Conclusions

Environmental and landscape planning in Germany differs in scope and aims. Landscape planning makes important contributions at all levels and full-coverage while environmental planning deals with specific scales (spatial and temporal) and territories (Koppel et al., 2004; Lambrecht et al., 2007; Riedel & Lange, 2001; von Haaren, 2004). The results of the landscape planning process can be used in the evaluation process of an EIA or SEA to analyze the negative effects caused by a project, plan or program. Otherwise the results of an SEA might be used in the following EIA or results of an EIA must be used in the following envelope and mitigation planning (Lambrecht et al., 2007; Schultze & Buhmann, 2008; Heins & Pietsch, 2010). That implies the necessity to realize an efficient information management and minimum standards to provide data and information in the right way at all work steps in the planning process (Pietsch & Heins, 2008; Heins & Pietsch, 2010; Schauerte-Lucke, 2008). Taking all frameworks in consideration information about the current state of nature and landscape, landscape functions, negative impacts or foreseeable conflicts must be evaluated and measures must be planned. Therefore different spatial information using scientific methods must be analyzed using e. g. GIS. Because the requirements are similar the following remarks will be limited to the landscape planning process while they may be assigned to the other planning tasks.