fcarbon_readme.txt
9/26/02

Forest Stand Carbon Map of the Former Soviet Union, 1973

Note:  there are several formats of the same data provided with this data set.
These include:  binary raster data in IDRISI format, ASCIIGRID raster data 
in ASCII format (easily imported into ARC/INFO), vector data in ArcView 
shapefile format, and a graphic map in JPG format.  Please read all
documentation before using these files. 

Data files:
-----------
fcarbon.img - a binary raster image depicting forest stand carbon in IDRISI 
              format.  Note:  must be converted to an *rst file when using 
              version 3.2 of IDRISI.  Use the "Idrisi File Conversion (16/32)"
              utility available in the file pulldown menu to convert to the 
              new format.

fcarbon.doc - companion file to fcarbon.img.  This text  file describes the 
              raster data.  Most of the descriptive information (aside from 
              file type) is applicable to the ASCIIGRID version of the data 
              (fcarbon.dat.gz) as well as the binary IDRISI version of the data 
              (fcarbon.img).  Note: this file MUST be present for the binary 
              data to be read by IDRISI.  Furthermore, the *doc file must be 
              converted to an *rdc file when using version 3.2 of IDRISI. Use
              the "Idrisi File Conversion (16/32)" utility available in the file
              pulldown menu to convert to the new format. 

fcarbon.dat.gz - compressed ASCIIGRID version of the binary raster data 
                 (fcarbon.img).  This data file was created by converting the 
                 IDRISI binary file (fcarbon.img) using IDRISI export utilities.
                 The ASCII file was compressed using the gzip utility available 
                 in UNIX.  Note:  it was necessary to first convert the *.img 
                 file to a *rst file and the *doc file to a *rdc file to match 
                 the new file format and naming convention of raster data 
                 supported by IDRISI 3.2.

fcarbcl.img - a binary raster image depicting ranges of forest stand carbon 
              in IDRISI format.  This map differs from fcarbon* in that the 
              carbon estimates have been divided into classes based upon value
              ranges (it is categorical data).  Note:  must be converted to 
              an *rst file when using version 3.2 of IDRISI.  Use the "Idrisi 
              File Conversion (16/32)" utility available in the file pulldown 
              menu to convert to the new format.

fcarbcl.doc - companion file to fcarbcl.img.  This text  file describes the 
              raster data.  Most of the descriptive information (aside from 
              file type) is applicable to the ASCIIGRID version of the data 
              (fcarbcl.dat.gz) as well as the binary IDRISI version of the data 
              (fcarbcl.img).  Note: this file MUST be present for the binary 
              data to be read by IDRISI.  Furthermore, the *doc file must be 
              converted to an *rdc file when using version 3.2 of IDRISI. Use
              the "Idrisi File Conversion (16/32)" utility available in the file
              pulldown menu to convert to the new format. 

fcarbcl.dat.gz - compressed ASCIIGRID version of the binary raster data 
                 (fcarbcl.img).  This data file was created by converting the 
                 IDRISI binary file (fcarbcl.img) using IDRISI export utilities.
                 The ASCII file was compressed using the gzip utility available 
                 in UNIX.  Note:  it was necessary to first convert the *.img 
                 file to a *rst file and the *doc file to a *rdc file to match 
                 the new file format and naming convention of raster data 
                 supported by IDRISI 3.2.

fcarbonv.zip - vector map versions of data files in ArcView shapefile format 
               (compressed).  Zipfile includes fcarbon.shp (and components),
               fcarbcl.shp (and components), and unmapped.shp (and components).

Viewer Images:
--------------
fcarbon.jpg - graphic map depicting forest stand carbon estimates for the 
              former U.S.S.R..

Companion Files:
----------------
fcarbon_projection.txt - text file containing information on geographic
                         projections used.

fcarbon_readme.txt - this file.