Biosphere Reserves in GoogleEarth
We combined data from the UNESCO-MAB database with WWF's Terrestrial Ecoregions GIS in order to create a GoogleEarth layer that is both useful and fun.
Originally designed for internal use within our research centre, the layer is now freely available to support the work of biosphere reserve experts and enthusiasts.
Please keep in mind that this is a beta version and will need improvement. For suggestions and error reports, don't hesitate to get in touch with us!
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biosphere_reserves.0.1.kmz (beta)Possible Updates
The following improvements have been suggested by the development team:
- Inclusion of 55 BRs whose data is not available on the UNESCO-MAB website (as of May 2009)
- Inclusion of BR categories (island, coastal, mountain, transboundary)
- Continuous improvement of data quality (location, zonation, websites, etc.)
In the long run, the layer could also integrate into and supplement further information sources:
- Inclusion of photos for each biosphere reserve
- Inclusion of biosphere reserve zonation maps (where available)
- Link to biosphere reserve profiles on the Biosphere Research Platform
- Link to biosphere reserve profiles on the UNESCO-MAB clearing house mechanism (CHM)
- Thematic maps (e.g. according to ecosystem, BR category, CHM activity, etc.)