esp_get_grid_BDN: National geographic grids from BDN (Nature Data Bank)

In mapSpain: Administrative Boundaries and Static Map Tiles for Spain

National geographic grids from BDN (Nature Data Bank)

Description

This function loads an sf POLYGON object with the geographic grids of Spain provided by the Banco de Datos de la Naturaleza (Nature Data Bank), under the Ministry of Environment (MITECO).

This dataset provides two accessors. esp_get_grid_BDN() extracts country-wide regular grids with resolutions of 5 x 5 or 10 x 10 kilometers for mainland Spain or the Canary Islands. esp_get_grid_BDN_ccaa() extracts 1 x 1 kilometer resolution grids for individual Autonomous Communities and Cities.

These grids are useful for biodiversity analysis, environmental monitoring and spatial statistical applications.

esp_get_grid_BDN_ccaa() provides higher-resolution 1 x 1 kilometer grids for specific Autonomous Communities and Cities, useful for regional analysis with finer spatial detail.

Usage

esp_get_grid_BDN(
  resolution = c(10, 5),
  type = c("main", "canary"),
  update_cache = FALSE,
  cache_dir = NULL,
  verbose = FALSE
)

esp_get_grid_BDN_ccaa(
  ccaa,
  update_cache = FALSE,
  cache_dir = NULL,
  verbose = FALSE
)

Arguments

resolution	Numeric. Resolution of the grid in kilometers. Must be one of: 5: 5 x 5 kilometer cells. 10: 10 x 10 kilometer cells (default).
type	Character. The geographic scope of the grid: "main": Mainland Spain (default). "canary": Canary Islands.
update_cache	Logical. If TRUE, refreshes the cached file and forces a new download. Defaults to FALSE.
cache_dir	Character string. A path to a cache directory. See Caching.
verbose	A logical value indicating whether to display informational messages.
ccaa	Character string. A vector of names, codes or both for Autonomous Communities and Cities. See Details on esp_get_ccaa() for accepted formats.

Details

The BDN provides standardized geographic grids for Spain that follow the Nature Data Bank's specifications. The data are downloaded from the sianedata/MITECO/dist data branch and are regularly updated.

Value

An sf POLYGON object.

Caching

Functions that download data store files in cache_dir. When cache_dir is NULL, they use the active package cache, which defaults to a temporary directory. Set update_cache = TRUE to replace an existing cached file. See Caching strategies in esp_set_cache_dir() to configure a persistent cache.

Source

Data sourced from the Banco de Datos de la Naturaleza (BDN). See the repository structure: https://github.com/rOpenSpain/mapSpain/tree/sianedata/MITECO/dist

For more information about BDN grids and other resources, visit: https://www.miteco.gob.es/es/biodiversidad/servicios/banco-datos-naturaleza/informacion-disponible/bdn-cart-aux-descargas-ccaa.html.

See Also

esp_get_ccaa()

Geographic grid data: esp_get_grid_ESDAC(), esp_get_grid_MTN()

Examples

# Load a 10 x 10 km grid for mainland Spain.
grid <- esp_get_grid_BDN(resolution = 10, type = "main")

# Visualize the grid.
library(ggplot2)

ggplot(grid) +
  geom_sf(fill = NA, color = "steelblue") +
  theme_light() +
  labs(title = "BDN Geographic Grid: 10x10 km Spain")

mapSpain documentation built on Aug. 31, 2026, 5:07 p.m.