Bivariate Mapping Exercise

Goal:

 The goal of this project was to map two variables on a map: one as a graduated color map and another as a proportional symbol map.  Microsoft Excel, ArcGIS and Adobe Illustrator CC were used to complete this goal in order to gain familiarity mapping with these software programs.  This map shows human population and the amount of conserved land in Florida.  Florida is a state with a growing population and with a growing population comes population pressure on conservation lands. The conserved lands in Florida are critical for biodiversity because of its proximity to the equatorial belt.  Climate change and pollution are only worsening conditions for native wildlife, and adding development pressure will add to the issue.  This map serves as a visual representation of the human population pressure on conserved lands in Florida, USA.   

Methods:

 In this map are two variables: the 2015 Florida population as a choropleth map and the amount of conserved lands per county as a proportional symbol map. Census data was obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau and then put into a Microsoft Excel document. The data was then imported into ArcGIS as a feature class.  In ArcGIS the choropleth map was completed using the Jenks Natural Breaks Method to class the data and the base map was added. The proportional symbol map was completed using Microsoft Excel and Adobe Illustrator.  A polygon feature class of the conserved lands was added to ArcGIS and then statistics on each county were calculated to get the area of conserved lands per county.  The square root of the data was taken and then a percentage was calculated.  From the percentages the circles were drawn.

Results:

 This map shows the level of human pressure on conserved lands in each county in Florida.  Florida is the nearest state to the equatorial belt beside Hawaii.  The region around the equatorial belt has high precipitation and temperatures that creates the perfect zone for high biodiversity.  In order to conserve the biodiversity that exists in Florida, lands have been designated to be conserved by public and private groups.  The growing population in Florida has increased the pressure for development in Florida, especially along the coast where biodiversity is highest and where most of the conserved lands are located. The map shows a general pattern of the counties with the highest population have the most conserved lands.  This indicates that these counties have the highest pressures for development and the greatest chance of loss for conservation.  The counties without coastline and those bordering other states have a lower population and also a lower amount of conserved lands, which indicates a low human population pressure.  There could be several reasons for this, one of which being humans like to live on the coast, which is also where many endangered and threatened species live.  In the future, compromises will need to be made between human and animal needs. Figure 1 below shows the final map created in Adobe Illustrator CC.

Figure 1. Human Population Pressure on Conserved Lands in Florida, USA, 2015.

Sources:

 ESRI

U.S. Census Bureau. "Florida County Census Information." Accessed February 1, 2017.

Mapping in ArcGIS: Choropleth and Proportional Symbol Mapping

Goal:

The goal of this project was to become more familiar with mapping functions in ArcGIS by creating a county-level graduated color map depicting a chosen theme, in this case Whites as a Percentage of the 2012 Population in the United States and a county-level proportional symbol map of the Number of Females per County in 2012.  The current demographic information as of 2012 was used to learn about the different types of census data as well. 

Methods:

To complete these maps, a data frame for the contiguous United States, Hawaii, and Alaska in ArcGIS were created with states and county outlines.  then, a scale, north arrow, legend, title, source, and projection information was put onto the map according to the rules of visual hierarchy.  In the graduated color map's attribute table, the percentage of the white population was selected and then a graduated color map was created from the data.  For the proportional symbol map, the number of females was selected and sized appropriately for the map scale. 

Results:

 The graduated color map shows the percentage of the population that self-identifies as caucasian.  The data was separated using the natural break method and expressed as a percentage.  the map shows a higher concentration of predominantly white counties located in the Midwest and Eastern United States along the northern border.  the northern portion of Alaska, Hawaii and a strip of land running from Virginia down through Mississippi have lower percentages of caucasians. Alaska and Hawaii have lower rates of caucasians because these areas were the last to be added to the United States and they lacked the initial surge of immigrants that the contiguous United States had. The northern part of the Midwest and Eastern United States has predominantly caucasian populations because many European immigrants settled there.  The concentrated strip of counties that are low in caucasians coincide with the center of the former slave plantations so these counties still hold substantial numbers of African Americans.  Lower California also shows smaller percentages of caucasians, and this could be caused by Mexican immigrants moving into these counties.  Figure 1 shows the final product of the proportional symbol map.

Figure 1. Graduated Color Map of Whites as a Percentage of the 2012 Population in the United States.

 The proportional symbol map shows the number of females per county in the United States.  The highest numbers of females were located in the eastern half of the United States, with the exception of a few higher areas in California and the Washington/Oregon area.  When the numbers of females are compared to the cities with a population of greater than 100,000 people, a strong correlation exists.  It is also interesting to note that the female population drastically decreases at the 90th meridian.  There are several factors that could contribute to this phenomenon, such as the lack of cities in the west besides the west coast, and the rural lifestyle common in the Western United States.  Alaska also has a very low female population, but their population is low for both males and females.  The lack of females in places like Alaska and the western United States could also be attributed to the types of jobs in different areas.  The west typically has more outside work that requires manual labor, which historically has had low female numbers of employment. Figure 2 shows the final product for the proportional symbol map. 

Figure 2. Proportional Symbol Map of the Number of Females per County in 2012. 

Sources:

ESRI

GPS Mapping Project

Goal:

For this project, I was interested in analyzing the efficiency of the shopping trip route taken by myself and family members in Appleton, WI.  Many people wish to spend the least time possible when out on the town and hope to eliminate as much backtracking as possible.  My Grandpa is one of those people.  The goal utilizing the GPS unit was to track the route proposed by my Grandpa given the list of places I needed to visit. 

Methods:

To map the route taken and the places visited, I used a Garmin E-Trex GPS unit’s tracking function to map a route of the trip with points taken every second.  I also plotted waypoints of the buildings visited: Kohls, Rogan’s Shoes, Payless Shoe Source, Home, Walmart, Barnes & Noble, Woodman’s, Home, and finally the Valley Grand Cinema.  Both of these data series were collected over one day from approximately 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM. 

 

Results:

After analyzing the data, I found that the route was indeed efficient for the places visited.  The only backtracking was a trip made back home to each lunch.  The order of visiting the three stores the left-hand side of the map was in a clockwise fashion because Barnes and Noble was more difficult to get into from the left and groceries would then be purchased last and thus put into the fridge sooner.  These are considerations that would only be possible with extensive knowledge of the area and traffic tendencies.  Overall the trip was successful and done in a timely and efficient manner due to my Grandfather's knowledge of the Appleton area.  Figure 1 shows the final map produced of the route taken in Appleton, WI.

Figure 1. Map of a shopping route taken in Appleton, WI.

Sources:

Garmin E-Trex

Map Projections

Goal:

 The goal of this project was to apply knowledge of coordinate systems and projections through the creation of an Illustrator document that explains and visualizes the impact that different map projections have on South America's direction, shape, and area. 

Methods:

Ten maps of South America were laid over each other, each depicting a different projection.  These outlines were given a unique hue to differentiate them from one another.  Through the middle of the projections is the 60 degree West meridian to give context to the maps.  Inside a created neatline the title, north arrow, legend, source, explanatory paragraph, and bibliography were all placed.  The bibliography follows the Chicago Manual of Style format.  In the explanatory paragraph is a description of different map projections, their weaknesses, and the effects on South America are all discussed.  Extensive research was completed to gather all the necessary information.

Results:

The final map (Figure 1) shows all 10 projections of South America with a explanation paragraph of the projections.

Figure 1. Map of projections of South America.

The paragraph discusses the different projections and their common uses.  The purpose of this map was to show how different projections affect the presentation of South America. One of the takeaways from this project is that careful thought must be given to the project when determining which projection to use as each has its strengths and weaknesses.  This map can be used for understanding the differences between projections and as a guide to choosing the right projection for a project. 

Sources:

Shellito, Bradley A. Introduction to Geospatial Technologies, Edited by Bill Minick.  New York: W.H. Freeman and Company, 2016.   

U.S. Department of the Interior. U.S. Geological Survey. Map Projections. (Washington D.C. 2000) https://egsc.usgs.gov/isb//pubs/MapProjections/projections.html

Zeitler, Ezra. "Geographic Coordinate Systems." Presentation at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Eau Claire, WI, February 14th, 2017.

Reference Map

Goal:

The goal of this exercise was to introduce basic functions of adobe illustrator and proper map making techniques.  Using adobe illustrator and color brewer, a reference map of Africa was created. The skills learned in this lab would become the foundation for the rest of the semester's projects involving map making.

Methods:

The first task was to put the names of the countries inside their boundaries or use lead lines to connect the name to the country.  The extent of the name to the country, spelling, and legibility were all taken into consideration in this step.  Next, a color scheme was used from colorbrewer.com to differentiate the countries according to a qualitative color scheme.  The water bodies were labeled along with major physical features like the Sahara Desert.  Map design principles were utilized throughout the entire project.  the title, scale, source, north arrow, and legend were all placed according to the rules of visual hierarchy to make the map visually pleasing to look at.  A faded graticule was placed in the background for reference.

Results:

The final map (Figure 1) shows the continent of Africa with all of its countries, water bodies, and major physical features.

Figure 1. Reference Map of Africa

The countries of Africa are colored using colorbrewer.com and the European and Asian Continents are colored brown to place emphasis on Africa.  The water bodies are labeled in blue and italicized.  The Great Rift Valley is denoted by the semi-transparent red line as indicated by the legend.  Using Adobe Illustrator, a clear, concise, and easy to read map was created for use as a future reference.

Sources:

ESRI
Central Intelligence Agency. "CIA World Factbook- Africa." Accessed February 1, 2017. http://www.ciaworldfactbook.us/africa.html.