An individual project uses geospatial tools (ArcGIS) to create an original map that proposes a solution for real-world environmental issues.
Not just plotting information on a map but also running statistical analysis where you can supply the results on a map either in spatial form or by a table.
Two-page summary outline, a color pdf map, and an MXD packaged in a map package. MUST use ArcMap as the primary medium, do NOT use PDF map for the majority of the project, can use PowerPoint, google earth, or other programs to supplement. Can use ppt to explain everything before methods and switch to ArcMap or use half and half.
Work Needed:
1. Title (In Map and Outline): eye-catching and informative title that is specific and characterizes the central theme of creating pollinator gardens in the city park of Pittsburgh.
2. Introduction & Motivation: set the stage for the questions you are asking and give an overview of why you are doing this research. Describe the context of your project ( observations that led you to the project or other information) and present a general descriiption of your project location.
3. Problem Statement (geographic questions & goals): state the specific geographic and spatial questions you answer for the project.
4. Methods: Describe specifically what you did to accomplish the goals of the project. List software (used ArcGIS- ArcCatalog/ArcMap), the projection you placed your project in, steps in your analysis describing GIS tools (ex: clip, dissolve, geocode, union, model builder), and describe inputs and outputs of the tools that you used, and other relevant information. You should have a geodatabase dedicated to your project. DO not list data sources or download efforts.
5. Results: show what your results are by using your map and summarize with text, charts, and graphs. Do NOT explain or interpret anything here. Show what happened in a way that can be read easily. Be sure to refer your reader to your map, for example, “Figure 1 shows…” If needed, place in table.
6. MAP ELEMENTS:
– title – give your figure a number to reference in your report. Ex: Figure 1- runoff volume in Pine Creek
– Cartographer Name & date of publication
– Data source, EX: United States Geological Survey
– North Arrow
– Scale Bar
– Legend
– Coordinate System
– Use of reference (EX: transportation, insert of location map, boundaries, and cities)
– Colors are chosen appropriate to communicate the problem depicted by the map
– Font and text contributed to the dissemination of information and were easily readable
– Layout of essential map elements utilized white space well
– Map represents data to reflect the topic and problem statement accurately
– Map is professional in appearance
7, Discussion: What do your results say about the original questions? How confident are you in your findings? What are some possible explanations for results that didn’t come out as expected? Were there any surprises?
8. Implications, conclusions, and possible future work: what implications do these findings have for your objectives? What new questions do they raise? What could be tried next?
9. References sheet: List of data sources used for the project. Use a general reference template from which site reference template: dataset title, source/originator, publisher(if different from source), date (month, year), data download
My second project idea is __proposal of pollinator gardens in Pgh Park systems_____. The problem of ___decreased pollinator species_____ is of interest to me because of _their necessity to maintain proper ecosystems_____. Recent studies show that __bees, butterflies, and insects_____ are under threat, and through the use of geospatial data on this subject, I hope to discover if my hypothesis is true.
I plan to use the following data as a starting point and anticipate more may be found at .
Source 1
Source 2
Source 3
Source 1 –
Dataset of Allegheny county & pgh; multiple sources of data that may include Pgh Parks, urban canopy, soil types, vegetation.
Source 2
Explore climate and ecosystem vulnerability. The resources address the impacts of climate variability and change on water resources, wildfires, biodiversity, the prevalence of invasive species, and the ability of ecosystems to sequester carbon.
Source 3
Source 4
Research datasets from the University of Pitt, sustainability and climate projections
