Acronyms and Abbreviations

AEZ | Agro-ecological Zones
AEZWIN | AEZ-based multiple criteria decision support system for land resources planning
AVHRR | Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer
BLS | Basic Linked System of National Agricultural Policy Models (IIASA's world agricultural model)
CGCM1 | Canadian Global Coupled Model, Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis, Meteorological Service of Canada
CIESIN | Center for International Earth Science Information Network
CROPWAT | Computer Program for Irrigation Planning and Management, FAO, Land and Water Development Division
CRU | Climate Research Unit, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
DDC | Data Distribution Center of the IPCC DEM Digital elevation model
DSMW | Digital Soil Map of the World (FAO)
ECHAM4 | Coupled Global Model, Max-Planck Institute for Meteorology and Deutsches Klimarechenzentrum, Hamburg, Germany
EROS | Earth Resources Observation Systems data center of the USGS
FAO | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy
FAOCLIM | World-wide Agroclimatic Database, FAO, Rome
FAOSTAT | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Statistical Databases
FSU | Former Soviet Union
GAEZ | Global Agro-ecological Zones
GCM | General Circulation Models
GIS | Geographical Information System
GLASOD | Global Assessment of the Status of Human-induced Soil Degradation (UNEP/ISRIC)
GLCC | Global Land Cover Characteristics Database
GTOPO30 | Global 30 arc-seconds elevation dataset
HADCM2 | Coupled Global Model, Hadley Centre for Climate Prediction and Research, UK
IIASA | International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg,Austria
IPCC | Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (WMO/UNEP)
ISRIC | International Soil Reference and Information Center, Wageningen, Netherlands
ISSS | International Society of Soil Science
IUCN | The World Conservation Union
JRC | Joint Research Centre of the European Commission
LAI | Leaf area index
LGP | Length of growing period
LUC | Land Use Change Project (IIASA)
LUT | Land utilization type
SLA | State Land Administration of the People's Republic of China
SOTER | Global and National Soils and Terrain Digital Database (UNEP/ISSS/ISRIC/FAO)
SSTC | State Science and Technology Commission of the People's Republic of China
SRES | Special Report on Emission Scenarios (IPCC)
UNDP | United Nations Development Programme
UNEP | United Nations Environment Programme
UNESCO | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
UNFPA | United Nations Fund for Population Activities
USGS | U.S. Geological Survey
WISE | World Inventory of Soil Emissions Potentials