Maps for Earth Day Available from Ball State University Libraries

Earth Day: Environmental Resources Available from Ball State University Libraries

Today is Earth Day, and the GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) on the second floor of Bracken Library includes many resources for researchers studying issues of the environment. The Map Collection includes flood plain maps for numerous areas, topographic maps for areas around the world, soil surveys and maps from counties around the country, Gap Analysis electronic resources for land cover, forest types, and other factors, maps of important farmlands in counties around the United States, natural gas and other energy maps, and national and state park and forest maps.

The Atlas Collection also includes a number of resources about the environment. The maps shown above are from the atlas One Planet, Many People: Atlas of Our Changing Environment, which was published by the United Nations Environment Program in 2005. Atlases in the collection cover a broad range of environmental issues, including endangered species, polluted waters, urban development, and soil degradation (shown above). Atlas of Contemporary America: Portrait of a Nation, Atlas of the Great Barrier Reef, Atlas of Wildlife, and Atlas of Global Development also include maps about the environment.

For a complete list of environmental topographic resources, researchers can access a study guide on the GRMC Web page. For more information, please contact the GRMC at 765-285-1097.