A method for a flexible multi-level system for planning compensatory habitats (CHs) was developed. In Slovenia, CHs are currently determined on the basis of a subjective expert judgement and without using any clearly defined methodology, due to which the success rates of implementation of CHs are low. The aim of this Dd is to fill in a methodological gap and propose a system for a transparent and more objective determination of the size of a CH in the processes of assessing the acceptability of impacts caused by the execution of plans and activities affecting nature in protected areas. The system was developed by using a multi-attribute analysis, a multi-attribute decision support model and the DEXi computer program. It also includes a method for the quantification of an offset's ratio and the assessment of the adequacy of a CH. The system was validated and tested on three study cases, namely the case of the Škofljica bypass road and the whinchat (Saxicola rubetra), the spatial plan of municipality of Vrhnika and the corncrake (Crex crex), and the landfill Barje and the Eurasian woodcock (Scolopax rusticola). It was confirmed that the system allows a transparent and more objective assessment of the development plan. By using this system, the outcomes of different cases of determining the size of a CH in Slovenia can be compared. The flexible multi-level system for planning CHs is an easy-to-use in terms of the required input data and adjustable in finding the most appropriate solutions, so it can be a useful method to support decision-making during assessments processes.
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