TERRASTAT Global Land Resources GIS Models and Databases for Poverty and Food Insecurity Mapping

TERRASTAT is based on earlier work carried out by FAO (Bot et. al., 2000) which focuses on a country analysis, in tabular form, of problem soils, drylands, steeplands, and land degradation issues. This database, linked with population figures, was used for poverty and food insecurity mapping, particularly for analyzing where people live in relation to:

1) agro-ecological zones;
2) marginal, degraded, or productive lands; and
3) major foodcrop production systems, in particular those important to food security for the rural poor.

The computer programmes on this CD-ROM display and export different biophysical themes ranging from specific soil constraints and climatic parameters to land degradation status at national and/or global level. These outputs are linked in tabular format with the population and population density in each of the biophysical zones identified. This allows specific problems, and possible solutions to be linked with the potential population most affected by the constraints identified. Moreover, it provides a first screening for more detailed country studies.

The following maps (ARC Info grid files) from the FAO Global Land Resources GIS Models and Databases are included on CD-ROM #1:

Map 1 Thermal Climates
Map 2 Length of Available Growing Period (16 classes)
Map 3 Length of Available Growing Period (6 classes)
Map 4 Population Density (Persons/SqKm)
Map 5 pH - Topsoil
Map 6 pH - Subsoil
Map 7 Base Saturation % - Topsoil
Map 8 Base Saturation % - Subsoil
Map 9 Organic carbon % - Topsoil
Map 10 Organic carbon % - Subsoil
Map 11 Nitrogen % - Topsoil
Map 12 Nitrogen % - Subsoil
Map 13 C/N Ratio Class - Topsoil
Map 14 C/N Ratio Class - Subsoil
Map 15 Cation Exchange Capacity (clay) - Topsoil
Map 16 Cation Exchange Capacity (clay) - Subsoil
Map 17 Cation Exchange Capacity (soil) - Topsoil
Map 18 Cation Exchange Capacity (soil) - Subsoil
Map 19 Organic Carbon Pool (kg/m2/m)
Map 20 Organic Carbon Pool - Topsoil (up to 30 cm)
Map 21 Effective Soil Depth (cm)
Map 22 Soil Drainage Class
Map 23 Soil Moisture Storage Capacity (mm/m)
Map 24 Easy Available Water
Map 25 Textural class - Topsoil
Map 26 Textural class - Subsoil
Map 27 Dominant Soils
Map 28 Soil Production Index
Map 29 Media of Terrain Slopes derived from GTOPO30
Map 30 Dominant Type of Problem Lands
Map 31 Land Classes (at 2010)
Map 32 Suitability for Rain-fed Wheat (intermediate inputs)
Map 33 Suitability for Rain-fed Grain Maize (intermediate inputs)
Map 34 Suitability for Rain-fed and Irrigated Rice (high input)
Map 35 Most Suitable Cereal (value)
Map 36 Potential Grain Production/person � Low inputs
Map 37 Potential Grain Production/person � High inputs
Map 38 Potential Rainfed Food Production - Low inputs - Yield (T/ha)

The following maps (ARC Info grid files) from the FAO Land Degradation Assessment are included on CD-ROM #2::

Glasod - Causes of Human Induced Degradation (maps 1-5):
Map 1 Agricultural Activities
Map 2 Overexploitation of Vegetation
Map 3 Industrial Activities
Map 4 Deforestation, Removal of Vegetation
Map 5 Overgrazing

Glasod - Types and Sub-types of Degradation (maps 6-15)
Map 6 Water Erosion
Map 7 Loss of Topsoil through Water Erosion
Map 8 Terrain Deformation through Water Erosion
Map 9 Wind Erosion
Map 10 Loss of Topsoil through Wind Erosion
Map 11 Terrain Deformation through Wind Erosion
Map 12 Wind Overblowing
Map 13 Chemical Deterioration (overall)
Map 14 Loss of Nutrients
Map 15 Salinization

Glasod - Types and Sub-types of Degradation (maps 16-25)
Map 16 Pollution
Map 17 Acidification
Map 18 Physical Deterioration (overall)
Map 19 Compaction, Sealing and Crusting
Map 20 Waterlogging
Map 21 Subsidence of Organic Soils
Map 22 Stable Terrain under Natural Condition
Map 23 Stable Terrain with Permanent Agriculture
Map 24 Stable Terrain Stabilized by Human Intervention
Map 25 Non-used Wastelands (Active Dunes)

Glasod - Types and Sub-types of Degradation (maps 26-30)
Map 26 Non-used Wastelands (Salt Flats)
Map 27 Non-used Wastelands (Rock Outcrops)
Map 28 Non-used Wastelands (Deserts)
Map 29 Non-used Wastelands (Ice Caps)
Map 30 Non-used Wastelands (Arid Mountain Region)

Glasod - Severity of Human Induced Degradation (map 31)
Map 31 Severity of Human Induced Soil Degradation

For each map, there is a legend, value attribute table, and notes about the indicator. The resolution of all the grids is 5 minutes by 5 minutes (nearly 80 km at the Equator).

The user should be aware that most of the analysis is based on relatively old and/or low resultion material that is presently being updated.