Help file

This file contains information on how to use the Javascript version of the download page. You can access a text-only version of the download page by selecting the "Text-only" link.

Note that vegetation category numbers are sometimes lacking on the image for very small vegetation patches.

"Settings" box

The drop down menus allows you to choose what image will be downloaded when you select the "download" button. You can choose the extent of the map, whether the categories numbers are drawn, and whether it is in color or in black and white.

"Download format" box

You may choose from three formats for the maps. Note that the files are compressed in "zip" format and you will need to unzip them before using them. The downloaded files reflect the settings chosen in the "Settings" box.

Image: the image format is TIFF. It is a non-compressed format, and it can be opened in almost any image processing software. The resolution is 300 dpi, to allow good printing or zooming in to a particular region.

Shapefile: this GIS format is the vector format for ArcView. It is a very common format, and it can be usually imported into other GIS packages. The zip archive contains 3 files (.shp, .shx, .dbf) that together define the shapefile, an ArcView legend file (.avl) containing the vegetation categories, and a text file describing vegetation categories. The ArcView legend file should upload automatically within ArcView when one loads a shapefile.

Enhanced post script: the image format provided is EPS, a common vector format that can be opened in most vector-oriented software such as Adobe Illustrator. The resolution is 600 dpi.