Nature's Benefit Mapping User Guide


EPA/600/B-17/468
November 2017
Nature's Benefit Mapping User Guide
by
Mark Myer
ORISE Research Fellow
Computational Exposure Division
National Exposure Research Laboratory
Athens, GA 30605

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Notice/Disclaimer Statement
This document has been reviewed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research
and Development, and approved for publication.
This research was supported in part by an appointment to the Postdoctoral Research Program at the
National Exposure Research Laboratory, administered by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and
Education through Interagency Agreement No. 92431601 between the U.S. Department of Energy and
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

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Abstract
Purpose
Nature's benefit mapping provides a way to quickly get an idea of where the beneficial aspects
of ecosystems can be found. When trying to communicate the value of natural areas to policy
makers, members of a community, or another group, it can help to provide an intuitive visual.
Beyond just creating an attractive picture, though, nature's benefit mapping also encourages
thinking about how nature provides many of the things people need to thrive, and about ways
that smart development can bolster the important benefits that nature provides. The value of
natural areas can sometimes be pushed to the wayside in discussions about urban or suburban
planning, and nature's benefit mapping is a way of taking nature back into consideration.
Objective
To demonstrate a fast method of mapping nature's benefits for use in communication and
stakeholder engagement materials. While other techniques can be more precise and estimate
benefits with greater certainty, they are often time-consuming, difficult, or rely on input data that
is hard to find. The nature's benefit mapping method places an emphasis on using public data,
being accessible to anyone with basic geographic information system (GIS) competency, and
being fast to apply. The resulting maps can be used to illustrate nature's benefits to a non-
scientific or non-GIS audience.
Requirements
Before you use this guide, you should look at the eight example map handouts and read the
Nature's Benefit Mapping Information Sheet to familiarize yourself with nature's benefit
mapping. You will need the Original Shapefiles folder as well as the NatBenMap.tbx Arc
Toolbox in order to go through this guide. All of these files are included in the Nature's Benefits
Package. This guide assumes that you have a copy of ArcGIS and basic familiarity with GIS
software.
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Executive Summary
Nature's benefits are the positive impact on people's lives that they receive from ecosystems. Municipal planning
decisions often include a cost-benefit analysis, but the benefits of nature are often left unconsidered. To engage
decision makers and stakeholders in including nature's benefits in planning decisions, it can be helpful to create a
visual that indicates where nature's benefits are provided. There are many ways to evaluate nature's benefits, but
some are complicated, take a long time, and require specialized expertise. The complex evaluation methods
provide detailed information on the amount, location, and sometimes value of nature's benefits. However, a
detailed analysis is not always needed or desired. Our nature's benefit mapping method is simple, fast, and can be
done by a user with basic GIS expertise. We have produced eight nature's benefit maps (bay scallops, hard clam
collecting, shore caught fish, striped bass, summer flounder, viewing aquatic animals, vegetative wave attenuation,
and yellow-crowned night herons) and example handouts for each to show how these maps can be used as
communication tools.
This guide provides step-by-step instructions that show how two of the nature's benefit maps were created (hard
clam collecting and shore based fishing), and instructions for editing the parameters of an existing map (yellow-
crowned night heron habitat). For more background on nature's benefits, benefit mapping, and potential uses for
benefit maps, please read the Nature's Benefit Mapping Information Sheet that is included in the Nature's Benefits
Package. Also included are the eight example map files, the original shapefiles that were used to make them, and
an Arc Toolbox containing the models that generated the maps. You will need Esri's ArcGIS software, the original
shapefiles, and the Arc Toolbox to use this guide.
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Creating nature's benefit maps in Arc ModelBuilder
Creating nature's benefit maps is based on constructing and applying map rules. These will transform our indicator
datasets into the resulting nature's benefit map we want. For example, a map rule we will use in making the hard
clam gathering benefit map is "show areas with water depth less than 2 meters".
Example 1: Hard Clam Collecting
1. Import the hard clam collecting indicator data, NWI_Rasterized.tif and CoNED_Resampled_Raster.tif,
from the Original Indicator Files folder in the Nature's Benefits Package into ArcGIS by clicking and
dragging them from the Catalog. Note that for large datasets like the CoNED elevation map, we have
already used Extract by Mask (Spatial Analyst Tools>Extraction) along with a study-area-shaped
polygon to clip them to the size of our study area. Files that end with the suffix '_Rasterized', have
had a To Raster (Conversion Tools) tool applied. More detail on how to apply these can be found in
the tool help files. If later on you are unsure which indicators to import for editing a particular map,
just import all of the ones included in the Original Indicator Files section of the Nature's Benefits
package. You can remove the ones you don't use later.
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2. Open a new Arc ModelBuilder model by going to ArcMap's top toolbar and clicking Geoprocessing >
ModelBuilder.
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3. For the model to work well when shared between people using different computers, it is important to
set the workspace which indicates where the model's files will be saved.
i. Click on Insert in the top row of the Model window, and then click Create Variable.
Model
Model Edit
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Insert
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In the Create Variable window, scroll down to Workspace, select it by clicking on it, and then
click OK.
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Select the variable data type.
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iii. A white oval will appear labeled Workspace. Double click it.
Model	— ~ X
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iv. In the dialog window that appears, click the small folder icon next to the text box. This will
open a file browser window.
I Workspace
X
Workspace
i

OK
Cancel
Apply
<< Hide Help
Workspace
No description available
Tool Help
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v. A file browser window will open. Navigate to the Nature's Benefits Package folder in the
location that you unzipped it on your computer, and then select the ModelBuilder Results
folder as the workspace. Click Add and OK.
X

Add
IvJ

Cancel
Workspace
Look in;
tH Nature's Benefits Package

LD Nature's Benefit Handouts
QOriginal Indicator Files
Name:
ModelBuilder Results
Show of type: ^|| filters listed
vi. Now we need to mark this workspace oval as a Parameter, which tells people you share the
tool with that it's something they'll need to change when they use the tool for the first time.
To do so, right-click the blue ModelBuilder Results oval, and then click Model Parameter. A
small "P" will appear near the ModelBuilder Results oval.
Model
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4. Click and drag the two indicator files from the Table of Contents, and place them in the Model
window. They will appear as blue ovals.
5. Now it's time to apply a map rule. Our initial example was that we wanted to show areas that have a
depth less than 2 meters. To extract areas of our CoNED depth file that are less than 2 meters deep,
we will use the Extract by Attributes (Spatial Analyst Tools>Extraction) tool.
i. Open the ArcToolbox window by clicking Geoprocessing > ArcToolbox in the top bar.
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ii. Click the "+" next to the Spatial Analyst toolbox, then the one next to Extraction, in order to
bring up the Extract tools. These are used to clip out parts of a raster.
10

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ArcToolbox
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iii. Click and drag the Extract by Attributes tool into the Model window. It will appear as a white
rectangle with rounded corners, and will be connected by an arrow to a white oval called
"Output raster". This lets you know what kind of output it is going to create.
11

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Model
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iv. Doubie-click the Extract by Attributes rectangle. A dialog box will appear that asks for an
input raster, a "WHERE" clause, and asks you to name the output raster.


Extract by Attributes


•fc Input raster




zi

~ Where dause





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SQL
& Output raster






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X
Extract by Attributes
Extracts the cells of a
raster based on a logical
query.
OK
Cancel
Apply
<< Hide Help
Tool Help
v. Click the drop-down arrow under input raster, and select "CoNED_Resampled_Raster.tif.
This is our elevation raster. Choose the one with the blue recycling symbol next to it, which
tells ModelBuilder to use the version of the raster that we placed in the model earlier, in its
blue oval.
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Extract by Attributes
j Input raster
U &
N WI_Ra sterized .tif
a I
NWI_Rasterized.tif ^
CoNED_Resampled_Raster.tif
CoNED_Resampled_Raster.t'rf
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Input raster
The input raster from which
cells will be extracted
OK
Cancel
Apply
<< Hide Help
Tool Help
vi. Under "WHERE clause", we are going to have to use a little bit of SQL, or Structured Query
Language. Luckily, we don't have to know anything about SQL going in, because ArcGIS has a
helper function and a help file to guide us. By clicking the smail button labeled "SQL", the
Query Builder window opens.
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Extract by Attribute
«Input raster
~ Where clause
~ Output raster
Query Builder
Note that ArcGIS gives
you extensive tips in the
Tool Help pane.
Like
.And
Or
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Null
Get Unique Values Go To:
Help
Load..
Hide Help
OK
Cancel
X
Where clause
A logical expression that
selects a subset of raster
cells.
The Where clause follows
the general form of an SQL
expression.lt can be
entered directly, for
example. VALUE > 100. To
use a text attribute field,
use single quotes around
the values, for example,
landuse = 'urban'. It can
also be created in the
Query Builder dialog box
that results from clicking
on the SQL button.
Tool Help
vii. Since we want to extract the areas where the depth is less than 2 meters, we can use the
SQL expression, "VALUE < 0 AND VALUE > -2". This translates to "Pixels in the raster with
elevation less than zero (e.g. below sea level), but higher than negative 2 meters (e.g. water
13

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2 meters deep)". Once we type our SQL expression in, we click OK to return to the Extract by
Attributes window.
Query Builder
X
For an explanation of how to use
SQL in Query Builder, click Help.
~~
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Null
Get Uniqu
VALUE <0 AND VALUE >-2|
Values Go To:
~ear
I
Help
Load..
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OK
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Cancel
viii. Now we have to save our output raster and give it a name. First, since we already defined
our workspace, rather than a filepath in the Output raster box we can just type
%ModelBuilder Results%. This will save the file in the correct folder on anyone's computer
since they defined the %ModelBuilder Results% parameter to point to the location of their
workspace folder in Step 3. We will call our output "CoNED_LessThan2Deep.tif". Afterward,
we can click OK and return to the Model window.
Extract by Attributes
Input raster
CoNED_Resampled_Raster.tif

a
Where dause


VALUE >= -2 AND VALUE < 0

s
S3L
Output raster


%ModelBuilder Results %\CoNED_LessThan2Deep. tif

e3
Extract by Attributes
Extracts the cells of a
raster based on a logical
query.
"V
Cancel
Apply
<< Hide Help
Tool Help
14

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ix. Now we can see that we have completed applying a map rule, since our
CoNED_Resampled_Raster.tif blue oval is connected to the Extract by Attributes rectangle,
which has turned orange now that it is active. The Output Raster oval, which was empty
before, is now green and has the name of our new output in it.
HardClams
Model Edit Insert View Windows Help
asiiiix i i !i es ;

k ~ ~
Extract by
Attributes
Colored-in model
pieces are part of the
active model.
6. Time to apply our second map rule, which is extracting all areas of the National Wetlands Inventory
that have sand bottom type.
i. First, apply Steps 5i - 5v. This means adding another Extract by Attributes tool rectangle but
this time selecting NWI_Rasterized.tif as the input raster.
Extract by Attributes (2)
Input raster
NWI_Rasterized.tif
A

Where dause




m
SQL
Output raster





Cancel
Apply
<< Hide Help
ii. Under the "WHERE clause", this time will be a little more in-depth. Refer to Figure A1 in the
Appendix, the NWI Wetlands and Deepwater Map Code Diagram. Following the diagram, the
15

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codes for the circled sand bottom type areas are 'M1UB2', 'M2US2', 'E1UB2', and 'E2US2'.
Therefore, we want to set our WHERE clause to pick out those values.
This raster stores the bottom type in a variable called ATTRIBUTE. If we want to know all the
different values of ATTRIBUTE, we can highlight it by clicking on it in the top window, and
then clicking Get Unique Values.
Query Builder
X
OID
Value
Count
Click ATTRIBUTE and

then Get Unique

ATTRIBUTE
Values to bring up the
NWi bottom codes.

< >

Uke
> =
And


< =

Or


0

Nat


In

Null
.Go To:
|'E1AB1L' 1
*
'E1AB3L'

'E1ABL'

'E1UB4L'

'E1UBL'

'ElUBbt' J

ATTRIBUTE
~ear
Verify
Help
Load...
Save.
OK
Cancel
16

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iv. Using the Help file to figure out the right SQL operator, "IN", we specify that we want the
pixels where ATTRIBUTE is equal to the codes for sand bottom, and place that in the Query
window. Note that not all the codes we originally were going to use were found in the area,
and some had suffixes that indicate more specific information based on the NWI diagram.
We included all the suffixes since they all represent sand bottom type.
Extract by Attributes (2)
X
Input raster
|sj'WI_Ra sterized .tif
d

Where dause


ATTRIBUTE IN ('E2US2M', 'E2US2N', 'E2US2P', 'M2US2N', 'M2US2P')

s
SQL
Output raster


%ModelBuilder Results %VsJWI_ClarnBottom. tif

i—'
Extract by Attributes
(2)
Extracts the cells of a
raster based on a logical
query.
OK

Cancel
Apply
<< Hide Help
Tool Help
v. Name your output raster and click OK. We chose "NWI_ClamBottom.tif". Now you have two
completed map rules. The next step is to combine the two results into an area where both
map rules are true, i.e. where clams can be collected.
Ip* HardClams
Model Edit Insert View
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Windows Help
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17

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The final step is to combine the areas where the water is less than 2 meters deep and the areas
where there is sand bottom type, to come up with a map of the areas where both our indicators are
true.
i. The tool we are going to use to merge the two indicator raster files is called Raster
Calculator (Spatial Analyst Tools>Map Algebra). Open ArcToolbox, click the "+" next to
Spatial Analyst Tools, and then again next to Map Algebra. Then click and drag Raster
Calculator into the model window, creating a new empty rectangle.
HardClarns
Model Edit Insert View Windows Help
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s ArcToolbox
_

m ArcToolbox
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ii. Doubie-click the Raster Calculator rectangle to bring up the Map Algebra expression
window.
Raster Calculator
X
~ Map Algebra expression
Layers and variables	-
A CoNED_Resampled_Raster. tif
CoNED_LessThan2Deep, tif
NWI_Rasterized.tif
0	NWI_ClamBottom.tif
01	NWI_Rasterized. tif
<> CoNED_Resampled_Raster. tif
EH00B0H
BEBBBHB
BBEBBBB
jBBBEBB
Conditional
/s
Con

Pick

SetNull

Math

Abs

Exp
i n
V
Output raster

Output raster
The output raster resulting
from the Map Algebra
expression.
OK
Cancel
Apply
<< Hide Help
Tool Help
18

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iil. We can see that the Raster Calculator uses Python syntax to perform math operations on
rasters. In this case we want to figure out what the Python syntax is to give us a result that
includes all areas where the depth is less than 2 meters, and the bottom type is suitable for
clams. We won't get into Python in this guide, but the Tool Help button provides instructions
and there are many simple guides online. Enter the proper command into the Raster
Calculator window.
Raster Calculator
X
Map Algebra expression
Layers a nd va ria bles '
ft CoNED_Resampled_Raster. tif
CoNED_LessThan2Deep.tif
<£g> NWI_Rasterized.tif
NWI_ClamBottom. tif
<0" CoNED_Resampled_Raster. tif
O" NWI_Rasterized. tif
0000000
~00 0000
0000000
1 ° 100000
Conditional —
A
Con

Pick

SetNull

Math —

Abs

Exp
V
Conr%CoNED_LessThan2Deep,Bf%rr'%NWI_ClamBottom.tif%'t
Output raster
%Workspace % VHardClams. tif

OK
Cancel
Apply
<< Hide Help
Map Algebra
expression
The Map Algebra
expression you want to
run.
The expression is
composed by specifying
the inputs, values,
operators, and tools to use.
You can type in the
expression directly or use
the buttons and controls to
help you create it.
• The Layers and
variables list
identifies the
Tool Help
3
iv. Name your result file and click OK. Since this is the last step before we'll be left with our final
map of clam areas, we have named our results HardClam_Areas.tif. You'll return to the
Model window and have a complete ModelBuilder diagram. Go ahead and save your model
by clicking the save icon in the upper left corner.
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Finally, it's time to run the model and see your results! To run the model, click Model in the top
toolbar and navigate down to Run Entire Model. Click it and watch your model run. Each orange
rectangle will turn red while it's running and there will be a status window that shows each step's
progress.
5* Model
Model | Edit
~ Run
Windows
Save
Save As...
Delete Intermediate Data
Print Setup...
Print Preview...
Print-
Report...
Model Properties-
Diagram Properties...
Export
Import
Close
Extract by
Attributes (2)
Click Run instead
to execute only the
steps up to the
highlighted one.
Model
Model Edit
Insert View
H x ¦o
Windows Help
• \i:: a:;-ni * ** ^ ~
Executing Extract by Attributes (2)...
I I Close this dialog when completed successfully
\NWI_ClamBottom.tif"
Start Time: Wed Nov 01 11:44:45
2017
Succeeded at Wed Nov 01 11:44:49
2017 (Elapsed Time: 3.36 seconds)
Model
Model Edit Insert View Windows Help
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20

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Now, navigate to the ModelBuilder Results folder where you saved the resulting Hard Clam Areas
raster and add it to your map. It's still multicolored like the NWI wetlands map. This is because of the
way Raster Calculator works: the result raster contains information from all of the ingredients it was
made from. We will need to change the symbology to make the clam areas all the same color (unless
we are actually interested in the different bottom types from NWI, but in this case we want to treat
them all the same).
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i. There are many ways to change the display colors, but here is one example. To change the
symbology so that the areas all display the same color, right-click the shapefile in the Table
of Contents and click Properties.
Table Of Contents
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f x
B & Layers
B 0 "
~ 40
ffl ~ NWLRasterij
B ~ CoNED_Res<
Value
^ High : 42.
Low: -21,
Copy
Remove
Open Attribute Table
Joins and Relates
Zoom To Layer
Zoom To Make Visible
Zoom To Raster Resolution
Visible Scale Range
Data
Edit Features
Save As Layer File...
Create Layer Package...
Properties...

Layer Properties
Display the properties of this layer
21

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ii. When the Layer Properties window opens, select the Symbology tab.
Layer Properties
General Source Key Metadata Extent Display Qymbology^^jelds Joins & Relates Time
Show:
Classified
Stretched
Discrete Color
Draw raster assigning a color to each value
Value Field	Color Scheme
Value
si
Symbol

Label
Count
1 IM









31
31
2890


32
32
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Add All Values
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Apply
Double click the colored rectangle next to each value label, and change it to whatever color
you like. We will use Moorea Blue.
Layer Properties
General Source Key Metadata Extent Display Symbology Fields Joins & Relates Time
Show:
Vector Field
BBBIIEBIIli
Classified
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Double
click each
color to
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22

-------
Table Of Contents
E39 o¥"a
iv. Repeat with all the values until they are the same color, then click Apply followed by OK. As
an alternative, you can select one of the values, right-click, select "Properties for all
Colors...", and then change them all at once.
Layer Properties
General Source Key Metadata Extent Display Symbology Fields Joins & Relates Time
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v. Now all the areas are Moorea Blue, but this doesn't mean much without being able to see
the borders of the bay. We will add a shoreline for reference next.
I Layers
h 0 HardClam_Areas.tif
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23

-------
10. In the Catalog window, navigate to the NOAA composite shoreline polygon file,
Hempstead_PolygonShoreline.shp (See Figure A2, Appendix), and add it to the map. Now we have a
frame of reference to see how close the clam areas are to the coast. Now we have the final nature's
benefit map of clam areas. You can add place names, a compass rose, a scale bar, or whatever else is
needed for your particular use. You can save an instance of this workspace, with all the current maps
imported, by clicking File > Save As in the top bar.
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24

-------
txample 2: Shore-based Fishing
After you save your hard clam collecting map, open a new ArcGIS workspace instance by clicking File
> New in the top bar. Then click and drag in the indicator datasets, PublicParks_ShoreOnly.shp and
Hempstead_PolygonShoreline.shp, from the Catalog as before.
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25

-------
3. Open a new ModelBuilder window, and click and drag both of the shapefiles into the model. They will
appear as blue ovals.
Table Of Contents
E) Layers
0 @ PublicParks_ShoreOnly
~
B 0 |
~
Hempstead_PolygonShoreline
ShoreFishing
Model Edit Insert View Windows Help
a & * @ e x o ! :s m sss:.
Now we will start applying our map rules. Let's think about what kind of tools we may need to use,
since our goal is to extract the parts of the shoreline that are within 30 meters of a public accessible
park. First, we need to turn our shoreline polygon into a polyline file, then break the shoreline into
small pieces so we can clip parts out of it.
i. To turn a polygon's outline into a polyline, we use Feature to Line (Data Management Tools
> Features). Grab the tool in ArcToolbox and drag it into the Model window.
Model Edit Insert View Windows Help
m ArcToolbox
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Next, double-click on the Feature to Line rectangle and insert the shoreline file as the input
feature. Make sure to use the one with a blue recycling symbol in front of it as in the earlier
clam example, which will automatically attach the blue oval to the tool rectangle. Name the
output whatever you like, remembering to use %ModelBuilder Results% instead of a filepath
to save in the workspace. We will call it Hempstead_Polyline.shp.
26

-------
ShoreFishing
Model Edit Insert View Windows Help
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When we select the parts of the shoreline that are suitable for shore fishing, we are going to
have to make sure the program knows we only want it to select part of the shore, not the
whole thing. There are several ways to cut out parts of a line in ArcGIS, but the way we
chose is to split the shoreline file into many very small line segments. We chose the Split Line
at Vertices (Data Management Tools > Features) tool because it works well with lines that
are very convoluted, like a shoreline. Grab that tool and drag it into the Model window.
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iv. Double-click the Split Line At Vertices rectangle, and add the Hempstead_Polyline as the
input file. We named the output Hempstead_Polyline_Split.shp, When you're done it should
look like this in your model window.
27

-------
ShoreFishing
Model Edit Insert View Windows Help
0 © i * 0 6 x " <$>i Si E3

Double-clicking the
rectangle will bring up
info about how the
tool works.
v. Now we will select the parts of the shoreline that are within 30 feet of our parks. To do so,
we will use Select Layer by Location (Data Management Tools > Layers and Table Views).
Grab this tool and drag it into the Model window, then double-click on it. You'll end up with
this tool window.
Select Layer By Location
O Input Feature Layer
I	
Relationship (optional)

| INTERSECT
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1
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based on a spatial
relationship to features in
another layer.
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Feature Layer is evaluated
against the features in the
Selecting Features layer or
feature class; if the
specified Relationship is
met, the input feature is
selected.
Apply
<< Hide Help
Tool Help
vi. We want to set our Input Feature Layer Hempstead_Polyline_Split, but when we click the
dropdown arrow it isn't listed! Like usual, the answer is in the help pane to the right. We see
that the input can't be a feature class on disk. That means we have to already have the file in
our workspace. We can do that by running the model we have so far,
28

-------
vii. Select the portion of the model Hempstead_PolygonShoreline.shp to
Hempstead_Polyline_Split, by either shift-clicking each one or by clicking and dragging the
selection box around each. Blue boxes will appear around them to indicate that they're
selected.
viii. With the top row selected, click Model > Run in the top bar. This will run the selected
operations and create Hempstead_Polyline_Split.shp.
29

-------
^ Model
X
Model
Edit Insert View
Run
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Validate Entire Model
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Windows
Help
Si,
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Feature To Line
Select Layer By
Location
ix. Now, you'll be able to find Hempstead_Polyline_Split.shp wherever you specified it to save
when setting up Split Line At Vertices. Navigate to it in the Catalog and drag it into the main
window, where it will show up in the Table of Contents and be displayed over your shoreline
polygon. It will show up as a thin border line around the polygon shoreline.
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Double-click Select Layer By Location again, and this time we can put
Hempstead_Polyline_Split.shp as the Input Feature. Now we want to select parts of the
shoreline that are within 30 meters of the public parks, so we click the dropdown box under
Relationship, and select WITHIN_A_DISTANCE_GEODESIC. Remember, if you are unsure
what something does in the tool window, help will be in the pane to the right.
30

-------
Select Layer By Location
Input Feature Layer
| Hempstead_Polyline_Split
Relationship (optional)
~z\ &
WITHIN A DISTANCE GEODESIC
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(optional)
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be evaluated.
. INTERSECT—The
features in the input
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feature. This is the
default.
. INTERSECTED —
The features in the
input layer will be
selected if they v
intersect a selecting
< >
OK
Cancel
Apply
« Hide Help
Tool Help
xi. Next; set the Selecting Features to PublicParks_ShoreOnly. Like the help pane says, parts of
the Input Feature Layer will be selected based on their relationship to the Selecting Features.
Select Layer By Location
X
Input Feature Layer
H em pstea d_P olyl i n e_Split
d
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Selecting Features
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ide Help
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xii. We want to select parts of the shore that are within 30 meters of our parks. Type 30 into the
Search Distance box, then select Meters from the dropdown next to it.
31

-------
Select Layer By Location
Input Feature Layer
| Hempstead_Polyline_SpIit
3 a
WUHIN_A_DISTANCE_GEODESIC v
Selecting Features (optional)
PublicParks_ShoreOnly * 1 [r^
Search Distance (optional)
30
Meters
Selection type (optional)
Centimeters
Decimal degrees
Decimeters
Feet
Inches

Tool Help
xiii. We want to create a new map layer from the selected parts of the shoreline, so we can leave
Selection Type as NEW_SELECTION. We don't want an inverse relationship, so leave that box
unchecked. Finally, click OK, A new blue oval has appeared, with
Hempstead_Polyline_Split.shp in it. Place it wherever you like in the diagram by clicking and
dragging. There's also a green oval labeled Hempstead_Polyline_Split (2) as the output from
Select Layer By Location. This represents the selected parts of the shoreline after the tool is
executed.
^ Model
Model Edit Insert View Windows Help
a % a 6, x o  :: q;»««; j ~
Feature To Line
Split Line At
Vertices
Select Layer By
Location
Hempstead_
Poly!ine_SpI
it (2)
Click and drag
the ovals to
move them.
xiv. Now we need to save the selected parts of the shoreline as their own separate shapefile so
we don't have to run the model every time we want to see them. To save a selection as its
32

-------
own file, use Copy Features (Data Management Tools> Features). Click and drag it from
ArcToolbox into the model window.
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XV.
Double-click the Copy Features rectangle and add the selected features from the shoreline as
the Input Features. This part can be tricky, since there are multiple files with the name
Hempstead_Polyline_Split in our workspace, but in this case we pick the one that has a
number in parentheses after it. That means it's the most recently added one.
*Copy Features
~ Input Features
Hempstead_PolygonShoreline
PublicParlcs.ShoreOnly
Hempstead_Polyline.shp
Hempstead_Polyline_Split,shp
Aiiwmmimwmmm ,
Hemp5tead_Polyline_Split
Hempstead_Polyline_Split
PublicParks_ShoreOnly
Hempstead_PolygonShoreline
|B|
Input Features
The features to be copied.
Cancel
Apply	<< Hide Help
Tool Help
xvi. Now set the Output Feature Class to wherever you want it to be saved, and click OK. Don't
worry about the other options in Copy Features, they only apply in special cases. We called
our output file ShoreFishing.shp,
33

-------
J** ShoreFishing
Model Edit Insert View Windows Help
O 1" & i) X <+> 2a £3 »
k tj v ~
v
xvii. Now since we have already run the top row of the model to get the split polyline, all that
remains is to run the bottom row of the model. Select the bottom row of the model by
drawing a box around it as in Step 4.vii, click Model > Run, and watch it complete.
Congratulations, we now have the areas of shoreline that are accessible to fishermen within
30 meters of parks!
Now we can display our publicly accessible fishing shore on the map. Navigate to wherever you saved
it in the Copy Features output, and drag it into the Table of Contents after clearing it of other files.
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34

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6. For reference, add back in the Hempstead_PolygonShoreiine, so we can see which parts of the
shoreline are not accessible for reference:. We can see that our publicly accessible fishing shoreline
doesn't show up very well since the line is so thin, and the red color doesn't match with our earlier
Moorea Blue. We'll want to change it to show up better.
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7. To make our publicly accessible fishing points show up better, click the small red line under the name
of the shapefile in the Table of Contents. From there, click the dropdown box next to Color and
switch it to Moorea Blue.
Q Untitled - ArcMap
File Edit View Bookmarks Insert Selection Geoprocessing Customize Windows Help
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Table Of Contents
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B =P Layers
B 0 ShoreFishing
0 0 Jlempstead_PolygonShoreline
Click
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Q
Then click
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color.
Symbol Selector
| Type here to search~
Search: (•) All Styles	O Referenced Styles
~J Q, xli §§ ~ Current Symbol



A



Highway
Highway Ramp
Expressway
1
Expressway
Ramo —

Arterial Street

Collector Street
Residential
Street
Railroad

River
Boundary,
National
Boundary,
State




V
35

-------
8. Change the width by either clicking on the up arrow in the box next to Width, or by typing a number
into the box. The resulting color and width will be previewed where it says Current Symbol. We chose
3 as a nice width that will show up well
Symbol Selector
X
Type here to search
q ^ Sfl T Current Symbol
Search: (g) All Styles	O Referenced Styles
ESRI
Highway Highway Ramp Expressway
Expressway Major Road Arterial Street
Ramp
Collector Street Residential Railroad
Street
River
Boundary, Boundary,
National	State
Color:
Width:
Edit Symbol,.
Save As.,
Reset
Style References...
OK
Cancel
9. Click OK and take a look at your nature's benefit map of publicly accessible fishing shores. You can
add a scale bar, compass rose, town names, or anything else you need later depending on what you
will use the map for.
36

-------
3. Editing nature's benefit maps in Arc ModelBuilder
A nature's benefit map is only as good as its indicators and map rules. If you want to update a map after getting
new information or data, there's no need to recreate the ModelBuilder tool. You can simply change the rules to
edit your map. We'll go through a simple example with the habitat areas of yellow-crowned night herons. For
reference, the indicators for yellow-crowned night heron habitat were areas of woody wetland that are within 50
meters (about 150 feet) of emergent wetlands. We chose those indicators because the birds like to nest in trees
that overlook the emergent wetlands where they feed. Their habitat is considered a nature's benefit because they
are a rare species that is enjoyed by birdwatchers and conservationists.
In our example, we are going to decide that yellow-crowned night herons have a longer tolerance for emergent
wetland distance than we originally thought, and will live within 100 meters (about 300 feet) of an emergent
wetland.
1. For reference, here is the current nature's benefit map of yellow-crowned night heron habitat with
the 50 meter map rule applied.
Wantagh
Legend
| Present
Rockville Centre Baldwin
Lyn brook
37

-------
Open a new instance of ArcMap. Then open the existing yellow-crowned night heron ModelBuilder
model. In ArcCatalog, navigate to the toolbox file (NatBenMap.tbx) that contains the ModelBuilder
model and right-click it. Then, select Edit.
Catalog

? X

Location:
J*3 YellowCrownedNightHerons

B Home - Net MyDocumentsVArcGIS
El B Addlns
S B New Folder
E) B Packages
S B Projects
El B ProjectTemplates
E) B scratch
E) B Web Maps
E) Defauft.gdb
El l3 scratch.gdb
El 4^1 Toolbox.tbx
El B Folder Connections
El B L:\Priv\HEWBES
El B Aerial and Satellite Images
El B MATLAB Example
~ B Nature's Benefits Package
El B ModelBuilder Results
El B Nature's Benefit Handouts
El B Original Indicator Files
B O NatBenMap.tbx
5*® BayScallops
jj*3 Coastal_Development
U*3 HardClams
J50 ShoreFishing
ShoreFishing
J® StripedBass
SummerFlounder
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Wave_Attenuation
El B Non-GIS Maps & Images
B Revised SPA Handouts
El B Sen/ice Providing Areas_Hempste
E) B SPA Handouts_Old
El B Spatial
E) B Spreadsheets and Data
El m Hempstead_Speciesand Indicator
B £3 L:\Priv\HEWBES\Spatial
B B Geoprocessed Files
B B Hewlett Bay
El B Census
E) B CoNED
El B Land Cover
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YellcwCrovvnedNightHero
Open,..
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Export Script-
Import Script
Help
Item Description..
Properties...
38

-------
3. Once you click Edit, the model window will appear with the current diagram for the yellow-crowned
night heron habitat map rules. First, double-click the ModelBuilder Results oval in the top left, and set
the workspace to the location of the ModelBuilder Results folder in the Nature's Benefits Package on
your computer.
j-- YellowCrownedNightHeronE
Model Edit Insert View Windows Help
a & K. 0 si x ^ <~> !i E3;
js"i . *
~ ~
Note that the model requires ncld2011_clip as initial input in order to run. Initial inputs will always be
blue ovals that are at the beginning of the flowchart. Since we are editing and then re-running this
model, we need to put ncld2011_clip into the Table of Contents by dragging it into the mapping area
from the Original Indicator Files folder in the Nature's Benefits Package.
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SI B V«gJtovt_Att*nu*tionJif
•	B VtUer^'f0Mi«4MiqhtMf«fUivt(f
• Lj Mmuip's Benefit MimiauJi
-	Lj Oigatul Indkjte* Files
M ArrjfierMrvjIelhp
-	B CoMfD Reumplrd.Rastef.tif
131 Hempi*e«f,Pe>/5oriyt4>ttltr.e-shp
IjJ HempflewJ Pe4ygcfl&»relifte.»nl
USS_Clipp«d_R«tt*r.b<
¦ffiy.'.im.fi k
B NWI. (UsUfticWP
a; Put*cPwla Sfc«eO/ity.sN>
B US Category t MOM
Mrt&wMtp.tfex
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Cc*rt*IOev«IC'(HT\«iy
39

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5. The way this model works is that we extract the areas that correspond to woody wetlands, then
extract the areas that correspond to emergent wetlands. Those emergent wetlands get converted to
polygons and have a distance buffer applied to them, which represents the distance at which woody
wetland habitat is considered suitable for a yellow-crowned night heron to nest. In this case, we want
to edit the Buffer step, which adds on the 50 meter buffer zone. Double-click the Buffer rectangle.
Buffer
Input Features
| NLCD_EmergentWetlands_Polygons.shp
Output Feature Class
"3
%ModelBuilder Results %V^LCD_EmergentWetlands_Buffered 50m. shp
1 la
Distance [value or field]

0 Linear unit

50 | Meters
V
O Field

Side Type (optional)
| FULL
V |
End Type (optional)

| FLAT
H
Method (optional)

| PLANAR
V I
Dissolve Type (optional)
| NONE
-1
Cancel
Apply	« Hide Help
Buffer
Creates buffer polygons
around input features to a
specified distance.
OUTPUT
DISSOLVE TYPE:
NONE
,-Q
Tool Help
6. Note that the Distance is marked as 50 meters, and that the output feature class file is called
NCLD_EmergentWetlands_Buffered50m.shp. Since we want to change the buffer to 100 meters,
change the Distance box to read 100 meters, and change the output filename to
NCLD_EmergentWetlands_BufferedlOOm.shp. You can leave the %ModelBuilder Resuits% part the
same, because you set the workspace to the folder's location on your computer in Step 3.
Buffer
Input Features
| NLCD_EmergentWetlands_Polygon5.shp
Output Feature Class
I %ModelBuilder Resul


Distance [value or field]
(§) Linear unit
£3
O Field
100
Meters

Side Type (optional)
FULL
V 1
End Type (optional)

FLAT
V |
Method (optional)

PLANAR
V |
Dissolve Type (optional)

NONE
vl
X
Distance [value or
field]
The distance around the
input features that will be
buffered. Distances can be
provided as either a value
representing a linear
distance or as a field from
the input features that
contains the distance to
buffer each feature.
If linear units are not
specified or are entered as
Unknown, the linear unit of
the input features' spatial
reference is used.
OK
Cancel
Apply
« Hide Help
Tool Help
40

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7. Note that the green circle coming from Buffer now reads NCLD_EmergentWetlandsBufferedlOG.shp,
but it still leads to Extract by Mask after it. ModelBuilder automatically updates the file path for the
inputs of subsequent steps if you change a previous one,
j-"- YellowCrownedNightHerons
Model Edit Insert View Windows Help
is^iix m <*¦ i*i si an
an

8. Now, we want to change the file output of Extract by Mask so that it won't overwrite our previous
yellow-crowned night heron habitat file. We want both so that we can compare them. Double-click
on Extract by Mask and change the output file to YellowCrowned_NightHeronslOO.tif. Change the
path to wherever you want it to be saved, then click OK. Again, leave %ModelBuilder Results% the
same, since it's a pointer to the workspace location.
Extract by Mask
X
Input raster
] NLCD_WoodyWetlands.tif


£3
Input raster or feature mask data



| N LCD_Em ergentWetlands_Buffered 100m. shp

zi





| %ModelBuilder Resulti^\YellowCrownedNightHeronslOO.tir^
I
e3
Extract by Mask
Extracts the cells of a
raster that correspond to
the areas defined by a
mask.
OK
Cancel
Apply
<< Hide Help
Tool Help
41

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9. Finally, run the model again and add the new output, YellowCrowned_NightHeronslOO.tif, to the
map. Change its color to something that contrasts with the old 50 meter nature's benefit map, so that
we can see the difference that our edited map rule has made. We added a legend square to this map,
and the additional habitat areas marked by the new map rules are in red.
Wantagh
| Present at 100m
42

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Appendix: Choosing your indicators
An indicator is a concept borrowed from ecology, where it is a habitat characteristic that coincides with the
presence of an animal or plant species. In this case, we define an indicator as a characteristic that can be plotted
on a map that we think coincides with the presence of our benefit. To map places where one can gather hard
clams, first think about what would indicate the presence of that benefit. People can only reach so far under the
water, even if they are using a specialized scooping tool to collect clams. One of our indicators will be water depth
less than 2 meters (about 6 feet) at mean tide, which will represent the area where a collector could reasonably
reach the bottom of the bay at low tide. The next indicator will represent areas that hard clams are likely to live. To
choose this indicator, we looked at the ecology of the hard clam and found that they tend to live in areas that have
a sand bottom type. Therefore, our indicators for hard clam collecting will be areas of the bay with a sand bottom
that are 2 meters or less deep at mean tide, since that is where hard clams that people can reach live. It's
important to note here that only the clams people can get to are considered a nature's benefit: if people can't get
them, then they don't count. Because of this, most nature's benefit maps will include at least one indicator of
accessibility.
For shore-based fishing, we want to think about what indicates the ability for a member of the public to catch fish
while standing on the shore. First, and most obviously, the area has to be next to the water, since an angler needs
to be on the shore to shore fish. The first indicator will be areas that are on the shoreline. Since a benefit doesn't
count if people can't access it, we then need to find areas that members of the public are allowed to access. Our
second indicator for shore-based fishing is public accessibility, for example areas in state or local parks. Finally, an
angler can reasonably cast a line about 30 meters (around 90 feet) at the most, so our areas can't be more than 30
meters away from the publicly-accessible areas of shore. Putting all three of our indicators together, areas that
provide the benefit of shore-based fishing are parts of the shoreline that are within 30 meters of a public access
point like a park.
Finding your indicators
Once indicators are chosen, the next step is to find spatial data on the indicator and get it into ArcGIS for mapping.
Indicators can be in almost any geographical information format, from elevation rasters to viewshed maps. One
thing they have in common is that they can be plotted in a GIS program. In all eight of the examples provided with
the nature's benefit mapping zip file, publicly available indicator data was used; there is usually no need to get
proprietary or privileged information. If an indicator is not easily found or is behind a pay wall, it might be better to
choose a different one.
In the example of hard clam gathering, our first indicator was an indicator of accessibility: water depth less than 2
meters at mean tide. A raster or elevation map showing water depth of tidal zones is the indicator data that we
need, and by looking online we can find the Coastal National Elevation Database Project
(https://lta.cr.usgs.gov/coned tbdem), operated by the United States Geological Survey. The site contains a free
download link for the Topobathymetric Digital Elevation Model, which shows the depth of coastal U.S. waters. We
note that there is a special report on the site that details how the topography and bathymetry model was adjusted
after Hurricane Sandy (https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2013/3090/), which settles concerns we might have about
outdated indicator data. The second indicator is sand bottom type. To get data on substrates on the bay bottom,
we search online and find the United States Fish and Wildlife Service National Wetlands Inventory
(https://www.fws.gov/wetlands/nwi/index.html). This dataset, also freely available for download, contains
information about wetland and estuarine types for the coastal United States. We check the Wetlands and
Deepwater Code Diagram on the website
(https://www.fws.gov/wetlands/documents/NWI Wetlands and Deepwater Map Code Diagram.pdf) to see if it
provides data on the bottom substrate of estuaries and bays (Figure Al).
43

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NWI Wetlands and Deepwater Map Code Diagram
System
Subsystem
RB - Rock Bottom UB - Unconsolidated AB - Aquatic Bed
1	Bedrock
2	Rubble
1 Algal
3 Rooted Vascular
1 Coral
3 Worm
2 - Irvtertidal
J	
~T~
T
AB - Aquatic Bed rf - Reef RS - Rocky Sfiore
1	1 Coral
3 Rooted VascOar 3 Wofrn
1	Bedrock
2	Rubble
US - Unconsolidated
Shore
System
Subsystem
1 - Subtidal
	I	
RB - Roc* UB - Unconsolidated AB - Aqualic Bed
Bottom Bottom
RF — Reef Ab — Aquatic Bed
1	Bedroclw
2	RubNif 2 Sand
3 Mud
^4 Organic
System
Subsystem
1 Algal
3	Rooted Vascular
4	Floating Vascular
2	MduSk
3	Worm
1 Algal
3	Rooted Vascular
4	Floating Vascular
2	Moiusk
3	Worm
R - Riverine
	I	
I
SB - Streambed
I
RS - Rocky
I
US - Unconsolidated
1
EM - Emergent
I
SS - Scrub-
I
FO - Forested

Shore
SDore

Shrub

1 Bedrock
1 Bedrock j
/TCo&ble-Gravfcl^
1 Persistent
1 Broad-Leaved
1 Broad-Leaved
2 Rubble
2 Rubble f
2 Sand |
2 Non-
Deciduous
Deciduous
3 Cobtfc-Gravel

3 Mud J
persistent
2 Needle-Leaved
2 Needle-Leaved
4 Sand

SlQrqanic
5 Pfx>rntes
Deciduous
Deciduous
5 Mud


ausbMs
3 Broad-Leaved
3 Broad-Leaved
6 Organic



Evergreen
Evergreen




4 Needle-Leaved
4 Needle-Leaved




Evergreen
Evergreen




5 Dead
5 Dead




6 Deciduous
6 Deciduous




7 Evergreen
7 Evergreen
1 - Tidal
	J	
2 - Lower^ Perennial
3 - Upper Perenni.n
k nnjaaHt
RB" - Roc». ub - Unconsolidated AS - Aquatic Bed SB"Sireambed RS - Rocky Shore US - Unconsolidated Em - Emergent
Bottom
Bottom
1	Bedrock 1 Cobble-Gravel
2	Rubble 2 Sand
3,Mud
4 Organic
1	Algt.i
2	Aquabr M0&3
3	Rooted Vascular
4	Floating Vascular
1	Bedrock
2	Rubble
3	Cobble-Gravel
4	Sand
5	Mud
6	Organic
7	Vegetated
1	Bedrock
2	Rubble
Shore
1	Cobble-Gravel
2	Sand
3	Mud
4	Organic
5	Vegetated
2 Won persistent
Intermittent 13 limited to the Stream bed Class;
Rock Bottom «s not permitted for the Lower Perennial Subsystem.
'Streambed Is Imlted to Tidal and Intermittent Subsystems
Page 1 of 2
Classification of Wetlands and Deepwater Habitats of the Unrted States, Cowardin ef at. 1979
August 2015
Figure Al. The National Wetlands Inventory contains the bottom type indicator we are looking for.
44

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For shore-based fishing, obtaining some of the indicators was a little more difficult. For the shoreline data, we did
an internet search for "United States shoreline polygons" and were directed to the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office for Coastal Management Shoreline Website
https://shoreline.noaa.gov/). On the front page, there is a link to "Download Shoreline Data" with several options
(Figure A2). After evaluating each shoreline product, we decided to download the NOAA Composite Shoreline,
which the site says is for high-resoiution cartographic work. We then clipped it using an Area_Rectangle shape so it
would only reflect the south Hempstead bay area. The shapefile was then converted to a polygon. Note: our
shoreline shapefile was edited in many areas because it was been also used for another project, but this is not
necessary to create the benefits map.
NOAA Shoreline Website
Mapping History Applications Data Access Policy and Management
Download Shoreline Data
By Application By Scale
Figure A2. The NOAA Shoreline site has several options for shoreline datasets.
The second indicator, publicly-accessible areas, wasn't available as a free dataset online despite our searching.
Therefore, we decided to create it ourselves from data we had. We opened the ESRI World Topographic Map that
comes with an ArcGIS Online subscription, and then traced over the locations of all the areas labeled as public
parks or beaches along the shore using the Editor tool to create a new polygon file (Figure A3). It should be noted
that unlike the other indicator data we have obtained so far, these data are not from a U.S. Government public
source. Even though we aren't really using the original map, and are just using it to make a new polygon file of our
own, it is still a good idea to examine the type of license you have thoroughly to ensure you are using the map
properly, and to credit the original source on any documents you produce as we have done on our Shore-Based
Fishing handout.
The third indicator for shore-based fishing was that we would also include any area of shoreline within 30 meters
of our publicly-accessible points, because an angler standing on the shore can cast a bait about that far. We wi+l
used tools within ArcGIS ModelBuilder later on to ensure that our resulting map includes areas of the shore that
are within 30 meters, so there is no need to download another indicator dataset.
45

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Q New York City.mxd - ArcMap
File Edit View Bookmarks Insert Selection Geoprocessing Customize Windows Help
Table Of Contents
0 ! Newjfrtfk fity
PublicParks_ShoreOnl;
(±1 0 World_Topo_Map
Figure A3. Since we couldn't find a public park file, we created our own.
46

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