GIS Portfolio: Ross Wygmans

My name is Ross Wygmans, and I have a B.S. in Forest Resources and Conservation and M.S. in Ecological Restoration from the University of Florida. My current position is with Alachua County's Office of Land Conservation as a Conservation Forester. I dabble with GIS in my current role, but 90% of the time I'm working in the field helping to manage the nearly 24,000 acres of conservation lands owned and/or managed by the Alachua County.  My goal for the Applications course is to tie together many of the concepts and techniques I've been learning in previous courses and applying them to real world scenarios.  Check out my Story Map below to see all the major moves I've made in my life.  My Story Map

Google Earth is a great way to share geospatial data with users who may not have the knowledge base or software to otherwise access GIS data. In this lab, we learned how to convert shapefiles and feature classes into .kml files within ArcGIS pro so that these files can be easily added to Google Earth. We also learned how to create and share a virtual tour within Google Earth.   The map below was created in Google Earth and shows water features and population densities of South Florida. The data was first converted to the .kml format in ArcGIS Pro and then added to Google Earth. The legend was added as an image overlay.  The video below shows the virtual tour I created within Google Earth highlighting several metropolitan areas in South Florida. 

The second most common type of thematic map behind the choropleth map is the isarithmic map. While choropleth maps are great for mapping phenomena existing within hard boundary lines, also known as enumeration units, isarithmic maps are perfect for mapping continuous data such as temperature, precipitation, or elevation. In isarithmic mapping, contour lines are frequently used to connect locations with equal values. Hypsometric tints can then be added to color the areas between contour lines with different shades so that map readers can easily distinguish between areas with high and low values.  In this lab, our task was to create an isarithmic map showing average annual rainfall in Washington State. This rainfall data was interpolated using the PRISM (Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model) method developed by Oregon State University. The map below was created using ArcGIS Pro. Areas with low precipitation (less than 10 in/yr) are shown in red, and areas with ...

Choropleth maps show concentrations of many different types of phenomena using graduated colors or patterned symbology and are among the most prominent types of thematic maps. Graduated symbols use variable symbol sizes to represent different value classes of a particular dataset. In this lab, our task was to create a choropleth map comparing population density of European countries and then use either proportional or graduated symbols to represent the annual wine consumption per capita of these countries.   This map was created using ArcGIS Pro. I chose to display both the population density and wine consumption data using the Natural Breaks classification method because the data distributions for both these datasets are skewed heavily to the right. The Natural Breaks method minimizes within-class variance and maximizes between class differences. I also chose graduated symbols over proportional symbols because I think this map is easier to read when the data is classed. Symbo...

There are six common data classification methods used when creating thematic maps. Each of these methods has advantages and disadvantages, and whichever method the map creator chooses can lead to significant differences in the map output. If an inappropriate classification method is selected, maps will be inaccurate at best and could potentially be outright misleading.  In this lab, we used 2010 census data from Miami-Dade County to compare and contrast four of the six most common data classification methods: Equal Interval, Quantile, Standard Deviation, and Natural Breaks. The first map shows the percentage of senior citizens by census tract using these four methods, and the second map shows the normalized count of senior citizens per census tract. 

  Gestalt's Principles present a theory of how humans perceive and organize components of complex graphical images. In this lab, we were asked to effectively leverage Gestalt's Principles while designing a map of public schools in Ward 7 of Washington, D.C. Concepts which emerge from Gestalt's Principles, such as visual hierarchy, contrast, figure-ground, and balance, were also used as a framework for our map design.  Visual Hierarchy  This map was created using ArcGIS Pro. One example of visual hierarchy in my map is the use of vibrant colors to emphasize thematic symbols (i.e., schools) and the use of dull, pale colors for my base information. I also used increased font sizes to emphasize important map elements, such as the title and subtitle.  Contrast I used contrast in size and color to easily differentiate symbols for elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools. I also used a drop shadow effect around the Washington, D.C. boundary in both the primary m...

Typography is the art of using, arranging, and designing type. For this lab, we were asked to create a map of Florida and use appropriate typography to label several major cities, rivers, and natural features within the state. We were also asked to make at least three customizations to the default label settings found within ArcGIS Pro.  Three customizations I made to my map labels and symbols are:  Themed point symbols for cities based on population range – I chose points symbols of varying sizes and colors to represent the ordinal values associated with the population of the cities on the map. This allows the map reader to quickly and easily distinguish the relative population of each city.  Varying label sizes for cities based on population rang e – In addition to using themed point symbols for the cities layer, I also adjusted the size of the labels based on the population range of each city. This added visual cue makes it even easier for readers to quickly determine...

 Not all maps are created equally. In this lab, we had the opportunity to analyze many different maps and choose one that we thought was well-designed and one that was poorly-designed. We then went through an evaluation process for each map to determine what was effective and what needed improvement. Below are the two maps I chose with my evaluation synopsis for both.  Well-designed map Well-designed Map Synopsis: This map of South Carolina’s Wildlife Management Area Game Zones was quite effective in meeting its indented purpose. The layout of the map is organized and balanced, the labels are generally legible and clear, and there is little to no redundant or unnecessary information. One component of the map that appeals to my aesthetics is the symbology chosen for the six different game zones. I like how each zone has a lightly colored interior with a thick, darker colored border. Secondly, I like how the author organized map elements around South Carolina, effectively using...