https://glowabio.github.io/hydrographr/articles/case_stuy_Danube.html)*[Danube.html.](https://glowabio.github.io/hydrographr/articles/case_stuy_Danube.html)
### **More information?**
For more information on how to download it, and how to use the R package hydrographr to download/interact with it, please visit **hydrography.org:** .
You can also visit **GeoFRESH** for some online exploratory data analysis: