Map Atlases
GreenInfo Network creates atlases as custom-made collections of maps for a particular area. Bound with sturdy wire binding and often printed on water- and tear-proof paper, atlases can be a simple as a dozen pages or as detailed as hundreds of pages. Most atlases are page or tabloid (11”x17”) in size, but some are as large as 20”x28”.
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DETAILED INFORMATION
While web maps or onscreen images can be very useful, map atlases remain indispensable for:
- Field visits to current or prospective conservation properties
- Workshops with boards or committees
- Opportunity meetings with funders, landowners or government officials
- Atlases can be tossed into the back of a car, ready for use whenever you need them.
Some atlases are developed with just one subject, others have multiple views (pages) per tile (property owner, biodiversity rank, agriculture priority, viewshed rank):
GreenInfo Network creates its atlases in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software, allowing for automation, accuracy and flexibility. Atlases can be created as:
- Printed, bound books (page, tabloid or even folio sizes)
- PDF files (for use on computers or other handheld electronic readers)
- Digital images (usually JPG files, for use in reports, presentations and web sites
- Posters or other large-format map plots
Creating an atlas requires base information about your area of operations – roads, aerial photographs, protected areas and parcels are the usual elements and are often readily available. Special subjects (conservation ranking, viewsheds, etc.) may require analysis or geoprocessing.
Indexes can also be automatically generated, showing, for example, all property (parcel) owners in a region with each name referenced to which page(s) it occurs on - a second index can reference the property number to each page:
Atlases are extremely useful but can be somewhat expensive to print if long or using custom paper. But their value in land deals, work coordination and other tasks is substantial. And, once set up, republishing them with new data is relatively easy.
Examples
A very large atlas of poster maps for each of 50 U.S. States, showing the Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US), based on this cartography:
An atlas of legislative districts in relation to state parks:
This atlas was created for a regional trail system and shows trail alignment in relation to property owners over an air photo base:
This example shows a flight planning atlas for an aerial tour of possible conservation areas:
