The Global Assessment of Human Induced Soil Degradation (GLASOD) Digital Database from UNEP/GRID-Geneva
Entry ID:
GNV00018_171
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Summary
[The summary was adapted from original documentation provided by
UNEP/GRID-Geneva]
The GLASOD Database consists of the digital database (GNV00018) and
global boundaries template (GNV00171):
The GLASOD Digital Database (GNV00018)
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The Global Assessment of ... Human Induced Soil Degradation (GLASOD) was
conducted by the International Soil Reference and Information Centre
(ISRIC) at Wageningen, The Netherlands, as commissioned by the United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). ISRIC produced a 1:10 million
scale wall chart in 1990 and subsequently produced a digital data set.
In essence, the GLASOD data base contains information on soil degradation
within map units as reported by numerous soil experts around the world
through a questionnaire. It includes the type, degree, extent, cause and
rate of soil degradation. From these data, GRID produced digital and
hardcopy maps and made area calculations. Further general and technical
information can be found in the two documents mentioned below.
-GLSGEO is referenced in geographic coordinates (decimal degrees latitude
and longitude) centered over the Greenwich Meridian. This is a very
common general reference system which is handled by most GIS and image
processing systems.
-GLSMOLL is referenced in the Mollweide equal-area projection (the parameters
are listed in the above-mentioned text file).
A second document entitled the "World Map of the Status of Human-Induced
Soil Degradation; an Explanatory Note" (October 1990) is included in the
package, and should be considered the source document when reference is
made to the Global Assessment of Soil Degradation (GLASOD) data set.
Global Boundaries Template (ISRIC and UNEP/GRID) - GNV00171
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The GLASOD database includes a topographic basemap or global template of
continental coastlines, islands and lakes, which GRID-Nairobi extracted
from the digital version of GLASOD's 1:10 million wall map. All of the
boundaries that defined oceans and lakes were selected to create a new
ARC/INFO coverage, which was subsequently used as a basemap for all the
maps in UNEP's World Atlas of Desertification (see reference below).
The global boundaries template contains 306 polygons of four types,
which are coded in the data set as follows: 1) Oceans; 2) Lakes; 3)
Continents; and 4) Islands. It is available from GRID as a single
ARC/INFO 'EXPORT'-format file comprising 1.7 Mb when uncompressed.
While the original projection ISRIC used for the GLASOD wall map
was the Mercator to display the various continents with as little
distortion as possible, it is distributed by GRID in either the Van
der Grinten (a variation of Mercator) or the Geographic projection.
The sources of the global boundaries template are ISRIC
and UNEP/GRID, and Oldeman, et al. (1990) and Deichmann (1991).
Geographic Coverage
Spatial coordinates
| N: 72.0 |
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S: -57.0 |
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E: 180.0 |
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W: -180.0 |
Data Set Citation
Dataset Creator:
International Soil Reference and Information Centre (ISRIC
Dataset Title:
Global Assessment of the Status of Human Induced Soil Degradation (GLASOD)
Dataset Publisher:
International Soil Reference and Information Centre (ISRIC)
Data Presentation Form:
map
Online Resource:
http://www.iiasa.ac.at/Research/LUC/GAEZ/index.htm
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Temporal Coverage
Location Keywords
Science Keywords
ISO Topic Category
Project
Quality
First comprehensive soil degradation overview at global scale. First
comprehensive soil degradation overview at global scale.
The GLASOD database includes a topographic basemap or global template of
continental coastlines, islands and lakes, which GRID-Nairobi extracted from
the digital version of GLASOD's 1:10 million wall map. All of the boundaries
... that defined oceans and lakes were selected to create a new ARC/INFO coverage,
which was subsequently used as a basemap for all the maps in UNEP's World
Atlas of Desertification (see reference below). The global boundaries
template contains 306 polygons of four types, which are coded in the data set
as follows: 1) Oceans; 2) Lakes; 3) Continents; and 4) Islands. It is
available from GRID as a single ARC/INFO 'EXPORT'-format file comprising 1.7
Mb when uncompressed. While the original projection ISRIC used for the GLASOD
wall map was the Mercator to display the various continents with as little
distortion as possible, it is distributed by GRID in either the Van der
Grinten (a variation of Mercator) or the Geographic projection.
The GLASOD project has produced a world map of human-induced soil degradation
in three sheets at an average scale of 1:10M (Mercator projection). The map was
digitized afterwards and stored in GIS format with attribute database and
supplementary statistics on the extent and degree of degradation.
Ancillary Keywords
Originating Center
Data Center
Distribution
Distribution Format:
ARC/INFO EXPORT
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Personnel
GENE
R.
MAJOR
Role:
DIF AUTHOR
Email:
gsfc-gcmduso at mail.nasa.gov
TYLER
B.
STEVENS
Role:
DIF AUTHOR
Phone:
(301) 614-6898
Fax:
301-614-5268
Email:
Tyler.B.Stevens at nasa.gov
Contact Address:
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Global Change Master Directory
City:
Greenbelt
Province or State:
MD
Postal Code:
20771
Country:
USA
RONALD
G.
WITT
Role:
TECHNICAL CONTACT
Phone:
(+41-22) 917-8294/5
Fax:
(+41-22) 917-8029
Email:
Ron.Witt at grid.unep.ch
Contact Address:
International Environment House
City:
Geneva
Postal Code:
CH-1219
Country:
SWITZERLAND
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Related URL
Link:
GET DATA
Description:
GLASOD data avilable from WDC for Soils
Link:
GET DATA
Description:
Access the Global assessment of human-induced soil degradation data set.
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Publications/References
Wood et al, 2000, Analysis of Global Ecosystems: Agroecosystems, World
Resources Institute, Washington, D.C.
Oldeman, L. R., Hakkeling, R. T. A. and W. G. Sombroek. October 1990.
"World Map of the Status of Human-Induced Soil Degradation; Explanatory
Note". (The) Global Assessment of Soil Degradation, ISRIC and UNEP in
cooperation ... with the Winand Staring Centre, ISSS, FAO and ITC; 27 pages.
Deichmann, Uwe and Lars Eklundh. July 1991. "Global digital data sets for
land degradation studies: a GIS approach". GRID Case Study Series No. 4;
UNEP/GEMS & GRID; Nairobi, Kenya; 103 pages (mostly pp. 29-32). An
additional reference is UNEP's 1992 World Atlas of Desertification
(Edward Arnold, London, UK, 69 pages - see pages vii to ix).
United Nations Environmental Program, 1992, World Atlas of Desertification,
UNEP/GEMS and GRID, Nairobi, Kenya.
Creation and Review Dates
DIF Creation Date:
2005-12-27
Last DIF Revision Date:
2006-05-26
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Links
