The map below was created using selection and overlay tools to create a layer that expressed suitable campsite locations in the De Soto National Forest in Perry County, Mississippi.  The criteria used to determine these areas were: within 500 meters of a river or within 150 meters of a lake, and within 300 meters of a road.  Once these parameters were set and associated in a new layer, I removed any of these areas that overlapped with designated conservation areas.  The final layer was then split into 4 groups based on area in hectares.  I made a progressive color scale base on 200 hectare increments with larger areas being darker as those were preferred. The final map shows these areas along with the road and water layers for reference.  I made my scale bar in kilometers because the areas are in hectares and the map is based in meters.  The inset map shows an expanded view of Mississippi for reference.

I created the following map to show how three different projections impact land area calculations in square miles.  This information can be used to illustrate the importance of using consistent map projections when analyzing multiple data sets.  This also illustrates the importance understanding your projections and using the correct projection for the type of information you want to convey.  Inconsistencies in use of projections or a lack of understanding in how projections work can lead to errors in data analysis and promote erroneous ideas.  The State Plane projection appears to be a nice balance between the Albers and UTM projections in terms of consistency when analyzing data for the state of Florida on the county level.  Topography along county lines and coastline areas may influence how these projections calculate area and effect the final result.

Prior to making this map, I collected data on safety signs in Fort Davis, Texas.  The exercise of collecting data helped my to understand how real world conditions can impact data collection and allowed me to think through potential pitfalls that I would not have if I had not done this exercise.  Also, the experience with using different file types and interactive applications was very beneficial for when I might apply these principals in the real world.

The map I created of UWF Main Campus uses Ariel font for all titles and descriptions contained on the map.  I followed the lab guidelines for sizing and location and used the insert rectangle method for all text boxes.

I placed the scale bar approximately centered below Escambria County to make it easier to reference scale for the area of interest.  I placed the Logo beneath the inset map and made it approximately the same size because I found it to be the most aesthetically pleasing.  I placed the north arrow in the top left because it added a sense of balance to the map.

I placed my name, sources and date in small font at the bottom left of the page so that it didn’t detract from the main areas of the map.  I manually entered the information using a text box.

The legend contains the important reference layers we worked with, including: UWF campus location, Interstate Highways, Rivers, Cities, Escambria County and the adjoining Florida Counties layer. 

I chose a light green color for Escambria County because I thought it offset the gray color of the adjoining Florida Counties layer nicely.  I used the same colors in the inset as I did in the main map to make the relationship easily recognizable. I chose a large yellow star symbol for the campus location and placed the city labels to the lower right so that they did not overlap any other important symbols or features.

This week's lab experience was great for me to go through the very basics of map making.  Just the experience of activating layers and using multiple layers with unique data sets was very helpful. I think this will make future maps easier and help me get into a workflow that I am more comfortable with.