Multiscale GIS tools for site management

The concept of the EU Fifth Framework project SPIN (Spatial Indicators for European Nature Conservation) not only included methodological research on case-studies for advanced classification methods and spatial indicators, but also explicitly incorporated the development of more generic GIS tools. These tools were to provide a tangible framework for the applied questions of site management across different scales and include tools for documentation, visualisation, implementation, change detection and advanced classification. A survey among SPIN partners and end-users revealed a high potential of the various tools when being cautiously integrated within the site assessment work flow. In this paper, we focus on operational and technical issues while, in this respect, complementing the other contributions in this issue. All of the tools presented can also be applied outside the narrow focus of monitoring for Natura 2000, and their wider application potential in nature conservation is summarised.