Coastal
Resource Inventory Tutorial
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1.
Learn More about Base Maps
What
is it?
The Base Map is the most fundamental map in any inventory. It defines
the boundaries of your study area and gives focus to your efforts and
allows you to orient yourself to other map features. This Focus on the
Coast inventory uses town boundaries, roads, railroads and major water
features as the base, although you could use other features such as
watershed boundaries and streams, or state boundaries and interstate
highways, depending on the scale you are interested in and the resource
you are working to protect.
Why
is it important?
Since the base map is so fundamental to your efforts, and will be the
foundation for all the subsequent maps and data layers that will follow,
it is critical that the boundaries and features of the base map are
accurate. It is also important that the base map will line up (or "register"
in GIS Geek-speak) with the other resource maps, so the relative orientation
of one map feature to another is correct.
What
else should I consider?
When studying and mapping natural resources it is important to not only
note their location within your study area, but also to consider how
those resources are connected to other features in the landscape. Habitats
near the border of your base map may be just as dependent on activities
and resources outside your study area as inside. Therefore, many resource
inventories include a buffer area around the base map boundaries, so
you have an idea of how the study area connects to the outside world.
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