General help topics and some Frequently Asked Questions for using the Landscape Dynamics Map Viewer.
How do I change the background base map?
Basemap layers can be changed by clicking the 'four square' symbol located at the top of the left sidebar.
How do I control visible layers in the map?
All layers except the Landscape Dynamics park boundaries are off by default. The left sidebar provides control for visibility of Landscape Dynamics GIS data layers. There are two levels of layer visibility that can be changed to suit the user needs.
How do I display the legend?
Identification keys for layers visible in the map will display in the Legend, which can be opened by clicking on the third icon in the left sidebar - the three lines symbol. Only layers that are turned on will display in the Legend.
How do I pan around the map?
Simply click and drag the mouse while the cursor is in the map window.
How do I zoom out to the full extent?
Click on the house icon located beneath the zoom keys (+/-).
How do I zoom in and out?
Click on the map and use the mouse scroll wheel, or
use the "+" and "-" symbols located to the left of the Search box, or
hold down the shift key, and click and drag the mouse to draw a desired extent.
How do I search for a location (e.g., Yellowstone National Park)?
At the top of the map is a text box that reads Search. Type into this box and hit the return key. The map will either zoom to the layer, or allow you to click on a location name in the resulting list to zoom the map. Searching is limited to the United States and does not include US territories and outlying islands.
How do I make a layer transparent?
From the Layer List, various items related to data layer visibility can be further controlled. To the right of each data layer is a three dot symbol. By clicking that, users can control the level of Transparency desired for each layer. Note if the map is printed, the transparency setting will be maintained.
Why can't I see my network's Custom AOAs?
The default AOA layer is Park AOA. To see other AOA options, expand the appropriate layer in the layer list. Beneath Landscape Dynamics AOA Webmercator are the 3km and 30km AOAs. The HUC12 AOAs can be turned on by selecting that layer's checkbox (Landscape Dynamics AOA HUC12 Webmercator), and Custom AOAs, by Network submitted feature dataset, are found under Landscape Dynamics AOA Custom.
How do I display all the NPS park boundaries?
Landscape Dynamics park boundaries are displayed by default when the map is initialized, and are always drawn on top of all other data layers. Boundaries are also the first layer in the Layer List, and can be turned on/off by toggling the checkmark. If a unit boundary isn't showing on the map viewer, it's because the unit is not considered a Landscape Dynamics/IMD park unit; not all NPS units are Landscape Dynamics units.
To view all NPS units, see https://mapservices.nps.gov/arcgis/rest/services/LandResourcesDivisionTractAndBoundaryService/MapServer
How do I save a map?
Maps can be 'saved' by using the Print function. Click the printer icon beneath the Search box. The default setting is Letter ANSI A Landscape page size, and PDF format. These settings can be changed to fit the need. The Advanced menu will allow for additional customization of the image; pay particular attention to the DPI setting. Higher numbers produce higher quality documents (PDF) and images (PNG); higher numbers also increase file size. A good standard DPI setting is 300. Experiment with other settings to produce the desired map image or document for your needs.
Why does the extent of my saved map look different from what I see in the viewer?
In the Advanced menu under the Print settings, be sure you've selected to preserve "Map Extent".
Is all Landscape Dynamics data in the viewer?
Not at this time. To maximize performance and simplicity, subsets of the multi-year and multi-scale metrics (Pattern Density, Pattern Morphology) are offered. Other missing data (road density, area without roads) will be added at a future date.
The displayed data are inaccurate when I zoom to my area. Why is this?
Please read our Disclaimer (https://www.nps.gov/gis/liability.htm), refer to limitations documented in **Protocol (Coming Soon)**, and the **Source Data (Coming Soon)** references.
How do I change the background base map?
Basemap layers can be changed by clicking the 'four square' symbol located at the top of the left sidebar.
How do I control visible layers in the map?
All layers except the Landscape Dynamics park boundaries are off by default. The left sidebar provides control for visibility of Landscape Dynamics GIS data layers. There are two levels of layer visibility that can be changed to suit the user needs.
How do I display the legend?
Identification keys for layers visible in the map will display in the Legend, which can be opened by clicking on the third icon in the left sidebar - the three lines symbol. Only layers that are turned on will display in the Legend.
How do I pan around the map?
Simply click and drag the mouse while the cursor is in the map window.
How do I zoom out to the full extent?
Click on the house icon located beneath the zoom keys (+/-).
How do I zoom in and out?
Click on the map and use the mouse scroll wheel, or
use the "+" and "-" symbols located to the left of the Search box, or
hold down the shift key, and click and drag the mouse to draw a desired extent.
How do I search for a location (e.g., Yellowstone National Park)?
At the top of the map is a text box that reads Search. Type into this box and hit the return key. The map will either zoom to the layer, or allow you to click on a location name in the resulting list to zoom the map. Searching is limited to the United States and does not include US territories and outlying islands.
How do I make a layer transparent?
From the Layer List, various items related to data layer visibility can be further controlled. To the right of each data layer is a three dot symbol. By clicking that, users can control the level of Transparency desired for each layer. Note if the map is printed, the transparency setting will be maintained.
Why can't I see my network's Custom AOAs?
The default AOA layer is Park AOA. To see other AOA options, expand the appropriate layer in the layer list. Beneath Landscape Dynamics AOA Webmercator are the 3km and 30km AOAs. The HUC12 AOAs can be turned on by selecting that layer's checkbox (Landscape Dynamics AOA HUC12 Webmercator), and Custom AOAs, by Network submitted feature dataset, are found under Landscape Dynamics AOA Custom.
How do I display all the NPS park boundaries?
Landscape Dynamics park boundaries are displayed by default when the map is initialized, and are always drawn on top of all other data layers. Boundaries are also the first layer in the Layer List, and can be turned on/off by toggling the checkmark. If a unit boundary isn't showing on the map viewer, it's because the unit is not considered a Landscape Dynamics/IMD park unit; not all NPS units are Landscape Dynamics units.
To view all NPS units, see https://mapservices.nps.gov/arcgis/rest/services/LandResourcesDivisionTractAndBoundaryService/MapServer
How do I save a map?
Maps can be 'saved' by using the Print function. Click the printer icon beneath the Search box. The default setting is Letter ANSI A Landscape page size, and PDF format. These settings can be changed to fit the need. The Advanced menu will allow for additional customization of the image; pay particular attention to the DPI setting. Higher numbers produce higher quality documents (PDF) and images (PNG); higher numbers also increase file size. A good standard DPI setting is 300. Experiment with other settings to produce the desired map image or document for your needs.
Why does the extent of my saved map look different from what I see in the viewer?
In the Advanced menu under the Print settings, be sure you've selected to preserve "Map Extent".
Is all Landscape Dynamics data in the viewer?
Not at this time. To maximize performance and simplicity, subsets of the multi-year and multi-scale metrics (Pattern Density, Pattern Morphology) are offered. Other missing data (road density, area without roads) will be added at a future date.
The displayed data are inaccurate when I zoom to my area. Why is this?
Please read our Disclaimer (https://www.nps.gov/gis/liability.htm), refer to limitations documented in **Protocol (Coming Soon)**, and the **Source Data (Coming Soon)** references.
Last updated: September 21, 2018