Install the software
Find the folder ArcExplorer 2 on the resource disk and install the software on your PC.
Start the Program
Start the program by double clicking on the ArcExplorer icon.
When you have the viewer window opened and maximise it you can start adding data themes (called layers in ArcView 9) immediately.
Adding Data
Click on the "Add Themes to view" button or alternatively go to "Themes" in the file menu and scroll down to "Add theme"
When the "Add Theme(s)" dialog box appears use the folder menu to find where you data is located on the disk.
Remember that the data is subject to a Licence Agreement and cannot be used for any purpose outside this project.
Find the theme "coastline_25k", highlight the layer and click the "Add Theme" button in the top right hand corner of the dialogue box.
You will notice that the name "Coastline_25k_(polygon) appears in the "Table of Contents" on the left hand side.
Click the check box next to the name so that a tick appears and the theme becomes visible. The South East coastline should appear in the dataframe on the right.
Changing the theme properties
Click on the theme name in the TOC to make it the active layer, right click and scroll down to "Theme Properties". Change the style setting from Solid Fill to Transparent fill and press OK. You can also bring up the "theme properties" by double clicking the layer name or by clicking on the "Theme Properties" icon in the toolbar.
Now add more layers to the scene using the same procedure as above.
Add the file "npws_estate.shp"
Again make the layer active by clicking on it and right click to bring up "Theme Properties". Click the button for "unique values" and scroll down the field list to load "name_short". Notice how each National Park is given a unique colour. Press OK
Use the "zoom in" function
Click on Zoom In and click and drag a rectangle over the area with the coloured parks showing. Look down the list of National Park names and click on the colour symbol for Bournda National Park and then Bournda Nature Reserve. You should see the parks highlighted in yellow. Use the zoom in function again to zoom in on these two conservation areas.
Use the Identify Button
Make the NPWS Estate Active by clicking on its name in the TOC.
Click on the Identify button and then on the outline area for Bournda National Park. A table will appear titled "Identify Results"
Q. In what year was Bournda NP gazetted?
Q. What is the area of Bournda NP in hectares?
Close this window.
Lets add some more data.
This time find the theme rivers-all_250k.shp and add that to our GIS.
You can change the colour of the rivers shown by using the "Theme Properties" function described above.
A smaller theme file has also been created highlighting the water bodies near Bournda NP. Add the theme file "WaterBodies.shp" and zoom in to have a closer look. You can also change the colour from dark blue to a lighter colour if desired.
Labelling features.
To show the labels for these water bodies go to "Theme Properties" , select the "Standard labels" button and scroll down the "Text field" list, highlighting "name". Click OK and the names should appear on the map.
Adding a topographical map.
Add a theme file 88242N.sid. Click the checkbox in the TOC to make the file active. This is an image file of a scanned topographical map. Turn other themes off to see the map detail.
Adding a satellite image
Add the theme file Region5.bil. Turn on the theme or layer. The Landsat image gives some landscape information. Zoom in and out. The image resolution is better when you are not zoomed in too close.
Q. Using the topographical map and satellite image identify the name of the dissected, rough terrain to the west of Wallagoot Lake.
Adding digital aerial photographs
Use the add theme feature to add two aerial photographs to our scene. They are located in the orthophotographs folder and are "gv231.sid" and "gv232.sid". Turn all the other layers off and zoom in and out to explore the Wallagoot Lake ecosystem.
Vegetation
Add the theme "vegetation" and use the theme properties to classify the data by unique values for the label field. Press OK.
Turn on the vegetation theme.
Zoom in on the Wallagoot Lake area.
Q. What is the vegetation type found North West of Wallagoot Lake? (Hint: use the "identify" tool)
Focus on Estuarine Vegetation
Add the following theme files: "Halophila spp., Posidonia australis.shp, Ruppia spp.shp, Zosteraceae.shp and Saltmarsh communities.shp"
Turn off all the other themes except the coastline theme.
Q. Which of the four seagrass species (Halophila, Posidonia, Ruppia, Zosteraceae) is not found at Wallagoot Lake according to this map?
Q. How would you describe the distribution of Halophila and Ruppia spp. , as shown on this map.
Add data from recent biodiversity surveys at Wallagoot Lake
Find the shape file "biodiversity_survey.shp" and "seagrass.shp". Use the identify button to find out information and look in the attribute table. What information has been recorded? Does the information confirm any of the mapping details.
Bournda EEC acknowledges the assistance of SCMDC in gathering the marine fauna data.
Read the Southern Rivers CMA fact sheet on Coastal Saltmarsh.
Q. What species are found in saltmarshes?
Q. What are the main threats to coastal saltmarshes?
Q. Why are saltmarshes considered important?
Use the Query Builder
Select the Query Builder (Hammer symbol on the toolbar). Make the vegetation layer active.
In "Select a field", click on "label" so that it appears in the box below. Now click the "equals" sign so that it appears in the expression. Scroll down the "sample values" list until "saltmarsh" appears. Click on "saltmarsh". The expression should now read, Label = "Saltmarsh". Under the box "Display field" click "show all attributes" and then "Execute"
Q. How many results for "Saltmarsh" are found? (Look for query results)
Click on "highlight result"s and look at the area around Wallagoot Lake. Turn off all the layers except coastline. You should see the saltmarsh areas in yellow (from the "eden_extant_vegetation" layer).
Q.How is this map different from the one generated when you just have the "saltmarsh" theme active?
Try clicking on the coloured box next to "Saltmarsh" in the TOC.
Q. How does this compare with using the "Query Builder"
Q. Print copies of a map showing the distribution of the saltmarsh for use in your fieldwork exercise.
You can also add additional data files showing areas where an endangered species has nested ("littletern.shp"), sightings of Little Terns ("Little Terns.shp") and a file with endangered species found within 5km of Wallagoot Lake (threatenedsp5km.shp). Use this information to build up a picture of what animal species are important in this local ecosystem.
Congratulations - You have now completed a preliminary GIS investigation of the Wallagoot Lake Ecosystem. Make sure you save your project file .
During your fieldwork you will be checking the location of some of these vegetation communites, providing up to date information for the agencies responsible for the mapping of these areas.