fmap90_readme.txt
9/19/02


Forest Cover of the Former Soviet Union, 1990

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:
-----------
fmap90.img - a binary raster image depicting forest cover (1990) 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.

fmap90.doc - companion file to fmap90.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 
             (fmap90.dat.gz) as well as the binary IDRISI version of the data 
             (fmap90.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. 

fmap90.dat.gz - compressed ASCIIGRID version of the binary raster data 
                (fmap90.img).  This data file was created by converting the 
                IDRISI binary file (fmap90.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.

fmap90av32.zip - vector map version of data (same info as raster data 
                 fmap90.img and fmap90.asc.gz) in ArcView shapefile format 
                 (compressed).

Viewer Images:
--------------
fmap90.jpg - graphic map depicting forest cover for the former U.S.S.R. in 1990.

Companion Files:
----------------
fmap90_projection.txt - text file containing information on geographic
                        projections used.

fmap90_legend.doc - additional documentation describing the map classes used.
                    (Microsoft Word document).

fmap90_legend-4.pdf - additional documentation describing the map classes used.
                    (pdf file version of the aforementioned Microsoft Word 
                     document).

fmap90_readme.txt - this file.