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In this article we present the Bonner Approach to evaluate a biotope’s importance for biotic resource
protection from the criteria naturalness, rarity and endangerment, substitutability, intactness and importance
for the ecosystem structure. Each criterion is evaluated separately from 0 to 5 points which are
summed up to the biotic value. According to this biotic value the biotope is classified in six categories
from very low or no to international importance for the biotic resource protection. Furthermore, the
Bonner Approach is applied in two case studies evaluating different biotopes from a Central European
landscape, Nettersheim, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, and from a Neotropical region within the
Atlantic Rain Forest, Vic¸ osa, Minas Gerais, Brazil. These outcomes are compared to evaluations from
the IUCN schemata to identify Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA) and the index of naturalness. Case studies
show that biotope’s ranking differs between frameworks because each approach is based on different
evaluation criteria. Compared to the other frameworks, the Bonner Approach outmatches because this
framework considers the influence of evaluated biotopes for biotic resources of surrounding biotopes or
landscapes. Furthermore, classification in six categories is wide enough to identify areas of low importance
where inevitable impacts might be carried out as well as areas of medium, high, very high or even
international importance to elaborate their conservation activities. As the biotic value is of numeric character,
the findings can be used to outline compensatory measures. The necessity to consider zoological
data given by the Bonner Approach is lacking in other frameworks. The Bonner Approach is transferable
to other biogeographical regions due to abstract formulation of criteria. High reproducibility and easy
and fast application underline the universal character of the Bonner Approach encouraging its adoption
in landscaping and planning conservation activities.