EcoSynthesis Scientific & Regulatory Services Inc.

Whether you are seeking agency buy-in on a project design or public support for a proposed project, persuasive visual presentation can make all the difference. Natural systems are multi-dimensional, so they are much better represented in graphics than in text. At EcoSynthesis, we treat the graphical organization and display of information as carefully as the information itself.

We excel in presenting ecological information in single-state graphics, as well as in the representation of changes over time, which are basic to how habitats really function. By using rationalized color schemes and other graphic tools, we also take advantage of the power of modern GIS and mapping tools to communicate a message, enabling us to present clearly a complex site situation with many overlapping features to be shown.

Produced using registered aerial photography, GPS layers, and digital parcel maps, EcoSynthesis' habitat maps combine rationalized color palettes and transparent overlays to more effectively communicate the type of information usually associated with GIS mapping.

For basic mapping figures, we draw key information layers from the GIS database and refine them using the superior graphic controls in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. Colors are chosen to clarify gradations of ecological relationships and regulatory statuses such as jurisdictional wetlands and degree of suitability for sensitive wildlife.

It's vital that stakeholders understand the underlying concepts as well as expected outcomes of a given project. In these stream channel evolution animations, we combined site-specific imagery, appropriately scaled diagrams, and other technical data to illuminate the state transitions in a way that words alone cannot convey.

Well-crafted graphic solutions can help readers to navigate information-dense text. For example, vegetation sampling is usually represented in tables — but it's much more descriptive to combine actual surveyed surface topography with species-specific silhouettes and field-determined cover estimates. Such a figure can also present physical parameters like soil moisture, texture, or even nutrient content.

Permit applications and supporting reports often require schematic cross-sections or a map of many overlapping habitat and constructed features. We strive for the most accurate representation possible, presented with the maximum graphic clarity.