Atlas of the Biosphere

Atlas of the Biosphere
Name	Atlas of the Biosphere
Country	United States
Established	1990s
Discipline	Environmental science
Publisher	University of Wisconsin–Madison

Atlas of the Biosphere is a digital cartographic project produced by the University of Wisconsin–Madison that compiles global environmental datasets into thematic maps for research on climate change, land use, and biodiversity. The atlas aggregates data from international organizations such as the United Nations Environment Programme, World Bank, and Food and Agriculture Organization alongside research institutions like the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and United States Geological Survey. It has been used by scholars associated with institutions including Harvard University, Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Columbia University, and University of California, Berkeley.

Overview

The project presents raster and vector maps covering variables like vegetation distribution, soil carbon, population density, and agricultural extent, integrating datasets originating from agencies such as the European Space Agency, NASA, NOAA, USGS, and consortia including the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and Group on Earth Observations. Users can explore spatial layers tied to regional initiatives such as the Amazon Rainforest conservation programs, Congo Basin assessments, and Great Barrier Reef monitoring, alongside global frameworks like the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The atlas supports comparative studies across biomes like the Sahara Desert, Amazon Basin, Taiga, Mediterranean Basin, and Himalayas, and relates to policy dialogues involving entities such as the World Wide Fund for Nature, Conservation International, The Nature Conservancy, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

History and Development

Development began in the 1990s amid expanding digital cartography and earth observation programs tied to projects at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, and the USGS EROS Center. Early collaborators included academics from Princeton University, Yale University, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, and technical partners like Esri and researchers funded by the National Science Foundation, European Commission, and Gates Foundation. The atlas evolved through iterations influenced by landmark events and datasets: the launch of the Landsat program, the advent of the TOPEX/Poseidon mission, and the growth of the Global Climate Observing System. Workshops and conferences at venues such as United Nations Headquarters, Smithsonian Institution, and Royal Society shaped standards for metadata, provenance, and interoperability.

Data Sources and Methods

Data sources include satellite missions (Landsat 8, Sentinel-2, MODIS), in situ networks like Global Historical Climatology Network, field surveys coordinated by Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and Kew Gardens, and socioeconomic layers from the World Bank and United Nations Population Division. Methodologies employ geospatial processing software from vendors including Esri and open-source tools developed in collaboration with OpenStreetMap communities, the R Project for Statistical Computing, and the QGIS project. Analytical workflows reference standards promulgated by International Organization for Standardization technical committees, data citation practices endorsed at OECD workshops, and provenance frameworks used by initiatives such as the Digital Earth program. Uncertainty quantification draws on approaches used in IPCC assessments and validation against datasets from European Space Agency campaigns and national surveys from agencies like USDA and Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Content and Map Themes

The atlas organizes content into thematic sections: land cover and land-use change, biogeochemical cycles (carbon, nitrogen), freshwater resources, human dimensions (population density, urban extent), agriculture and food security, and conservation priority metrics. Map layers reference ecoregions defined by WWF, wetlands inventories comparable to Ramsar Convention listings, and protected area datasets curated by UNEP-WCMC and IUCN; they also visualize climate variables used in IPCC scenarios, crop suitability matrices similar to those used by FAO, and deforestation time series relevant to REDD+ discussions. The atlas supports overlaying political boundaries from sources such as United Nations datasets, maritime claims like those adjudicated in United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and infrastructure layers used in studies by the International Energy Agency and World Bank.

Applications and Impact

Researchers from University of Oxford, Imperial College London, Carnegie Institution for Science, and Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research have used the atlas for studies in carbon budgeting, habitat connectivity, and vulnerability assessments informing policy at forums such as the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Conservation NGOs including WWF, The Nature Conservancy, and Conservation International leverage atlas layers for priority-setting and project monitoring; development agencies like the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, and Inter-American Development Bank use outputs in environmental safeguards and planning. The atlas has been cited in academic journals published by Nature Publishing Group, Science, and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and featured in educational programs at Smithsonian Institution and public data portals modeled after projects like Google Earth Engine.

Access and Distribution

The atlas is distributed through web mapping services and downloadable geospatial packages compatible with platforms such as Esri ArcGIS Online, Google Earth Engine, and open repositories maintained by institutions like Dryad and the Centre for Environmental Data Analysis. Licensing aligns with norms advocated by the Open Data Charter and datasets often adopt permissive terms encouraging reuse by universities, NGOs, and intergovernmental bodies including the United Nations and World Meteorological Organization. Training and capacity-building workshops have been conducted in partnership with regional centers like CIFOR and IIASA to support uptake across ministries of environment and research institutes in regions including Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America.

Category:Environmental data