CONCEPT

Land is "An area of the earth's solid surface, the characteristics of which embrace all reasonably stable, or predictably cyclic, attributes of the biosphere vertically above or below this area, including those of the atmosphere, the soil and underlying geology, the hydrology, the plant and animal populations, and the results of past and present human activity." (FAO, 1976). Land is a basic live supporting system supplying majority of living forms with space, energy and nutrients essential for all biochemical metabolisms occurring in any organism. Land plays a key role in major biogeochemical cycles within ecosystems and globally. Generally land comprises two major domains: natural conditions and land endowments displaying various consequences of anthropogenic intervention (Figure 1). Natural capability of land to meet certain anthropogenic activity in a broad sense refers to land quality, which is traditionally interpreted in terms of land resources. Historically, people exploit land in different ways from simple watching of landscapes and primitive collection of herbs to intensive land managements based on massive distortion of land by heavy machinery and artificially generated industrial areas. These are two polar humans strategies: to adapt ourselves to land capacity or rebuilt land to fit people demand. These strategies could be also considered from evolutionary perspective. Human beings wish to be less dependent upon natural cataclysms and more secured. With time, society becomes better armed to manage natural processes. This path has different consequences and all of them have to be deeply studied in order to maximize positive experience and avoid negative developments. The major question is how society should maintain and enhance land resources potential and mediate land degradation remains to be opened. Numerous scientific and practical institutes are looking for appropriate answer and gain a lot of achievements. There is a crucial need to develop a tool for exchange and extrapolation of accumulated knowledge.

The CD-Rom intends to approach the problem from system-analytical perspective. First, we believe that proper use of land resources should be based on reliable and easily operational information captured and handled by modern analytical tools. The concept we suggest for such information system is to establish land attributes in the three-dimensional fashion: natural characteristics, ecosystem elements and land-use utilities. By examining these aspects we are able to find out combinations to minimize conflicts, to make the most efficient trade-offs and to link social and economic development with environmental protection and enhancement. The CD-Rom is in line with chapter 10 of Agenda 21, as adopted by the Plenary in Rio de Janeiro, on June 14, 1992, which calls nations towards integrated approach to the planning and management of land resources and contributes to achieve the objectives of sustainable development.

However, the geographic uniqueness makes impossible any mechanical extrapolations of land use practices from one region to another. This principle favors local experience. The CD-Rom gives a key to this challenging analysis and opens a perspective for users to find their solutions that better match regional and local goals. It also provides examples illustrating options for such analysis.