The files linked to this reference are the geospatial data created as part of the completion of the baseline vegetation inventory project for the NPS park unit. Current format is ArcGIS file geodatabase but older formats may exist as shapefiles. The vegetation map database is georeferenced to Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) projection North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83) zone 12. The vegetation map database contains 6,989 polygons, of which 1,956 (28%) are smaller than 0.5 ha (table 8). The majority of the vegetated polygons smaller than 0.5 ha in size occur in nine base map classes. Map classes that occurred in the barren badlands were relatively easy to distinguish from unvegetated areas on the aerial photography and were often mapped even when the patches were less than 0.5 ha in size. All base map classes have a one-to-one representation with a plant community.

The files linked to this reference are the geospatial data created as part of the completion of the baseline vegetation inventory project for the NPS park unit. Current format is ArcGIS file geodatabase but older formats may exist as shapefiles. An ArcInfo (copyright ESRI) GIS database was designed for THRO using the National Park GIS Database Design, Layout, and Procedures created by RSGIG. This was created through Arc Macro Language (AML) scripts that helped automate the transfer process and ensure that all spatial and attribute data was consistent and stored properly. Actual transfer of information from the interpreted aerial photographs to a digital, geo-referenced format involved two techniques, scanning (for the vegetation classes) and on-screen digitizing (for the land-use classes). Transferred information used to create vegetation polygon coverages and linear coverages in ArcInfo were based on quarter-quad borders. Attribute information including vegetation map unit, location, and aerial photo number was subsequently entered for all polygons. In addition, the spatial database has an FGDC-compliant metadata file.

The files linked to this reference are the geospatial data created as part of the completion of the baseline vegetation inventory project for the NPS park unit. Current format is ArcGIS file geodatabase but older formats may exist as shapefiles. The interpreted polygons were manually transferred to overlays that were registered to the base maps. Map unit attributes and appropriate physiognomic modifier codes were added to a second overlay. The overlays were subsequently rechecked for accuracy. Each overlay of transferred data was scanned using a large format sheet fed scanner at a resolution of 400 dots per inch. The resulting Tagged Image File Format (TIFF) images were then converted to a grid using ArcInfo (Version 7.2.1 Patch 2, Environmental Systems Research Institute, Redlands, California). For data produced with the DOQ base maps, the converted grid was projected to UTM Zone 15 using North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83).

The files linked to this reference are the geospatial data created as part of the completion of the baseline vegetation inventory project for the NPS park unit. Current format is ArcGIS file geodatabase but older formats may exist as shapefiles. In order to accommodate the complex vegetation patterns often found in National Park units and generally maintain a minimum mapping unit of 0.5 ha, a three-tiered scheme was developed for attributing vegetation polygons. Where appropriate, secondary and tertiary vegetation classes are added to describe mixed-plant communities within the polygon. Secondary and tertiary classes were especially useful for describing ecotones, and for polygons with a patchwork of communities below the minimum mapping unit size. Final products included seamless park-wide GIS databases in ArcGIS geodatabase and ArcView shapefile formats of detailed overstory vegetation communities, along with vegetation statistics, hardcopy maps and orthophoto images plotted at large scale corresponding to the park area.

The files linked to this reference are the geospatial data created as part of the completion of the baseline vegetation inventory project for the NPS park unit. Current format is ArcGIS file geodatabase but older formats may exist as shapefiles. The map was designed to facilitate ecologically- based natural resources management at a 1:24,000 scale with 0.5-ha minimum map unit size. Based on a provisional assessment, overall accuracy was 82.5% for Level 1 and 66.8% for Level 2. Level 1 units will likely be sufficient and most appropriate for many natural resource planning and evaluations, while Level 2 units provide added fine-scale information within major ecological groups. To support the map as a management tool, we provide an annotated map legend along with descriptions of each plant association, a corresponding diagnostic key, field forms, and a plant species list. The map was delivered in both printed form and as digital Geographic Information System (GIS) map files. The GIS format allows flexibility to update the map as new information becomes available, or as major vegetation changes, such as fire, disease or other impacts, occur in the park.

The files linked to this reference are the geospatial data created as part of the completion of the baseline vegetation inventory project for the NPS park unit. Current format is ArcGIS file geodatabase but older formats may exist as shapefiles. Vegetation and land use were interpreted to as detailed a level possible from high-resolution, 9” x 9” stereo pairs of 1:12,000-scale true color aerial photography. Polygons representing vegetation or land use map classes were delineated directly on-screen through heads-up digitizing using ArcGIS editing tools and transferred to a spatial database. The project used the program standard minimum mapping unit of 0.5 ha with few exceptions. Fifty-four map classes represented by 31,497 polygons were developed for CANY. A total of 30,329 polygons represent 41 natural or semi-natural vegetation map classes covering 94.8% of the mapping project area. One map class was documented as point locations only. Twelve additional land use/land cover and geologic map classes describe 1,168 polygons (3.7% of polygons and 5.2% of the area). Average polygon size across all map classes is 9.9 ha (24.4 acres). Lands within CANY make up 135,204 ha (334,096 acres) or 79.2% of the total project area. Blackbrush Shrubland had the highest number of polygons (3600) polygons covering 9.4% of the mapping area. The Potholed and Jointed Sandstone Woodland Complex is the most common map class, delineated on 30,495 ha (75,354 acres) or 17.9% of the project area.

The files linked to this reference are the geospatial data created as part of the completion of the baseline vegetation inventory project for the NPS park unit. Current format is ArcGIS file geodatabase. A vegetation classification and vegetation and land cover map of Redwood National and State Parks (RNSP) was created from remotely sensed and ground-verified data. The project was undertaken to provide data for the National Vegetation Mapping Inventory Program (VMI) with which to inform local NPS management and the public. Products of the project include a digital vegetation and land cover map, a taxonomic classification, quantitative floristic vegetation plot data, and report. The map employed the U.S. National Vegetation Classification (USNVC) to map 142,062 acres (57,491 hectares) of RNSP. Forty-five (45) vegetated map classes at the level of USNVC alliance and four non-vegetated land cover classes were mapped. Eighty-nine (89)% (126,796 acres) of RNSP mapped as forest or woodland, 0.9% (1,322 acres) was mapped as shrubland, 3.7% (5,294 acres) was mapped as herbaceous vegetation, 1.4% (2,053 acres) was mapped as barren, 4.2% (6,035 acres) was mapped as water, and 0.4% (562 acres) was not classified and was mapped as unknown land cover. A thematic accuracy assessment was conducted on the 30 most abundant vegetation classes, employing 512 observations throughout RNSP. The overall accuracy at the alliance level vegetation classes was found to be 65.5%. When the classes are aggregated to thematically coarser levels, the accuracy is 86.2% at the USNVC group level and 95.4% at the level of USNVC macrogroup.

The files linked to this reference are the geospatial data created as part of the completion of the baseline vegetation inventory project for the NPS park unit. Current format is ArcGIS file geodatabase. A vegetation classification and vegetation and land cover map of Redwood National and State Parks (RNSP) was created from remotely sensed and ground-verified data. The project was undertaken to provide data for the National Vegetation Mapping Inventory Program (VMI) with which to inform local NPS management and the public. Products of the project include a digital vegetation and land cover map, a taxonomic classification, quantitative floristic vegetation plot data, and report. The map employed the U.S. National Vegetation Classification (USNVC) to map 142,062 acres (57,491 hectares) of RNSP. Forty-five (45) vegetated map classes at the level of USNVC alliance and four non-vegetated land cover classes were mapped. Eighty-nine (89)% (126,796 acres) of RNSP mapped as forest or woodland, 0.9% (1,322 acres) was mapped as shrubland, 3.7% (5,294 acres) was mapped as herbaceous vegetation, 1.4% (2,053 acres) was mapped as barren, 4.2% (6,035 acres) was mapped as water, and 0.4% (562 acres) was not classified and was mapped as unknown land cover. A thematic accuracy assessment was conducted on the 30 most abundant vegetation classes, employing 512 observations throughout RNSP. The overall accuracy at the alliance level vegetation classes was found to be 65.5%. When the classes are aggregated to thematically coarser levels, the accuracy is 86.2% at the USNVC group level and 95.4% at the level of USNVC macrogroup.

The files linked to this reference are the geospatial data created as part of the completion of the baseline vegetation inventory project for the NPS park unit. Current format is ArcGIS file geodatabase but older formats may exist as shapefiles. The TOP 2015 imagery was mosaiced and manipulated using image processing and segmentation techniques (e.g. unsupervised image classification, normalized difference vegetation index, etc.) to highlight any subtle vegetation signature differences. All of the preliminary results were evaluated for usefulness and the best examples were first converted to digital lines and polygons, were next combined with other relevant AMIS GIS layers (such as the roads network), and the results were used as the base layer for the new AMIS vegetation mapping effort. Building off the base layer, all relevant lines and polygons were exported as shapefiles and converted to ArcGIS coverages. The resulting coverages were run through a series of smoothing routines provided in the ArcGIS software. Following the smoothing, all digital line-work was manipulated to remove extraneous lines, eliminate small polygons, and merged polygons that split obvious stands of homogeneous vegetation. The cleaning stage was considered complete when all resulting polygons matched homogenous stands of vegetation apparent on the TOP 2015 imagery. At this point, the mapping shifted to manual techniques and all vegetation lines and polygons were visually inspected and manually moved, edited and/or updated as needed.

The files linked to this reference are the geospatial data created as part of the completion of the baseline vegetation inventory project for the NPS park unit. Current format is ArcGIS file geodatabase but older formats may exist as shapefiles. We developed the vegetation map for Petroglyph National Monument (PETR) using a strategy that combined automated digital image classification and direct analog image interpretation of aerial photography and satellite imagery. Initially, the aerial photography and satellite imagery were processed and entered into a GIS, along with ancillary spatial layers. We developed a working map legend of ecologically-based vegetation map units using the NVCS classification described in Chapter 2 as the foundation. The intent was to develop map units that targeted the plant-association level wherever possible, within the constraints of image quality, information content, and resolution. With the provisional legend and ground-control points provided by the field-plot data (the same data used to develop the vegetation classification), we conducted heads-up screen digitizing of polygons based on image interpretation, and supervised image classifications. The outcome was a vegetation map composed of a suite of map units defined by plant associations and represented by sets of mapped polygons with similar spectral and site characteristics. The PETR vegetation map is at a 1:12,000 scale with 0.25 ha minimum map unit size, and was designed to facilitate ecologically- based natural resources management.