Frequently Asked Questions

The Nature Index is a public web platform that provides access to scientifically curated ecological benchmarks. These benchmarks define reference conditions for ecological indicators across different regions, biomes, and land uses in Southern Africa.

Benchmark data is produced by the Quest Research Pipeline — a systematic research synthesis platform that reviews published scientific literature, government datasets, and expert assessments to extract and classify ecological reference values.

The underlying sources used to derive benchmarks include peer-reviewed journal articles, government publications, and authoritative grey literature. Each benchmark includes confidence ratings and source citations so you can evaluate the evidence yourself.

Use the Benchmarks page and filter by region, biome, and land use to find benchmarks relevant to your specific ecological context.

Each benchmark has a confidence rating — High, Moderate, or Low — reflecting the strength and consistency of the underlying evidence.

• High: Multiple consistent sources with strong methodological support.
• Moderate: Supported by credible evidence but with some limitations.
• Low: Based on limited evidence or requiring further validation.

Indicators are organised into domains that represent broad ecological categories: Soil, Vegetation, Fauna, Water, Erosion, and Landscape. You can filter by domain on the Indicators page.

This indicates the interpretation direction for a benchmark. For example, higher species richness is generally desirable, while higher soil erosion rates are not. This helps you understand whether a measurement above or below the benchmark indicates better ecological condition.

Yes. Each benchmark detail page includes linked source citations. Where available, you can click through to view the original publication or dataset.

Benchmarks are updated on an ongoing basis as new research is synthesised by the Quest Research Pipeline. Each benchmark includes versioning and effective date information so you can see when it was last updated.

The benchmark data is provided for informational and educational purposes. If you wish to cite Nature Index data in publications, please reference the specific benchmark code and the original source citations provided on each detail page.