| Title
|
Global Ecological Zones |
| Date
|
2001-07-01 |
| Date type
|
Creation: Date identifies when the resource was brought into existence
|
| Edition
|
First edition. |
| Presentation form
|
Digital map: Map represented in raster or vector form
|
| Abstract
|
Along with the core information on state and changes in forests, FRA 2000 is reporting on various ecological aspects of forests.
Forest resources information will be reported by ecological zone, which will contribute to understanding the implications
of forest change on (ecosystem) biological diversity and carbon-cycling processes. The 2000 global ecological zone map has
been developed, building upon the FRA 1990 experience for the tropics and extending the coverage to include the temperate
and boreal forests. A globally consistent classification has been adopted, based on the Koppen-Trewartha climate system in
combination with natural vegetation characteristics. A total of 19 global ecological zones have been defined and mapped,
ranging from the evergreen tropical rainforest zone to the boreal tundra woodland zone. A main principle of delineating
the global ecological zones involved the aggregation or matching of available regional ecological or potential vegetation
maps into the global framework.
|
| Purpose
|
Main uses of the map include: a) reporting purposes, to provide baseline forest statistics by ecological zone; b) analysis
and modelling purposes, i.e. assessment of forest-based biological diversity, both at ecosystem and species level, and biomass
modelling.
|
| Status
|
On going: Data is continually being updated
|
| Descriptive keywords
|
FORESTS . |
| Descriptive keywords
|
Global Ecological Zones , FRA 2000 . |
| Descriptive keywords
|
World (place). |
| Spatial representation type
|
Vector: Vector data is used to represent geographic data
|
| Language
|
English |
| Character set
|
UTF8: 8-bit variable size UCS Transfer Format, based on ISO/IEC 10646
|
| Topic category code
|
Biota |
| Topic category code
|
Environment |
|
|
|
|
| Supplemental Information
|
FAO's main partners in the development of the EZ map were the UNEP-WCMC, EDC and the have been instrumental in the production
of the map by providing their expertise, advice and input data. A key event was the Cambridge expert consultation (July
1999), attended by some 20 regional ecozone experts, where the proposed classification framework was presented and adopted.
|
