Vagueness and the trade-off between the classification and delineation of geographic regions - an ontological analysis

For inherently vague and granular phenomena such as ecoregions, ecosystems, biomes, and biotopes, the interplay of granularity and vagueness leads to a tradeoff in the classification and delineation of such phenomena: the goal of preciseness (lack of vagueness) of the delineation contradicts the goal of building a sophisticated classification system using the Aristotelian method of classification. This tradeoff is based on the reliance on local qualities for a precise delineation of particular regions and the reliance on non-local qualities that serve as differentia in the Aristotelian classification. An ontological analysis of the logical interrelations between vagueness, granularity, and scale is critical for developing logically rigorous, non-local, and non-arbitrary classification and delineation systems for inherently vague and granular geographic phenomena.