Part I: Review the Relevant Data Layers and Organize the Map

Part I: Review the Relevant Data Layers and Organize the Map

In Part I, we will review the data and organize the map for analysis.

1. Unzip the Data for Use in ArcGIS

   1. Unzip the Lesson 7 data in your L7 folder. Since all of the data is included in this zip file, you do not need to worry about how you unzip the data.
   2. Familiarize yourself with the contents of the data included in this zip file. Refer to the Lesson Data section for additional information.

2. Organize the Map and Familiarize Yourself with the Study Area

   Since all of the datasets used in this lesson have the same projection, we do not have to be concerned with the order in which we load the data.

   1. Start ArcGIS and create a new blank map and save the project in your Lesson7 folder.
   2. Add the "Study_Boundary," "Management_Units," and "Roads07" feature classes from the "L7Data.gdb" geodatabase located in your L7Data folder.
   3. Change the symbology of the layers as follows: Study_Boundary – hollow red line; Management_Units – unique values by ‘Use’; Roads07 – black line.
   4. Rearrange the layers so the study area boundary is on top and the roads are on the bottom.
   5. Explore the attribute tables of the three feature classes.
   6. Update your Environments: workspaces should be the L7 folder, and the output coordinates, mask, and extent should be the same as layer "Study_Boundary," the cell size to 100 meters, and uncheck the “Build Pyramids” box.
   7. Add the "Imagery Hybrid" ArcGIS Basemap to your map and drag it below the boundaries. Notice the location of the study boundary in relation to the country of Cameroon and the Congo Basin.
   8. Save your project. You may want to turn off the basemap if you experience any slow-down during the lesson.
      

      How many of the management units are used for logging? What about conservation?

      Using the "Imagery Hybrid" layer, can you see the approximate extent of the rainforests located in the Congo Basin? What kind of details can you see in the forest if you zoom in very close?