Module 4: Georeferencing and Data Quality

 Module 4: Georeferencing and Data Quality

In this weeks lab it was about trying to get data to in the correct area on the map and presenting data to the client to where they understand what is being presented. There are different ways one can present maps to their clients.

For this map it was important to show buffers around rivers, lakes, and roads. We learned how to buffer around different features on the map. There needed to be a 300 meter buffer around the roads. The reason for this was probably because the noise from the roads would disturb the campsite. The next buffer needed to be 150 meters for lakes and 500 meters for rivers. The reason for this would be for possible flooding in the area. The next step was finding areas where they crossed to find the perfect area to set up possible campsites. When doing this you union the two feature outputs to create a buffer output. The last portion is to know where the conservation areas cross the buffer. The reason for this was to make sure the public does not disturb those areas and are protected. I was able to do this by creating a feature that erases the areas that cross over the conservation areas.

This map is showing the area of all the possible campsites in DeSoto National Forest, Mississippi. I choose the graduated colors for the unique values. Then in the Field box I choose Area which was in hectares for the different features. In the Normalization box I chose nothing because I wanted to show the areas that were in the same hectares class. In the Method box I chose Geometric Interval because it shows the different campsites in a closer data range, such as 0.07481 - 2.804 ha is one color. The other methods were making them too far a part. In the Classes box I chose 6 because it brought the campsites to ranges that made sense. Lastly, I went the advanced symbology options tab and said not to pad with zero which took the percentage away. I chose this because the percentage at the end was confusing on what I was trying to show through the data.

I have included the hectares because I wanted the client to understand that these were the colors for the different areas of all the locations on the map. Another thing was I chose these colors because they were giving the most contrast with the other features in the map. Lastly, the topo was the best fit to show all the features against the background.