Summary
The main aim of the bachelor thesis was a design and creation of map key for selected agricultural phenomena for school atlases. Other aim was an analysis of map keys of available school atlases.
In the first part of the thesis a detailed research of required cartographic and semiological rules was created. To compare the map keys of agricultural phenomena school atlases from the Department of Geoinformatics were used. Twenty-one school atlases from fifteen European countries were used. Because of language barriers only European school atlases that use the Latin alphabet were selected. Still, the translation of the map keys was time-consuming, especially in atlases, which do not use sufficiently associative signs. The overview tables of cartographic signs, which are used in thematic maps of agriculture in available school atlases were created. Then selected cartographic signs were commented verbally on the basic of cartographic and semiological rules.
The creation of map key was based on the cartographic signs used in school atlases and in respect of assessment. The cartographic signs were designed for twenty-four phenomena of crop production, four phenomena of livestock production, one phenomenon from other farming activities and four phenomena of land use. The realization of map key was divided into two steps. Firstly, TrueType font for selected agricultural phenomena in the program FontCreator was created. Its advantage is the usability in many operating systems and programs. It was necessary to create several TrueType symbols for the display of the phenomenon especially for the subsequent creation of sign by using more colours. The second step was to implement a font into ArcMap, by which a new style was created and it set the properties for the final signs. Individual symbols were defined by the number of layers, their colour and size. The colour has an important role in perception of cartographic signs. Selecting suitable colours for map key was relevant, but also very difficult. Poor calibration of printer or monitor can improperly influence colour perception. Twenty-nine Character Marker Symbols and four Fill Symbols were created. The final map key for agricultural phenomena in colour includes thirty-three signs. This map key was used in two sample maps of agriculture.
The suitability of the designed map key, but also map keys use in the school atlases were tested in an online questionnaire. The questionnaire contained ten questions. Two hundred and five respondents took part in the questionnaire survey. The responses received were analysed by statistical methods and commented verbally. It was to monitor frequency distribution of responses to individual questions. The suitability of created signs was confirmed in most cases. The cartographic signs of agricultural phenomena used in tested school atlases were not always sufficiently associative. It was difficult to identify them without the use of legends.
Finally, a web site of this bachelor thesis was created, which is located at the server of the Department of Geoinformatics.
