Vulcanus is a joint initiative of the Department of the Environment [Departament de Medi Ambient (DMA)], Cartographic Institute of Catalonia [l'Institut Cartogràfic de Catalunya (ICC)] and the Center for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications [Centre de Recerca Ecològica i Aplicacions Forestals (CREAF)]. Its purpose is to create and implement a Geographical Information System (GIS) applied to management and planning at the 'Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa' Natural Park (PNZVG). The project started in 1994 as a pilot experience in applying GIS technology to management of protected areas in Catalonia.

Vulcanus intends to offer solutions to the daily planning and management needs of the PNZVG within its various management areas: reports (activity permits) management, forest management, water management, etc. The GIS used is MiraMon^(R), and the information, procedures and applications are structured in modules which offer solutions to the different management needs of the Park. Vulcanus is based on the Park's computer network, and allows access to the system from any computer in the network. Internet technology is used internally (intranet) to access information, as well as externally (Internet), in order to make information available to the general public.

This CD-ROM is a sample of the project's main results. Vulcanus has spurred the studies undertaken in the past few years on the various topics and areas of park management. For this reason, we are pleased to include in this CD-ROM a wealth of GIS applications in park management ranging from graphical layers --geology, soils, vegetation, etc.-- to examples of the potential of the GIS to analyze land vulnerability. By using these new technologies, we are able to offer the public a very useful tool for land management, which we hope will stimulate and improve the capacity for knowledge-acquisition, analysis and management of these areas so that they can be done in a more rigorous and integrated way.