The geodatabase contains 13 relate tables that together provide updated and synchronized classifications to an existing vegetation map layer for each of the nine park units in the Great Lakes Network (GLKN) of the National Park Service (NPS) Natural Resource Inventory and Monitoring Program. The classifications include 1) vegetation types at every hierarchical level in the 2015 version of the U.S. National Vegetation Classification (USNVC) and 2) map classes that represent vegetation and land cover in the vegetation map layers. Furthermore, the tables provide a crosswalk between the two classifications (vegetation and map). Each park unit in GLKN has received, at different times over several years, vegetation data products from the NPS Vegetation Mapping Inventory (VMI) Program. However, the vegetation and map classifications were at different stages of development over these years. With this geodatabase product, having a series of already linked relate tables, the original vegetation map layer for each park unit can be linked to the updated and synchronized classification information for both vegetation types and map classes.

The 17,158 acre Johnson Valley project area is located in San Bernardino County, 32 miles east of Victorville, CA bisected by highway 247. The fine-scale vegetation map was created as part of a collaborative project between the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the Vegetation Classification and Mapping Program of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to show the correlation between vegetation and geomorphology. The vegetation mapping types are based on the vegetation classification that was developed for the larger Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP) mapping project (CDFW 2013). The vegetation classification was developed using a compilation of data collected for several projects including Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and Environs (Keeler-Wolf et al. 1998), the Mojave Desert Ecosystem Program''s Vegetation Database (Thomas et al. 2004), Vegetation of Joshua Tree National Park (La Doux et al. 2013), and Vegetation Classification and Mapping at Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Mojave National Preserve and Death Valley National Park (in progress, draft as of 2014).

This dataset combines the work of several different projects to create a seamless data set for the contiguous United States. Data from four regional Gap Analysis Projects and the LANDFIRE project were combined to make this dataset. In the Northwestern United States (Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Washington and Wyoming) data in this map came from the Northwest Gap Analysis Project. In the Southwestern United States (Colorado, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah) data used in this map came from the Southwest Gap Analysis Project. The data for Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Virginia came from the Southeast Gap Analysis Project and the California data was generated by the updated California Gap land cover project. The Hawaii Gap Analysis project provided the data for Hawaii. In areas of the county (central U.S., Northeast, Alaska) that have not yet been covered by a regional Gap Analysis Project, data from the Landfire project was used. Similarities in the methods used by these projects made possible the combining of the data they derived into one seamless coverage. They all used multi-season satellite imagery (Landsat ETM+) from 1999-2001 in conjunction with digital elevation model (DEM) derived datasets (e.g. elevation, landform) to model natural and semi-natural vegetation. Vegetation classes were drawn from NatureServe’s Ecological System Classification (Comer et al. 2003) or classes developed by the Hawaii Gap project. Additionally, all of the projects included land use classes that were employed to describe areas where natural vegetation has been altered. In many areas of the country these classes were derived from the National Land Cover Dataset (NLCD). For the majority of classes and, in most areas of the country, a decision tree classifier was used to discriminate ecological system types. In some areas of the country, more manual techniques were used to discriminate small patch systems and systems not distinguishable through topography. The data contains multiple levels of thematic detail. At the most detailed level natural vegetation is represented by NatureServe’s Ecological System classification (or in Hawaii the Hawaii GAP classification). These most detailed classifications have been crosswalked to the five highest levels of the National Vegetation Classification (NVC), Class, Subclass, Formation, Division and Macrogroup. This crosswalk allows users to display and analyze the data at different levels of thematic resolution. Developed areas, or areas dominated by introduced species, timber harvest, or water are represented by other classes, collectively refered to as land use classes; these land use classes occur at each of the thematic levels. Six layer files are included in the download packages to assist the user in displaying the data at each of the Thematic levels in ArcGIS.

The Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument Seboeis Unit Vegetation Mapping Project was initiated in the fall of 2019 by a grant through the USGS Natural Resource Preservation Program to classify and map vegetation types of the Seboeis Unit thereby providing resource managers and biological researchers with useful baseline vegetation information. This layer provides the vegetation map for the Seboeis Unit. Information for this layer was collected in 2019 and 2020. After completion of the accuracy assessment process, 33 map classes represent the Seboeis Unit of the monument. Of the 33 map classes that represent the Seboeis Unit, 28 represent natural (including ruderal) vegetation types, consisting of 50 U.S. National Vegetation Classification (USNVC) association types. For the remaining 5 of the overall 33 map classes, 2 represent USNVC cultural types for barren areas and developed areas and 3 represent non-USNVC types for non-vegetated open water. Of the 28 map classes representing natural (including ruderal) vegetation types, 15 represent a single vegetation type (when it exists above an the minimum mapping unit [MMU]), 7 represent 2 vegetation types mapped together, 5 represent 3 vegetation types mapped together, and 1 represents 6 vegetation types mapped together. Polygon units were mapped to either a 0.5 ha or 0.25 ha minimum mapping unit, depending on vegetation type. Collectively, the spatial-database layer (vegetation map) produced for the Seboeis Unit vegetation mapping project consists of 1,261 polygons and covers 4,854.8 ha, with an average polygon size of 3.8 ha. The 28 map classes representing natural (including ruderal) vegetation types apply to 97.6% of polygons (1,231 polygons; average size of 3.9 ha) and cover 98.6% of the Seboeis Unit (4,787.5 ha). Further broken down, map classes representing natural vegetation types indicate that the Seboeis Unit is 93.2% forest and woodland (4,526.6 ha), 4.0% shrubland (195.3 ha), and 1.3% herbaceous cover (65.6 ha). Map classes representing cultural vegetation types in the USNVC apply to 1.0% of polygons (12 polygons; average size of 2.5 ha) and cover 0.6% of the Seboeis Unit (29.7 ha). Map classes representing non-vegetation open and flowing water (non-USNVC) apply to 1.4% of polygons (18 polygons; average size of 2.1 ha) and cover 0.8% of the Seboeis Unit (37.4 ha). The information in this layer is explained in depth in the report titled Vegetation Map for the Seboeis Unit of Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument.

During summer 2019, botanists with the Maine Natural Areas Program collected data from 94 vegetation plots for plant community characterization. The sampling data were entered into the National Park Service PLOTS version 4.0 (National Park Service 2015) for analyses to characterize vegetation associations in the U.S. National Vegetation Classification. An accuracy assessment was performed on the draft version of the vegetation map layer. During the summer of 2020, field crews collected data from 107 stratified and randomly selected sites for evaluating the accuracy of the vegetation map layer for those map classes representing U.S. National Vegetation Classification associations. The accuracy assessment field data were then compared to the vegetation map data. Results from the accuracy assessment study show an overall accuracy of 87.6% (kappa index of 87.0%) based on an analysis of data from 105 of the 107 accuracy assessment sites.

This web map contains information on vegetation type classes, tree canopy cover, tall shrub canopy cover, and tree size from four existing vegetation mapping projects. These maps were prepared for the Chugach National Forest to provide up-to-date and more complete information about vegetative communities, structure and patterns across the Forest. The Copper River Delta vegetation dominance type product was completed in 2013; the Kenai Peninsula data products were completed in 2017; Cordova was completed in 2021; and the Glacier project area was completed in 2022.Nearly 11 million terrestrial acres were mapped through a partnership between the Geospatial Technology and Applications Center (GTAC), Chugach National Forest, the Alaska Regional Office, and other State, Tribal and Federal agencies. The Chugach National Forest and their partners prepared the regional classification system and identified the desired map units (map classes) that characterized the existing vegetation. GTAC served as the technical lead for developing the mapping methodology that produced the final data products. A combination of field and image interpreted reference data were used to inform the map models. Federal, State, and contracted staff collected plot data on the ground, while Ducks Unlimited and GTAC personnel collected reference information from a helicopter. Classification and regression models were used to characterize modeling units (mapping polygons) with the following vegetation attributes: 1) vegetation type; 2) tree canopy cover; 3) tree size; and 4) tall shrub canopy cover. The minimum map feature depicted is 0.25 acres. Map products were designed according to National Forest Service vegetation mapping standards and are stored in Federal databases.For more detailed information on mapping methodology please see the individual project reports and the Chugach Regional Vegetation Mapping Report.

Analysis of ‘Vegetation Map - Johnson Valley - CDFW [ds1019]’ provided by Analyst-2 (analyst-2.ai), based on source dataset retrieved from https://catalog.data.gov/dataset/30fd2c33-e9f5-45da-a1e0-7ef443b00001 on 27 January 2022.

--- Dataset description provided by original source is as follows ---

The 17,158 acre Johnson Valley project area is located in San Bernardino County, 32 miles east of Victorville, CA bisected by highway 247. The fine-scale vegetation map was created as part of a collaborative project between the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the Vegetation Classification and Mapping Program of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to show the correlation between vegetation and geomorphology. The vegetation mapping types are based on the vegetation classification that was developed for the larger Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP) mapping project (CDFW 2013). The vegetation classification was developed using a compilation of data collected for several projects including Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and Environs (Keeler-Wolf et al. 1998), the Mojave Desert Ecosystem Program''s Vegetation Database (Thomas et al. 2004), Vegetation of Joshua Tree National Park (La Doux et al. 2013), and Vegetation Classification and Mapping at Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Mojave National Preserve and Death Valley National Park (in progress, draft as of 2014).

--- Original source retains full ownership of the source dataset ---

The National Park Service (NPS), in conjunction with the Biological Resources Division BRD) of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), has implemented a program to "develop a uniform hierarchical vegetation methodology" at a national level. The program will also create a geographic information system (GIS) database for the parks under its management. The purpose of the data is to document the state of vegetation within the NPS service area during the 1990's, thereby providing a baseline study for further analysis at the Regional or Service-wide level. The vegetation at Devils Tower National Monument was mapped using 1:16,000 scale U.S. Forest Service Color Aerial Photography acquired July 29, 1993. The mapping classification used two separate classification systems. All natural vegetation used the National Vegetation Classification System (NVCS) as a base. The vegetation classification was created after extensive on site sampling and numerical analysis. The vegetation map units were derived from the vegetation classification. Other non-natural or cultural mapping units used the Anderson Level II classification system. The mapped area includes a buffer around the Monument boundary.

This mapping effort originates from a long-term vegetation monitoring program that is part of a larger Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) program started by the National Park Service (NPS). I&M goals are, among others, to map the vegetation of all national parks and monuments and provide a baseline inventory of vegetation. The I&M program currently works in close cooperation with the Biological Resources Division (BRD) of the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The USGS/BRD continues overall management and oversight of all ongoing mapping efforts in close cooperation with the NPS.

The purposes of the mapping effort are varied and include the following: Provides support for NPS Resources Management. Promotes vegetation-related research for both NPS and USGS/BRD. Provides support for NPS Planning and Compliance. Adds to the information base for NPS Interpretation. Assists in NPS Operations.

The geographic extent of the data set is Devils Tower National Monument and about a 2 mile environs around Monument Boundaries - Black Hills, Wyoming, USA.

Information was obtained from "http://biology.usgs.gov/npsveg/deto/metadetospatial.html" and converted to NASA Directory Interchange Format.

The Central Mojave Vegetation Polygons shapefile represents areas of the Mojave Desert classified into vegetation classes or alliances representative of the area from 1997-1999. The classification of these areas were derived from context gathered in the field data, photographs and additional satellite imagery that is not included in this data release. The original map coverage was preserved and released as a shapefile (mojave_veg_polygons.shp). In contrast to the Special Features Points vegetation classifications (described in the Special Features Points shapefile metadata record and ScienceBase item), the Central Mojave Vegetation Polygons were designated by vegetation alliances that extended 5 hectares or more. Map labels represent alliances and groups of alliances as described by the National Vegetation Classification, as it existed at that time. Each map unit is labeled by a primary land cover type and a secondary type where applicable. In addition, the source of data for labeling each map unit is also identified in the attribute table for each map unit. The metadata record (Mojave-Vegetation-Mapping_Mojave-Veg-Polygons-Metadata.xml), the Mojave vegetation polygons shapefile (zipped shapefile, mojave_veg_polygons.zip) and the label codes sheet that provides context for the vegetation classifications (LabelCodes.csv) are all included as attachments on the Mojave Vegetation Polygons ScienceBase item.

Coastwide vegetation surveys have been conducted multiple times over the past 50 years (e.g., Chabreck and Linscombe 1968, 1978, 1988, 1997, 2001, and 2013) by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) in support of coastal management activities. The last survey was conducted in 2013 and was funded by the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) as a part of the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection, and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) monitoring program. These surveys provide important data that have been utilized by federal, state, and local resource managers. The surveys provide information on the condition of Louisiana’s coastal marshes by mapping plant species composition and vegetation change through time. During the summer of 2021, the U.S. Geological Survey, Louisiana State University, and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries jointly completed a helicopter survey to collect data on 2021 veget ...

The Mojave Vegetation field data were collected to provide context for the classification of the Central Mojave Desert into various vegetation classes. The field data consist of five CSV tables, recovered from their original Microsoft Access format, that together describe the vegetative, environmental and geomorphic properties of the Central Mojave Desert at the time of collection, 1997-1999. The portion of the study’s field data preserved in this release consists of observations made at the 1,219 points included in the plots points shapefile (plots_points.shp) found on the Plots Points and Photographs ScienceBase page. The field measurements (described here) and photographs (described in the Plots Points and Photographs metadata record) contributed to the creation of the Mojave Vegetation Polygons classification and the Mojave Special Features classification, two additional pieces of this data release. The metadata record (Mojave-Vegetation-Mapping_Field-Data-Metadata.xml) and t ...

The map shows the 8-class vegetation cover developed from Landsat TM data used for the SICS area.

The Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument Seboeis Unit Vegetation Mapping Project was initiated in the fall of 2019 by a grant through the USGS Natural Resource Preservation Program to classify and map vegetation types of the Seboeis Unit thereby providing resource managers and biological researchers with useful baseline vegetation information. This layer provides the vegetation map for the Seboeis Unit. Information for this layer was collected in 2019 and 2020. After completion of the accuracy assessment process, 33 map classes represent the Seboeis Unit of the monument. Of the 33 map classes that represent the Seboeis Unit, 28 represent natural (including ruderal) vegetation types, consisting of 50 U.S. National Vegetation Classification (USNVC) association types. For the remaining 5 of the overall 33 map classes, 2 represent USNVC cultural types for barren areas and developed areas and 3 represent non-USNVC types for non-vegetated open water. Of the 28 map classes representing natural (including ruderal) vegetation types, 15 represent a single vegetation type (when it exists above the minimum mapping unit [MMU]), 7 represent 2 vegetation types mapped together, 5 represent 3 vegetation types mapped together, and 1 represents 6 vegetation types mapped together. Polygon units were mapped to either a 0.5 ha or 0.25 ha minimum mapping unit, depending on vegetation type. The information in this layer is explained in depth in the report titled Vegetation Map for the Seboeis Unit of Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument.

The California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) worked collaboratively with the California Native Plant Society (CNPS) and Aerial Information Systems (AIS) to produce a fine-scale vegetation map of the northern Sierra Nevada Foothills region, here defined by the two northern subsections of the USDA's Sierra Nevada Foothills Section (Miles and Goudey 1997). This includes 2.6 million acres of land, with approximately 15% under public ownership and 85% under private ownership. Vegetation sampling by means of the CNPS Relevé and Rapid Assessment Protocols was used to obtain a total of 710 Relevés and 1691 Rapid Assessments, which were used to develop a quantitative classification based on cluster and indicator species analyses. The resulting classification describes vegetation types according to the National Vegetation Classification System; and was used as a basis for creating a map classification generally at the alliance level, where natural vegetation stands were discernable to that level using 1-meter aerial imagery acquired as part of the National Agricultural Imagery Program (NAIP) in 2005 and 2009. The vegetation map includes 67 map units, of which 54 are natural vegetation map units at the floristic alliance level or higher (group) level and 13 are non-vegetation land use mapping units.

Link to the ScienceBase Item Summary page for the item described by this metadata record. Service Protocol: Link to the ScienceBase Item Summary page for the item described by this metadata record. Application Profile: Web Browser. Link Function: information

Link to the ScienceBase Item Summary page for the item described by this metadata record. Service Protocol: Link to the ScienceBase Item Summary page for the item described by this metadata record. Application Profile: Web Browser. Link Function: information

This shapefile is an vegetation map of Colonial National Historical Park, Virginia. It was developed by The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage in cooperation with North Carolina State University's Center for Earth Observation for the Northeast Region of the National Park Service. The data was created following general guidelines set forth by the USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping Program. Map classes are crosswalked to the U.S. National Vegetation Classification (USNVC) or level II of the Andersons land use land cover classification system. Crosswalks to the USNVC were determined on September 27, 2007. The map is based on field work performed in the summers of 2003-2005 and photo interpretation of aerial photo mosaics produced by North Carolina State University Center for Earth Observation from photography obtained in October 2001 and March 2002.

description: National Vegetation Classification (NVC) map for Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge. NVC provides a standardized hierarchical approach to classifying vegetation and this standard is being implemented by federal, state, tribal, and non-profit organizations throughout the United States. In order to maximize the efficiency and usefulness of the Refuges mapping project in support of management needs, mapping was completed to the NVC Alliance level (dominant species). Mapping took place in the following 8 stages: (1) Site visits were conducted and 16 NVC Alliances that best fit dominate vegetation cover at Fish Springs NWR were selected; (2) 14 Project Codes (PCs) were defined to meet managements mapping needs in conditions that do not meet a published NVC Alliance; (3) Prior to heading into the field, an initial digitization effort was completed where recognizable stands of dominant vegetation were digitized using a 2006 NAIP aerial image; (4) The initial digitizing effort was improved upon through a ground-truthing process in the field using established mapping standards and diagnostic criteria; (5) Once all vegetation mapping across the Refuge was completed, a re-verification effort in the field was conducted, and corrections were made where needed; (6) A digital editing review was completed to identify any potential digital mapping errors, and if needed sites were revisited; (7) A stratified random sampling method was utilized to assess map accuracy, and any identified errors were corrected; (8) The baseline NVC vegetation map (alliance level) was then utilized to create additional classification categories of broader habitat types and water regimes.Of the available 30 mapping categories (Alliances and PCs) established for the mapping effort, 28 were utilized within the final NVC vegetation map. A total of 819 randomly selected assessment points were visited for the final accuracy assessment, resulting in a final map accuracy of 96.7%.; abstract: National Vegetation Classification (NVC) map for Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge. NVC provides a standardized hierarchical approach to classifying vegetation and this standard is being implemented by federal, state, tribal, and non-profit organizations throughout the United States. In order to maximize the efficiency and usefulness of the Refuges mapping project in support of management needs, mapping was completed to the NVC Alliance level (dominant species). Mapping took place in the following 8 stages: (1) Site visits were conducted and 16 NVC Alliances that best fit dominate vegetation cover at Fish Springs NWR were selected; (2) 14 Project Codes (PCs) were defined to meet managements mapping needs in conditions that do not meet a published NVC Alliance; (3) Prior to heading into the field, an initial digitization effort was completed where recognizable stands of dominant vegetation were digitized using a 2006 NAIP aerial image; (4) The initial digitizing effort was improved upon through a ground-truthing process in the field using established mapping standards and diagnostic criteria; (5) Once all vegetation mapping across the Refuge was completed, a re-verification effort in the field was conducted, and corrections were made where needed; (6) A digital editing review was completed to identify any potential digital mapping errors, and if needed sites were revisited; (7) A stratified random sampling method was utilized to assess map accuracy, and any identified errors were corrected; (8) The baseline NVC vegetation map (alliance level) was then utilized to create additional classification categories of broader habitat types and water regimes.Of the available 30 mapping categories (Alliances and PCs) established for the mapping effort, 28 were utilized within the final NVC vegetation map. A total of 819 randomly selected assessment points were visited for the final accuracy assessment, resulting in a final map accuracy of 96.7%.

This data layer identifies the boundaries of the mapped plant communities for the vegetation map of the Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge Hakalau Forest Unit and adjacent lands, island of Hawaii.

This shapefile is an vegetation map of Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park, Virginia. It was developed by The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage in cooperation with North Carolina State University's Center for Earth Observation for the Northeast Region of the National Park Service. The data was created following general guidelines set forth by the USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping Program. Map classes are crosswalked to the U.S. National Vegetation Classification (USNVC) or level II of the Andersons land use land cover classification system. Crosswalks to the USNVC were determined on February 20, 2007. The map is based on field work performed in the summer of 2002-2005 and photo interpretation of aerial photo mosaics produced by North Carolina State University Center for Earth Observation from photography obtained in October 2001 and February 2002.