## 1 Introduction
### Web-Based Access to Natural Resource Data, Information and Knowledge  
Many natural resource agencies have moved away from paper reports and maps to digital formats, and the types and quantity of electronic publications available on the internet have multiplied dramatically. Internet search has allowed wide and easy access to a range of data and information products. There are many websites throughout the world that provide access to spatially-based natural resource data and information. The degree to which these sites contain data, information and \"knowledge\" differs. Data \"clearinghouses\" or \"warehouses\", for example, function as portals to access and download geospatial data offered by organisations, but may include an interactive map viewer or the ability to produce customised maps. Metadata descriptions inform users about the data sources that can be viewed and/or downloaded. Web-based GIS (webGIS) applications for accessing natural resource data and map services are now prevalent. Using an interface within a web browser, users are able to access an organisation's Internet Map Server, send queries and create customised maps. Some sites also provide more of an \"atlas\" function, providing access to static map presentations. Examples of a range of websites with differing functionality include:  
* The Florida Geographic Data Library ([[http://www.fgdl.org/](http://www.fgdl.org/)]([http://www.fgdl.org/](http://www.fgdl.org/))) provides a mechanism for distributing spatial data for the State of Florida in the USA, including data on land use, land cover, soils and hydrography. This is basically a repository of data that can be downloaded following a key word search. * The Alaska Geospatial Data Clearinghouse ([[http://agdc.usgs.gov/](http://agdc.usgs.gov/)]([http://agdc.usgs.gov/](http://agdc.usgs.gov/))) provides a metadata description for key datasets and allows downloading of shapefiles and database files from Departments such as the US Geological Survey and Bureau of Land Management (e.g., water resources, national geochemical survey, elevation, geology and ecoregions). * The Montana GIS Portal ([[http://gisportal.mt.gov](http://gisportal.mt.gov)]([http://gisportal.mt.gov](http://gisportal.mt.gov))) enables the discovery and access of spatial data and web mapping services for use in web-based mapping tools. The Montana GeographicInformation Clearinghouse ([[http://nris.mt.gov/gis/](http://nris.mt.gov/gis/)]([http://nris.mt.gov/gis/](http://nris.mt.gov/gis/))) offers access to GIS data resources for GIS professionals, as well as access to maps and interactive mapping tools for the general public. It also has an \"Atlas\" function, in that maps (in GIF and PDF formats) can be accessed via a search based on a geographic area of interest (e.g., statewide, county, watershed), The Digital Atlas of Montana ([[http://maps2.nris.mt.gov/mapper/](http://maps2.nris.mt.gov/mapper/)]([http://maps2.nris.mt.gov/mapper/](http://maps2.nris.mt.gov/mapper/))) is an interactive mapping tool that allows users to customise maps for individual datasets that they specify. * There are few natural resource data warehouses in Australia; the Victorian Water Resources Data Warehouse ([[http://www.vicwaterdata.net/vicwaterdata/home.aspx](http://www.vicwaterdata.net/vicwaterdata/home.aspx)]([http://www.vicwaterdata.net/vicwaterdata/home.aspx](http://www.vicwaterdata.net/vicwaterdata/home.aspx))) being one example. This site has been operational since 2000 and is dedicated to providing water resource data for the State of Victoria. It provides access to both raw and summary data on both water quality and quantity and is a repository for published documents produced from this data. Data can be sourced via a GIS map interface.