There is much data and information about grassland ecosystems in China but it is scattered throughout the country and only partially shared. Thus, it is difficult for scientists to adequately study relationships between communities of grassland plants and their environment and the changes that are occurring in the various grassland ecosystems. In addition, it is difficult for government decision-makers to assess the current status and important trends. This study examined the methodology of establishing a “web-based virtual grassland ecology system" for China by applying ecological concepts and new digital technologies.
Grassland ecosystems can be conceptualized as multidimensional spaces. Any point within the system may be identified by latitude, longitude, and elevation. In addition, vegetation type, extent of cover, biomass yield, soil type, climate attributes, and other characteristics are spatially variable. This research project chose 10 primary attributes to characterize the grassland ecosystem. The attribute database was applied spatially to a digital elevation model. This was then integrated with dynamic information in the form of remote-sensing images. Technologies applied included Java Applet programming and ASP software within the framework of a GIS, with the system delivered over the Internet to the global scientific community. The current URL is: http://www.grassland.net.cn. For any point on the map of China, the current system provides 10 attributes (latitude, longitude, elevation, vegetation type, soil type, annual average precipitation, annual average temperature, accumulated temperature greater than 10℃, above ground biomass, and local district name). Users can also specify a single attribute (such as vegetation type) for the system to find its geographic distribution and area. In addition, if multi-attributes are specified, eg. temperate grassland, chestnut soil, precipitation<300 mm, and elevation between 800 and 1500 m, the system will quickly display the geographic distribution and area which matches the four conditions of the query.This draft system uses a novel approach and current electronic technologies to display characteristics of Chinese grasslands on the Internet. This prototype demonstrates the feasibility and value of WebGIS and Java technologies. The system offers a virtual platform for cooperative research for scientists engaged in the field of grassland ecology, allowing for organization of large amounts of data and synthesis of new information by integration of various data types.