Instructions for downloading and displaying smooth-grid abundance files from BBS data

 1)      Download files:

• Species names.txt (gives AOU species numbers)
• usacanab.zip (includes a shape file containing a map of states and provinces in the U. S. and Canada)
• bbsgrid.zip (includes a polygon shape file showing a smoothed grid of the U. S. and Canada)
• usacanab.avl (legend file for usacanab.shp)
• gridabundancelegend.avl (legend file for bbsgrid)
• Either grid_abundance.zip (contains text files with smooth-grid abundance data for ALL species)
• OR spec_grid_abund.htm (allows you to download data for individual species)

 

2)      Unzip (extract) the files “usacanab.zip,” “bbsgrid.zip,” and "grid_abundance.zip"

3)      Add Themes “usacanab.shp” and “bbsgrid.shp” to an Arcview project. Highlight bbsgrid.shp; then click on Theme; then click on Table to open the table "Attributes of Bbs.shp".

4)      In the Project window, select Add Table.  Choose to List Files of Type: Delimited Text (*.txt), select the file with the AOU number of your species of interest, and click OK.

5)      On the new Table, select the column labeled “Grid_code.”  On the Table “Attributes of Bbsgrid,” select the same column.  Click the “Join” button on the toolbar (Ctrl + J).  The data for your species should now be associated with the BBS grid shapefile as a new column in its Table, labeled “R*” (* indicating the AOU number of your species).

6)      On the left side of your View, double-click on the Theme “usacanab.shp.”  Load the legend file “usacanab.avl,” then click Apply.  Returning to the View, double-click on the Theme “Bbsgrid.shp” and Load the legend file “gridabundancelegend.avl.”   When asked to choose a Field, select “R*” and All, then click OK, then Apply.

 

With both Themes displayed (Bbsgrid.shp on top), you should now see a map of the U.S. and Canada overlaid with the BBS grid, which will grade in color according to the relative abundance of the selected species during 1993-2002.

To view this information for a different species, repeat steps 4-6 above, using the appropriate AOU number.

 

The shape files have the projection:

Parameter   Value                                            

Projection Albers                                             

datum   nad83                                      

units     meters                                     

1st standard parallel  29 30 00             

2nd standard parallel 45 30 00             

central meridian -96 00 00                   

latitude of projection's origin 23 0 0    

false easting   0                        

false northing  0