The Google Earth client

Google Earth client software provides a 3D interface to Planet Earth. Google Earth is currently available for the Mac and Windows operating systems and performs best with a high bandwidth connection to the Internet (see system requirements and download). It is available only in English. If you have the appropriate operating system and Internet connection, Google Earth provides a powerful visualization of Planet Earth.

The Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) provides access to biological occurrence data in the required format for the Google Earth Client. Multiple taxa can be mapped at the same time. Once Google Earth is installed on your computer, you can download these GBIF files and either save them for future use or use the files immediately. When plotting multiple taxa, make sure to choose a different icon for each taxon.

For example, if you upload a file for Puma concolor, this will be added to the *Temporary Places* folder of the Google Earth client. These can then be saved for future use under *My Places*. If you click on the Puma concolor link in *Temporary Places* folder, a dialog box pops up in the Google Earth client with web links to the GBIF home page, the species page for that taxon from the GBIF data portal and to retrieve any images from Google images. A browser will open in the lower half of the Google Earth client or separately.

A single mouse click on an icon will bring up a dialog box with the scientific name of the taxon plus a web link *View GBIF record data* which retrieves the biological data for that record directly from the GBIF data portal.

These scripts have been contributed by Derek Munro of the Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility (CBIF) to GBIF beginning on 2005-09-28. More...