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Global terrestrial Human Footprint maps for 1993 and 2009
Oscar Venter1,2,3, Eric W Sanderson4, Ainhoa Magrach5,6
1Ecosystem Science and Management, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Columbia, Canada V2N 4Z9.
Scientific Data
|August 24, 2016
Summary
New Human Footprint maps reveal global environmental pressures from human activities in 1993 and 2009. These maps track changes and inform conservation efforts by detailing human disturbance impacts on ecosystems.
Area of Science:
- Environmental science
- Conservation biology
- Geographic information systems (GIS)
Background:
- Human activities exert direct and indirect pressures on the environment.
- Understanding these pressures is crucial for ecological studies and conservation planning.
- Previous global datasets lacked temporal consistency and comprehensive pressure variables.
Purpose of the Study:
- To create the first temporally-consistent global Human Footprint maps for 1993 and 2009.
- To quantify and map eight key human pressure variables worldwide.
- To provide a tool for assessing human disturbance on natural systems.
Main Methods:
- Compiled remotely-sensed and survey data for eight human pressure variables.
- Variables included built environments, population density, and infrastructure (roads, railways, electric).
- Integrated crop lands, pasture lands, and navigable waterways data.
- Overlaid pressure data to create standardized Human Footprint maps for all non-Antarctic land.
- Validated maps using random sample plots to ensure accuracy.
Main Results:
- Generated standardized Human Footprint maps for 1993 and 2009.
- The maps represent a comprehensive, temporally-consistent dataset of human pressures.
- Validation analysis showed strong agreement between map data and sample plots.
Conclusions:
- The Human Footprint maps offer a valuable proxy for human disturbance.
- These updated maps enhance understanding of macro-ecological patterns driven by human pressures.
- The dataset supports environmental change tracking and conservation science applications.
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