3.0 MAPPING ECOLOGICAL RESULTS
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Maps which are now available for the study area Scheyem and the surroundings are useful to
underline the experimental results. They are particularly helpful for visualizing the pattern and
shape of large and/or complex structure inherent to the data. They represent objects and their
relations and main results of spatial analysis for pattern recognition in complex structures with
an underlying concept. They are a tool to explain and display obtained experimental results also
for the understanding and memorising and conveying the results to other scientists. Last but not
least they serve as a means of creating hypotheses.
As maps accentuate and focus attention to certain issues, the mapreader must be conscious of
two things: first a good map must contain some small lies, depending on the purpose, to transfer
the information as intended by the mapcreator and second a map has also some technical re
strictions. Figure 2 gives an idea how different the same results can be represented. Four areas
are classsified by the cahnge of number of plant species density. In the pessimistic view the
main parts (area 1 and 2) of the study area are darker colored. In the optimistic view the atten
tion is drawn to the symbol representing the increase. The dark colored (e.g. red) symbol for
increase is more striking than the grey color expressing the decrease over a large area.
Pessimistic and optimistic view
Change of number of plant species density
Increase I I Increase
Decrease by 9-15 % i 1 Decrease
Figure 2: Pessimistic and optimistic view of plant species density in the areas 1 to 4