Chapter 4-
Mapping density is a good way to create and generate maps. This type of map lets you use different features to clearly see the data the map is trying to portray. Every map at the beginning of this chapter was showing how density maps can be created. They are all showing density, but in different ways. There are two different ways to map density, by defined area or by density surface. But making this type of map also has its drawbacks. Dots being too big on a map may crowd the map so you cant see certain areas or important lines.
Different shades of the same color is the easiest way for me to see density patterns. Using different colors for population density is a great way to see where the majority of the population is located on the map. This section was full of different types of maps all geared around density. The most important thing to remember when using color is to use the same shade. With the same shade, people can easily decipher what areas are more dense than others, using the shades. If you just use random colors to represent the different densities, people will have to keep looking at the key to try and figure out what density relates to the color.
It’s interesting to see how each map is so similar, yet different in its own way. This chapter really helped me understand how to demonstrate density in a map. There is no one right way to do it. Each data set needs a different way to construct the map to fit with the data. There were a lot of different ideas coming together in this chapter.
Chapter 5-
There are so many different ways of mapping inside of an area. The forest few pages of this chapter kind of go over some examples and how they might look. The second example that the book gives is a great way to look at streams and the environment and try to figure out how water affects certain plant species. The majority of the steam is surrounded by forests. The urban areas are mostly surrounded by agricultural land. This tells the person looking at the map that agricultural land is usually around people’s houses, like urban areas.
Discrete features of a map are unique and identifiable. They are very easy to list or count. Some of these features are addresses, streams, pipelines, or parcels. These features give clear representation of an area. They are well defined on a map and can be easily spotted and made. Continuous features extend over a continuous area. They are not individual points, but areas. Some examples of continuous features are elevation, temperature, vegetation, or population density. Both of these two types of features are important to determine different types of maps and map needs.
The comparing methods chart on page 147 of the book was very helpful because it summarized all of the different types of methods in one spot. It’s easy to see the three different methods, and which one to use for a certain type of map. Drawing areas and features is easy, but you can’t get the information from inside. Selecting the features is good for getting information inside an area. Overlaying the areas is good for finding displays within several areas. This chapter gave a different perspective on maps with all of these different features and looking inside.
Chapter 6-
Mapping what’s nearby offers many advantages to make the mapping process go easier, as well as looking at the map. Mapping nearby areas adds a separate layer to the map, meaning more information and knowledge can be obtained from looking at the map. The map on page 183 truly needs the streets to be added to the map to determine more information from the map. This map shows a fire station and the nearby streets surrounding the building. Its important to add more streets away from the fire station to determine the best route for a fire truck to get to a certain house, or to see how many streets and houses a certain fire station has to look after. Straight line distance is a good approach for creating a boundary around a certain area. All you need to create this is a layer containing the source feature and a layer containing the surrounding features. This process is pretty easy and quick, but it only gives a rough estimate of travel distance.
This chapter was helpful in digging down into the details of how to create a perfect map using GIS. Every map is different, so there are different tools to use in order to get your map looking the way you want. Different features and tools do different things, so it’s important to familiarize yourself with the basics before creating a map.