| Thematic map is one of significant supporting materials forWorld Natural Heritage nomination. Operational Guidelinespublished by World Heritage Committee in1984, clearlyemphasized that thematic map should be provide in thenomination. However, information on which plays fundamentalimportance for introducing nominated property is much moreimportant than map itself. Furthermore, a high-level practicaland artistic thematic map preparation demands not onlyscientific information, but also aesthetic concepts. Karstworld natural heritages represented outstanding karstphenomena which located all over the globe. Thematic map showsirreplaceable role in identification and managementconservation. It illustrates important information asnominated boundary, vegetation, etc., but standardization forthematic map is still a gap. In detail, thematic map providedby each State Party showcases format confusion and lack ofuniform standards, which had caused problems in integrityidentification, heritage value evaluation and managementconservation. Thus, it is vital important to formulate thematicmapping standards. This paper aimed on normalization andstandardization of thematic map of Karst World Natural Heritage; took Handbook of International Standardization as guidingideology; based on foreign and domestic relevant mappingstandards as reference standard. Finally developed a set ofsuitable thematic mapping standards for Karst world naturalheritage using GIS platform, and successfully applied it toSouth China Karst (Phase II) World Natural Heritage. Theresearch results mainly from following several aspects:1. Studied Operational Guidelines from1978-2013andanalyzed requests and demands for thematic map, and realizedseveral significant information would be vital important toWorld Heritage Committee as: location, boundaries of core areaand buffer zone as well as existing conservation status, etc.,of nomination.2. Studied standard development, summarized achievementsand experience, and analyzed defects of thematic map. It haddeveloped mature topographic mapping standards with basicscales both home and abroad. So far, only standardizegeological thematic map had been implemented due to othernumerous scientific realm. And there is no study on worldheritage thematic map.3. Put forward2layers of research and mapping systemthrough systemic studied26sets of thematic map that had been submitted to World Heritage Committee of23karst worldheritage sites. There2layers are geological layer that focuson standardize collection and demonstration of severalinformation as settlements, waters, roads, etc., and thematiclayer that concentrate on combination and demonstration ofboundary and conservation attributes. Finally overlay those2layers with proper modification and display effect.4. Summarized principle and technical method of thematicmap, cleared data collection sources, induced modification anddisplay methods of both layers based on GIS platform.5. Developed principle of standardization for karst worldnatural heritage combining with the existing karst WorldNatural Heritage thematic map drawing experience, also in twolayers of elements of geographic map layer and thematic layerselection principle of contents and methods, as well asreference to the relevant existing standards.6. Put forward standard of karst world natural heritagethematic mapping according to principle of standardization forkarst world natural heritage, applied research come outs onSouth China Karst (Phase II) World Natural Heritage with16specific maps. |
