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| Graph and Map World Land Uses
How could you map international changes in forest or grassland cover yourself? Believe it or not, it's easy. The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) are among the most important sources for global environmental data. Even more important, these organizations provide their data at geodata.grid.unep.ch. Go to this website. (Note: the .ch in the address indicates that the site comes from Switzerland, where these programs are based.) There are five steps to make a graph. First, enter a search term: enter forest in the space provided, then click on the continue button near the bottom of the window. Second, select one of the variables available to show distribution of forests or grasslands, and press continue again. Third, select all the years available, and press continue again. Fourth, select the draw graph option. Finally, you'll have to select a country and a graph type. Since you're interested first in change over time, choose a country that you suspect has lost forest, and select the line graph option. Use all years, so that you can see the change in forest area over time. Now click on the make new graph button. Were you right in your expectations for this country? How much was there in the first year shown, compared to the last year? Calculate the percentage change: divide last year's value (on the vertical axis) by the first year's value to find the relative amount lost or gained. Now find another country that you suspect has lost forest area. Select that country and make a new graph. Were you right? Try to find a country that has gained forests. Which region would you most likely look in for this? Now try selecting two countries that you think might have different rates of forest change. Select just two dates (early and recent), then select the bar graph option, and make a new graph. Were you right in your expectations? Note that this web page lets you make maps or graphs of many variables. Explore and experiment a bit to see what you can learn. |