Enabling Spatial Data Interoperability through the Use of a Semantic Meta-Model—The Peatland Example from the JRC SEPLA Project

Pavel Milenov, Aleksandra Sima, Emanuele Lugato, Wim Devos and Philippe Loudjani ()
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Pavel Milenov: Stalker-KM Ltd., 1463 Sofia, Bulgaria
Aleksandra Sima: Geo-Agri Solutions, 97-300 Piotrków Trybunalski, Poland
Emanuele Lugato: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), 21027 Ispra, Italy
Wim Devos: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), 21027 Ispra, Italy
Philippe Loudjani: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), 21027 Ispra, Italy

Land, 2024, vol. 13, issue 4, 1-19

Abstract: Numerous geographic data on peatland exist but definitions vary, and the correspondent classes are often neither harmonized nor interoperable. This hinders the efforts to employ the available national datasets on peatlands and wetlands for policy monitoring and reporting. The existing meta-languages, such as ISO-Land Cover Meta Language (LCML) and EAGLE, offer the possibility to “deconstruct” the relevant nomenclatures in an object-oriented manner, allowing the comparability and interoperable use of related information. The complex nature of peatlands calls for a dedicated and structured vocabulary of keywords and terms, comprising the biotic substrate and the soil. In the SEPLA project, a semantic meta-model has been developed, combining the hierarchical ontology of the LCML with the matrix structure of the EAGLE model. The necessary elements were provided to describe peatland bio-physical characteristics, while representing the definitions in a concise and user-friendly manner (semantic passports). The proposed semantic meta-model is innovative as it enables the documentation of the spatial distribution of peatland characteristics, considering also their temporal dimension, their intrinsic relation with land use, and the soil. It has been successfully implemented for the translation of the national peatland nomenclature into common land categories relevant for reporting under LULUCF regulation, as part of the EU Climate Law.

Keywords: meta-language; peatland; satellite data; LULUCF; land mapping; LCML; EAGLE; land characterization (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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