This brochure briefly describes a proposed strategy to be shared between the Global Terrestrial Observing System (GTOS) and the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS), and to be linked to the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS), for collecting reliable, representative, long-term data about the world's land and freshwater ecosystems. A more complete description can be found in Version 2.0 of The GCOS/GTOS Plan for Terrestrial Climate-related Observations, which is available from the GCOS Joint Planning Office (GCOS-32). This information is needed to guide rational management of the environment. It is needed for the whole world because many of the processes affecting the quality of the environment occur at scales larger than the individual nation; global climate change, desertification and trans-boundary pollution are examples. It is needed over the long term because the processes involved may be slow, but cumulatively very dangerous. The need for a long observation period and global coverage means that the measurements must be made very consistently if they are to be comparable. The scope of the effort requires that the observing system be designed for maximum efficiency.
The proposed system is shared between the Global Terrestrial Observing System and the Global Climate Observing System, and is linked to the Global Ocean Observing System.
Figure 1. Relationship Between the International Global Observing Systems.
