A Global Map of Human Impact on Marine Ecosystems dataset was published February 15, 2008. The dataset was constructed by Bernard S. Halpern, et al, through work conducted at the National Science Foundation (NSF)'s National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) at the University of California at Santa Barbara, and involved 19 scientists from a range of universities, NGOs, and government agencies. (See full citation below.) By overlaying maps of 17 different activities such as fishing, climate change and pollution, researchers produced a composite map of the toll that humans have exacted on the seas.

(See also: National Political Boundaries 2008.) The Sub-National Political Boundaries map identifies nearly 3000 unique sub-national administrative entities. In most cases sub-national boundaries are 1st-level administrative units (states and provinces). The Sub-National Political Boundaries map is derived from many sources, rigorously researched in order to use best available sources for each country. All boundaries are derived from open sources or from copyrighted sources in a manner to protect respective interests. Sources include World Factbook 2006 (CIA) and United Nations Second Administrative Level Boundaries (SALB) project (ongoing).

(See also: Sub-National Political Boundaries 2008.) The National Political Boundaries Map is derived from many sources, rigorously researched in order to use best available sources known for each country. All boundaries are derived from open sources or adapted from copyrighted sources in a manor to protect respective interests. Sources include the LandScan dataset (GP2001) produced by Oak Ridge National Laboratories (ORNL) and World Factbook 2006 (CIA). Map data was converted for use in TerraViva!® global data-viewing software by ISCIENCES, L.L.C., Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. Nominal political boundaries are displayed, identifying 262 unique entities, including 192 independent states and 70 other areas of special interest, such as Antarctica, other dependencies or special sovereignties such as Hong Kong or Taiwan, and numerous bodies of water.

The Global Land Cover 2000 Map is based on global land classifications produced by the Institute for Environment and Sustainability’s (IES) Global Vegetation Monitoring Unit, part of the Joint Research Committee (JRC), a service arm of the European Commission. Map data was converted for use in TerraViva!® global data-viewing software by ISCIENCES, L.L.C., Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. The map illustrates the distribution of surface materials or “land cover” over the entire globe. This map helps to show the major ecological systems that exist such as forests, grasslands, and cultivated areas. By exploring this map, you can understand the expanse of each of these ecosystems since the colors defining each area are easily distinguishable from each other. The Global Land Cover 2000 Map was published in geographic projection at 30 arc-seconds resolution, and so was losslessly compressed to the high resolution TerraViva!® map layer. Lower resolution map layers were then derived from this layer to enable quicker data access when viewing the entire world. Two color tables were then attached to the map, one duplicating the colors of the original source image, and one similar to color schemes used for other TerraViva landcover maps (derived from MODIS and AVHRR sensors) to allow easier visual comparisons among the various maps. The Global Land Cover 2000 Map comes from the global land classifications produced by the Institute for Environment and Sustainability’s (IES) Global Vegetation Monitoring Unit. The IES is part of the Joint Research Committee (JRC) and their goal is to offer support, both technological and scientific, to the European Union as they propose ways to protect the environment. Along with Global Land Cover 2000 (GLC 2000) database, the IES hosts several other databases including the WMO World Data Center for Aerosols and the European Soil Database. GLC 2000 database, which was used to create the Global Land Cover 2000 Map, was the first of its kind to depict the entire planet with its complete land cover using a 1km resolution. GLC 2000 was chosen as part of the information set for the Millennium Ecosystems Assessment.

The Elevation Source Map tracks the source of data used for each pixel in the Elevation and Depth Map and indicates value-added modifications made by the data creator. The Elevation and Depth Source Map is a companion to the Elevation and Depth Map. Map data was created for use in TerraViva!® global data-viewing software by ISCIENCES, L.L.C., Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.

The Elevation and Depth Map v2 shows the height of the Earth's land surfaces and the depths of its ocean floors for the entire world. This latest version incorporates an improved coastline dataset. The Elevation and Depth Map v2 combines and corrects anomalies in three datasets: SRTM30, ETOPO2, and GTOPO30. The Elevation and Depth v2 map was created by ISCIENCES, L.L.C., Ann Arbor, Michigan. To create the map ISciences constructed a global composite from elevation sources, rectified anomalies, computed slope and aspect, and added depth data. The land elevation portion of this map is derived from NASA’s SRTM30 (2000) digital elevation data, Version 1.1, where that was available, and from USGS’s GTOPO30 elevation data for areas not covered by SRTM and for voids in SRTM coverage areas. Additionally, to reduce visual discontinuity between blended data, ISciences reconstructed some areas that had been filled with GTOPO30 data by using interpolated values from derived contour lines. The depth portion is derived from the National Oceanic and Space Administration (NOAA) National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) ETOPO2 global digital terrain model (2001).

The Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI) is a measure of overall progress towards environmental sustainability, developed for 146 countries. The ESI 2005 is based on the Environmental Sustainability Index 2005 database produced by CIESIN at Columbia University and the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy (YCELP) in collaboration with the World Economic Forum and the European Community’s Joint Research Centre, and distributed by the Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center.

The Tuberculosis and Malaria dataset is based on several sources: Global Burden of Diseases 2002 (revised); World Malaria Report 1990-2004; WHO Global Atlas of Infectious Diseases; World Health Report 2003, 2004, and 2005; and WHO Global Tuberculosis Control Reports 1998-2005, all of which are distributed by the World Health Organization (WHO). The Tuberculosis and Malaria dataset is a time-series database containing 94 variables from 1989-2005 about the, economy, demographics, and diseases of 192 countries of the world. Data was converted for use in TerraViva!® global data-viewing software by ISCIENCES, L.L.C., Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.

The World Factbook is published by the United States Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) Directorate of Intelligence. The World Factbook is a compendium of statistics and general information about the geography, economy, people, government and infrastructure of 263 countries, territories and oceans of the world. ISciences produced a multiyear version of the World Factbook (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006) as an interesting demonstration of time series capabilities in ISciences’ TerraViva!® global data-viewing software. Data users should note that the data provider (CIA) explicitly states that these data are not comparable from year to year, and that the data provider does not endorse any use of these data as evidence of longitudinal trends. Data was compiled for use in TerraViva!® global data-viewing software by ISCIENCES, L.L.C., Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.

The Millennium Development Goals (MDG) dataset is based on the Millennium Development Report 2006, created to report progress on the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, an outcome of the United Nations Millennium Declaration of 2000. MDG data are the product of the work of the Inter-agency and Expert Group (IAEG) on MDG Indicators, coordinated by the United Nations Statistics Division. MDG is a time-series database, which uses indicators, such as population using improved sanitation facilities, population below national poverty line, people living with HIV, and carbon dioxide emissions, to assess progress over the period from 1990 to 2015. Data was converted for use in TerraViva!® global data-viewing software by ISCIENCES, L.L.C., Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.

The International Energy Annual 2004 dataset is based on the International Energy Annual 2004 database produced by the Energy Information Administration (EIA), US Dept. of Energy (DOE), and was released May-July 2006. The International Energy Annual 2004 database contains time series variables related to international energy statistics. For many series, data begin with the year 1980. The database reflects key international energy trends for production, consumption, imports, and exports of primary energy commodities in over 220 countries, dependencies, and areas of special sovereignty. Data was converted for use in TerraViva!® global data-viewing software by ISCIENCES, L.L.C., Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.

The EarthTrends 2005 dataset is based on the EarthTrends database maintained by the World Resources Institute (WRI) containing data assembled from various sources including international organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Energy Agency (IEA), UNESCO, and the World Conservation Monitoring Center (WCMC). EarthTrends 2005 is a collection of information regarding the environmental, social, and economic trends that shape our world. The EarthTrends 2005 dataset includes over 500 variables such as forest land area, carbon emissions, and gross domestic product. Data are reported as time-series – that is, for a number of years. Statistics may be reported for some variables from as far back as 1800 and may be projected as far forward as 2050. Data was converted for use in TerraViva!® global data-viewing software by ISCIENCES, L.L.C., Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.

World Development Indicators 2006 is based on the World Development Indicators (WDI) database maintained by World Bank. The WDI database contains data assembled from various international, governmental, and private sources. The database includes more than 600 time-series indicators covering the years 1960 through 2005, where data are available. World Development Indicators 2006 database is the World Bank's premier annual compilation of data about development. Data was converted for use in TerraViva!® global data-viewing software by ISCIENCES, L.L.C., Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.

World Development Indicators (WDI) publication is the World Bank's premier annual compilation of data about development. The 2007 WDI covers 45 years of time-series data from 1960-2005. The dataset includes more than 900 indicators in over 80 tables organized in 6 sections: World View, People, Environment, Economy, States and Markets, and Global Links. Data are shown for 152 economies with populations of more than 1 million, as well as for Taiwan, China, in selected tables. Table 1.6 presents selected indicators for 56 other economies—small economies with populations between 30,000 and 1 million and smaller economies if they are members of the World Bank.

The Last of the Wild: Biomes map indicates areas where mankind has least influenced the land, displayed by biome. The biome classifications used in this map are those defined in the Terrestrial Ecoregions of the World map created by the World Wildlife Fund. The biome classes represented include forests, grasslands, shrublands, savannas, tundra, woodlands, and desert. (In a classification system familiar to all biologists, the entire planet can be biogeographically categorized by: Realm>Biome>Ecoregion. Realms are continental or subcontinental-sized areas having unifying features of geography and fauna/flora/vegetation. Biomes are large, regional ecosystem types. Ecoregions are subdivisions of biomes.) Last of the Wild: Biomes V2 is part of the Last of the Wild data collection that includes the Human Influence Index (HII) grids, Human Footprint grids, and The Last of the Wild vector data. The collection was derived from Last of the Wild Data Version 2, 2005 (LWP-2): Global Human Footprint data set (HF) created by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) at Columbia University and distributed by the Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC).

The Last of the Wild: EcoRegions map indicates areas where mankind has least influenced the land, displayed by ecoregion. Nearly 700 ecoregions are included, based on ecoregion classifications defined in the Terrestrial Ecoregions of the World map created by the World Wildlife Fund. (In a classification system familiar to all biologists, the entire planet can be biogeographically categorized by: Realm>Biome>Ecoregion. Realms are continental or subcontinental-sized areas having unifying features of geography and fauna/flora/vegetation. Biomes are large, regional ecosystem types. Ecoregions are subdivisions of biomes.) Last of the Wild: EcoRegions V2 is part of the Last of the Wild data collection that includes the Human Influence Index (HII) grids, Human Footprint grids, and The Last of the Wild vector data. The collection was derived from Last of the Wild Data Version 2, 2005 (LWP-2): Global Human Footprint data set (HF) created by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) at Columbia University, distributed by the Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC).

The Human Influence Index (HII) is a measure of direct human influence on terrestrial ecosystems, with values ranging from 0-64. Zero value represents no human influence and 64 represents maximum human influence. The HII is part of the Last of the Wild data collection that includes the Human Influence Index grids, Human Footprint grids, and The Last of the Wild vector data. The Human Influence Index and Human Footprint were produced through an overlay of a number of global data layers that represent the location of various factors presumed to exert an influence on ecosystems: human population distribution, urban areas, roads, navigable rivers, and various agricultural land uses. The combined influence of these factors yields the Human Influence Index. The collection was derived from Last of the Wild Data Version 2, 2005 (LWP-2): Global Human Footprint data set (HF) created by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) at Columbia University, distributed by the Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center.

The Human Footprint V2 map depicts a measure of the human influence on the earth’s land surface in terms of a Human Influence Index (HII) normalized by biome and realm. Human Footprint values range from 1 to 100. A score of 1 indicates that the grid cell is part of the 1% least influenced area in its biome. Biomes are large, regional ecosystem types, defined within biogeographic realms. Realms are continental or subcontinental-sized areas having unifying features of geography and fauna/flora/vegetation. The biome classification used in this map is from the Terrestrial Ecoregions of the World map created by the World Wildlife Fund. The Human Influence Index is a global dataset of 1-kilometer grid cells, created from nine global data layers covering human population pressure (population density, population settlements), human land use and infrastructure (built up areas, nighttime lights, land use/land cover), and human access (coastlines, roads, railroads, navigable rivers). Human Footprint V2 is part of the Last of the Wild data collection that includes the Human Influence Index (HII) grids, Human Footprint grids, and The Last of the Wild vector data. The collection was derived from Last of the Wild Data Version 2, 2005 (LWP-2): Global Human Footprint data set (HF) created by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) at Columbia University and distributed by the Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC). For a complete discussion of changes since Last of the Wild V1 see "Distribution Info>OnLine Resource>Web Site: Last of the Wild Methods (SEDAC)" below.

The Olson Eco Carbon Density map displays global spatial distribution of carbon density. Density values are based on the amount of carbon found in live vegetation. Map colors correspond to the carbon density value in kilograms of carbon per square meter. The Olson Eco Carbon Density map is based on the Major World Ecosystem Complexes Ranked by Carbon in Live Vegetation Database compiled in 1985 by Jerry S. Olson, Julia A. Watts, and Linda J. Allison while working for Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The dataset was revised in 2001.

The Vegetation Lifeforms map illustrates the distribution of earth surface materials or "land cover" over the entire globe. This map is one of eight maps in the Global Land Cover Characteristics (GLCC) dataset. The GLCC database was generated by the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) National Center for Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS), the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) and the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission. GLCC was derived from the National Oceanic and Space Administration (NOAA) Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) data collected daily over a 12-month period from April 1992 through March 1993. It is made available through USGS EROS Data Center.