Naturalite concepts and methods applied to nature conservation

In the current context of an increasing human encroachment on landscapes, the identification and cartography of the last remaining wild areas are increasingly challenging in the field of nature conservation. The concept of naturalite, a French-word derived from wilderness, is increasingly used in the literature to designate different qualities of an area, which can be antagonistic. However, there is still a lack of definition of this concept and they were few attempts to use it for mapping. Based on the French and international literature related to the definitions, concepts and methods to map and quantify the naturalite, we try to distinguish three different facets of this concept: the biophysical integrity, the spontaneity and the spatiotemporal continuities. When considering the example of the Marais poitevin, we propose a methodological approach to produce maps of these three facets, using specific indicators. Finally, we discuss the importance of using the concept of naturalite in nature conservation.