Title: Demonstrate cartographic skills, tools, and technologies to aid in developing, implementing, and evaluating natural resource management plans.
Course: Introduction to Natural Resources and Ecology Systems (18504) > Section: Examining Land Use

Demonstration may include

- summarizing how to use maps and technologies to identify directions. land features, calculate actual distance, and determine elevation points
- applying cartographic skills and tools and technologies (e.g., land surveys, geographic coordinate systems) to locate natural resources
- identifying types of maps (e.g., land-use, topographic, soil, land cover, GIS)
- identifying components of a topographical map to include, contour, lines, wetlands, buildings, compass, and scale
- identifying the scale and measuring distances
- determining resolution
- identifying different types of soil
- identifying different types of land cover
- identifying other distinguishing features, such as bodies of water
- analyzing an area’s resources using GIS technologies,
- evaluating the availability of and threats to natural resources using cartographic skills, tools, and technologies (e.g., spread of invasive species, movement of wildlife populations, changes to biodiversity of edge of habitat versus interior, etc.)
- plotting a hike using a topographical map making note of total miles, elevation change, and other geographic features
- drone-based remote sensing layers
- using GIS data for a given area to devise a management plan for the management, conservation, improvement, and enhancement of its natural resources
- exploring local GIS maps.

Process/Skill Questions:

- How are cartographic skills and tools used in developing natural resource management plans?
- Why is it important to understand how to use topographical maps?
- How can one use GIS data to devise a management plan for the conservation, improvement, or enhancement of natural resources?
- Why are scale, resolution, and coordinate systems important? What do they tell the viewer?
- Why are topography, soil type, and land cover important on land-use maps? What do they tell the viewer?
- How can land-use maps aid farmers? Homeowners? Developers? Land-use planners? Government agencies?