Abstract:
The origin of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) dates back to the penetration of Information Technologies (IT) in the geography field. Undoubtedly, the greatest challenge for GIS specialists is to store, process, and visualize large-scale geospatial databases for the shortest possible time, including building queries for maximum accurate representation of ultimate cartographic products. The classical GIS projects focus mainly on storing, editing and integrating geospatial data for analysis and visualization. The Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) itself expands the coverage of traditional GIS activities by adding a new focus – managing and distributing geospatial data at organizational, administrational, national, continental and global levels. In terms of restricted access, into two main groups are subdivided the software applications: open coded and commercially purchased. In case of a more in-depth classification, are added two further transitional categories. One contains free resource installation without providing programming code, while the other includes paid functional improvements to the open source software package. Beyond consideration of the necessity and possibility to purchase a geospatial software product, it is also advisable to be analyzed the functional tools used to present the geospatial database in a web environment. In the provided methods of mapping, visualizing, analyzing, creating, manipulating, converting, sharing, accessing and querying is expressed the evaluation criteria. On the one hand, the future of GIS is in the reasonable balanced streaming integration of adequate computer literacy in the field of information technologies, and routine geospatial experience in the field of geographic information systems. On the other hand, the potential development of GIS depends exclusively on the targeted expansion of custom volunteer activities. At present, the two main opportunities for achieving this goal refer to the stimulation of open-sourcing and crowd-sourcing freely accessible volunteer initiatives. Thus, as a research area, part of Natura 2000 protected territories, is selected the “Bulgarka” Nature Park, because besides the published maps, illustrative materials and available documents on the web so far, there is still no accessible to the public web-based GIS application for biodiversity and tourism.