The classifications of land based on regional attributes of climate, geology and biota is facilitated by using a computer to organize and correlate existing data bases into generalized maps useful for environmental research and resource management. A procedure for producing generalized low resolution ecological maps is discussed and an outline describing the use of the maps in the management of hazardous waste is presented. While the focus of many hazardous waste studies is upon human health effects, the emphasis of the approach is on ecological effects. The mapping is a part of the EPA Corvallis Environmental Research Laboratory's Assessment Program. The program examines the bioavailability of complex chemicals from hazardous waste sites using laboratory bioassays. Since bioavailability can be influenced directly by the soil environment within the context of regional biology, geology, and climate, the ecological maps described in the paper can be useful in defining hazardous waste bioavailability potentials on a regional basis. (Copyright (c) Hazardous Waste and Hazardous Materials. Volume 3, Number 1, 1986.)