The Global Ecosystems mapping tool displays ecosystem classifications and other  information at scales appropriate for on-the-ground management. The  data can be used for a variety of applications, including conservation planning, resource management, and analyses of the economic value of ecosystem benefits.

The methodology developed for this effort was based on the acquisition or generation of five base layers: elevation classes, landforms, geology, bioclimate, and land cover, followed by the integration of these layers into a final set of terrestrial ecosystems. During the classification and mapping effort, participants produced several standardized geospatial ecosystem models. As a result, ecosystem occurrences in the maps can be used as a robust spatial unit of analysis for assessing climate change impacts.

All of the ecosystems data for each of the continental mapping efforts is available within a data viewer and as sets of pre-packaged downloadable zip files.