In response to the need and an intergovernmental commission for a high resolution and data-derived global ecosystem map, land surface elements of global ecological pattern were characterized in an ecophysiographic stratification of the planet. The stratification produced 3,923 terrestrial ecological land units (ELUs) at a base resolution of 250 meters. The ELUs were derived from data on land surface features in a three step approach. The first step involved acquiring or developing four global raster datalayers representing the primary components of ecosystem structure: bioclimate, landform, lithology, and land cover. These datasets generally represent the most accurate, current, globally comprehensive, and finest spatial and thematic resolution data available for each of the four inputs. The second step involved a spatial combination of the four inputs into a single, new integrated raster dataset where every cell represents a combination of values from the bioclimate, landforms, lithology, and land cover datalayers. This foundational global raster datalayer, called ecological facets (EFs), contains 47,650 unique combinations of the four inputs. The third step involved an aggregation of the EFs into the 3,923 ELUs. This subdivision of the Earth’s surface into relatively fine, ecological land areas is designed to be useful for various types of ecosystem research and management applications, including assessments of climate change impacts to ecosystems, economic and non-economic valuation of ecosystem services, and conservation planning.
With GIS technology now about 25 years old, it is appropriate to consider where GIS use may be leading us, with special reference to natural resource management uses and considering forest management in particular. After beginning with a consideration of where GIS technology is going, and with mention of several important related technologies, the paper considers the range of problems and of possible immediate futures for natural resource management generally, and for forest management in particular. The role of GIS in natural resource management is taken up next. Some comments on who determines where GIS technology will go in the future are offered. The paper concludes with a consideration of where GIS technology may lead natural resource management in the next decade and just after the turn of the century.
This paper was born as a joint discussion about the possible use of GIS for tackling health emergencies in cases of infectious diseases and pandemic. After providing some considerations regarding the COVID-19 sanitary and epidemiological aspects and implications, we underline and discuss some GIS applications produced to support the emergency phases and representing and sharing data in some continuously updated dashboards and becoming reference elaborations. In particular, the need for the development of rigorous GIS systems for pandemic response is highlighted and some recommendations for recording a notable added value are expressed, with a first reference to a set of applications focused on the United States. Other considerations, deriving from the experience that we have actively had working in Italy, are then focused on the need to elaborate detailed models of spatial and temporal diffusion in a GIS environment, according to ad hoc data, and digital flow (or route) maps, based on data tracking, with the aim to save human lives. For this purpose, some thoughts are expressed on the importance of finding the way to overcome a number of difficulties due to the management of sensitive data and privacy aspects, guaranteeing appropriate confidentiality.
Problems and directions for large scale geographic information system development were reviewed and the general problems associated with automated geographic information systems and spatial data handling were addressed.
