Current Global Land Systems Classifications: Comparison of Methods and Outputs

Abstract

The anthropogenic impact on the functioning of natural systems and the concept of Anthropocene as a period of the human domination of the Earth has been widely discussed in literature in the past few decades. Consequently, several land systems classifications have been developed on a global scale to capture the diversity, intensity, and spatial distribution of the human suppression of natural stratification. This review presents the comparison of the most widely used complex global classifications, incorporating both natural conditions and the human influence on nature. Methods, input data, the number and type of output categories as well as their geographical extent and distribution are described and compared. The review will help potential users to find differences between available classifications and choose the right one for a particular use.