Users who have downloaded data from the described sources include scientists
from varied research communities that include physical oceanography, applied social
science, resource management, environmental policy, computer science, and disaster
management. Technology has matured to the point where scientists are now routinely
combining archival and current data over differing spatial and temporal scales. This
type of data amalgamation allows for identification of natural and anthropogenic
ecosystem changes not previously possible. The tools are now available to combine not
only archival current data, and data at different scales, but also data of different
production types. When different data types are combined, such as in situ data
measurements validating AVHRR sea surface temperature data, or coastal erosion
models incorporating decadal census data, this technology becomes a robust, integrated
tool that can be used to derive meaningful policy regarding any kind of ecosystem
management.
3. Sample Historical GIS Data and Related Data Products
The World Resources Institute The World Resources Institute (WRI) is a non-profit
independent institution that conducts and funds research to contribute to the following
goals: 1) guarantee public assess to data, information, and decisions concerning natural
resources and environment; 2) assess and help reverse degradation of ecosystems while
building their capacity to provide humans with goods and services; 3) support climate
change research; and 4) support sustainable enterprise research such that markets may
expand and succeed without further damaging the environment (http://www.wri.org/).
Through these goals, the WRI enables scientists to conduct research utilizing the data
that have been generated from many projects dealing with local, regional, and global
issues. The WRI also has data products generated from various research studies. There
are two major differences between the University of Maryland’s GLCF online databank
and WRI databank. The first is the WRI data are generally in GIS format and not
remotely sensed imagery. Second, the WRI data tend to have primarily more current
data than that offered on the University of Maryland site. All of the downloadable
datasets available on the WRI Internet site may be found at the following website:
http://pubs.wri.org/datasets.cfm?SortBy=1. In the following section, the major datasets
and data products will be discussed.
3.1 Data and Data Derived Products Disseminated on the WRI Website
Pilot Analysis of Global Ecosystems (PAGE) The PAGE program is a collaborative
effort among many agencies, including WRI, the International Food Policy Research
Institute (IFPRI), intergovernmental organizations, research agencies, and individual
scientists in more than 25 countries globally. There are five major categories of
ecosystems that the PAGE collaboration focuses upon: coastal, forests, freshwater
systems, grasslands, and agroecosystems. All are pilot studies. All categories of
analysis utilized various physical measurements such as water condition, temporal land
use change, and soil conditions. There were two outcomes of these studies. The first
was a written publication including an in-depth analysis of all data acquired (Burke
et al., 2000). The second result was spatial data. Baseline historic and current data are
now available online and may be downloaded from the WRI website. For this section,
we will only focus on coastal and freshwater area ecosystems.
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from varied research communities that include physical oceanography, applied social
science, resource management, environmental policy, computer science, and disaster
management. Technology has matured to the point where scientists are now routinely
combining archival and current data over differing spatial and temporal scales. This
type of data amalgamation allows for identification of natural and anthropogenic
ecosystem changes not previously possible. The tools are now available to combine not
only archival current data, and data at different scales, but also data of different
production types. When different data types are combined, such as in situ data
measurements validating AVHRR sea surface temperature data, or coastal erosion
models incorporating decadal census data, this technology becomes a robust, integrated
tool that can be used to derive meaningful policy regarding any kind of ecosystem
management.
3. Sample Historical GIS Data and Related Data Products
The World Resources Institute The World Resources Institute (WRI) is a non-profit
independent institution that conducts and funds research to contribute to the following
goals: 1) guarantee public assess to data, information, and decisions concerning natural
resources and environment; 2) assess and help reverse degradation of ecosystems while
building their capacity to provide humans with goods and services; 3) support climate
change research; and 4) support sustainable enterprise research such that markets may
expand and succeed without further damaging the environment (http://www.wri.org/).
Through these goals, the WRI enables scientists to conduct research utilizing the data
that have been generated from many projects dealing with local, regional, and global
issues. The WRI also has data products generated from various research studies. There
are two major differences between the University of Maryland’s GLCF online databank
and WRI databank. The first is the WRI data are generally in GIS format and not
remotely sensed imagery. Second, the WRI data tend to have primarily more current
data than that offered on the University of Maryland site. All of the downloadable
datasets available on the WRI Internet site may be found at the following website:
http://pubs.wri.org/datasets.cfm?SortBy=1. In the following section, the major datasets
and data products will be discussed.
3.1 Data and Data Derived Products Disseminated on the WRI Website
Pilot Analysis of Global Ecosystems (PAGE) The PAGE program is a collaborative
effort among many agencies, including WRI, the International Food Policy Research
Institute (IFPRI), intergovernmental organizations, research agencies, and individual
scientists in more than 25 countries globally. There are five major categories of
ecosystems that the PAGE collaboration focuses upon: coastal, forests, freshwater
systems, grasslands, and agroecosystems. All are pilot studies. All categories of
analysis utilized various physical measurements such as water condition, temporal land
use change, and soil conditions. There were two outcomes of these studies. The first
was a written publication including an in-depth analysis of all data acquired (Burke
et al., 2000). The second result was spatial data. Baseline historic and current data are
now available online and may be downloaded from the WRI website. For this section,
we will only focus on coastal and freshwater area ecosystems.
190
Gebelein