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 mapping for BADL falls under the USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping Program’s general task of completing all the National Parks within the Great Plains Ecosystem. Other Parks in this region that have been mapped or are currently in progress include: Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Wind Cave National Park, Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, Jewel Cave National Monument, Devil’s Tower National Monument, Scott’s Bluff National Monument, and Fort Laramie National Historic Site. Thirty-three map classes or units were recognized and used for BADL (Table 4). These were divided into 23 vegetation units and ten Anderson Level II (Anderson et al. 1976) land use classes. Map units were developed through a combination of fieldwork, preliminary photo-interpretation, and the NVCS for BADL. Deviations from the NVCS occurred when distinct photo signatures could not be discerned from aerial photography, such as some of the grassland and badlands types. Also, some map units did not directly correspond to the USGS-NPS vegetation-mapping program but were included to aid with BADL’s management needs.

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 final BITH map consists of 51 map classes. Land cover classes include five types: pasture / hay ground agricultural vegetation; non – vegetated / barren land, borrow pit, cut bank; developed, open space; developed, low – high intensity; and water. The 46 vegetation classes represent 102 associations or park specials. Of these, 75 represent natural vegetation associations within the USNVC, and 27 types represent unpublished park specials. Of the 46 vegetation map classes, 26 represent a single USNVC association/park special, 7 map classes contain two USNVC associations/park specials, 4 map classes contain three USNVC associations/park specials, and 9 map classes contain four or more USNVC associations/park specials. Forest and woodland types had an abundance of Pinus taeda, Liquidambar styraciflua, Ilex opaca, Ilex vomitoria, Quercus nigra, and Vitis rotundifolia. Shrubland types were dominated by Pinus taeda, Ilex vomitoria, Triadica sebifera, Liquidambar styraciflua, and/or Callicarpa americana. Herbaceous types had an abundance of Zizaniopsis miliacea, Juncus effusus, Panicum virgatum, and/or Saccharum giganteum.

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 final BITH map consists of 51 map classes. Land cover classes include five types: pasture / hay ground agricultural vegetation; non – vegetated / barren land, borrow pit, cut bank; developed, open space; developed, low – high intensity; and water. The 46 vegetation classes represent 102 associations or park specials. Of these, 75 represent natural vegetation associations within the USNVC, and 27 types represent unpublished park specials. Of the 46 vegetation map classes, 26 represent a single USNVC association/park special, 7 map classes contain two USNVC associations/park specials, 4 map classes contain three USNVC associations/park specials, and 9 map classes contain four or more USNVC associations/park specials. Forest and woodland types had an abundance of Pinus taeda, Liquidambar styraciflua, Ilex opaca, Ilex vomitoria, Quercus nigra, and Vitis rotundifolia. Shrubland types were dominated by Pinus taeda, Ilex vomitoria, Triadica sebifera, Liquidambar styraciflua, and/or Callicarpa americana. Herbaceous types had an abundance of Zizaniopsis miliacea, Juncus effusus, Panicum virgatum, and/or Saccharum giganteum.

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 enormous size of the BIBE project area warranted the use of a modified or hybrid mapping approach. Early discussions determined the need to have an approach that included a coarse-level automated or machine-logic image processing stage and a fine-level stage that included vegetation signature interpretation and manual polygon delineation. Based on similar mapping work done by CTI in other desert environments, the automated stage would use multiresolution image segmentation routines to capture high contrast landforms and drainage/wash features, greatly reducing the time needed to delineate these by hand. The second phase would build off these segmented polygons to delineate the fine-level plant alliance/association based map units. For BIBE, 72 map units (62 vegetated and 10 land-use/land-cover) were developed. The final list of map classes/units was directly cross-walked or matched to corresponding plant associations and land use classes. BIBE map classes represent a compromise between the detail of the rUSNVC, new types found in the park (not currently in the rUSNVC), the needs of the resource management staff (e.g. detailed mapping of riparian, wetland, and non-native types), and the limitations of the imagery. An effort was made to crosswalk the final list of map classes/units to corresponding plant associations/alliances and land use classes. When a direct rUSNVC link to an association was not feasible, broader alliances or descriptive local map units (park specials) were created. In addition, some of the more widespread associations occurred across multiple map units.

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 enormous size of the BIBE project area warranted the use of a modified or hybrid mapping approach. Early discussions determined the need to have an approach that included a coarse-level automated or machine-logic image processing stage and a fine-level stage that included vegetation signature interpretation and manual polygon delineation. Based on similar mapping work done by CTI in other desert environments, the automated stage would use multiresolution image segmentation routines to capture high contrast landforms and drainage/wash features, greatly reducing the time needed to delineate these by hand. The second phase would build off these segmented polygons to delineate the fine-level plant alliance/association based map units. For BIBE, 72 map units (62 vegetated and 10 land-use/land-cover) were developed. The final list of map classes/units was directly cross-walked or matched to corresponding plant associations and land use classes. BIBE map classes represent a compromise between the detail of the rUSNVC, new types found in the park (not currently in the rUSNVC), the needs of the resource management staff (e.g. detailed mapping of riparian, wetland, and non-native types), and the limitations of the imagery. An effort was made to crosswalk the final list of map classes/units to corresponding plant associations/alliances and land use classes. When a direct rUSNVC link to an association was not feasible, broader alliances or descriptive local map units (park specials) were created. In addition, some of the more widespread associations occurred across multiple map units.

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. GRBA’s spatial database and map layer was produced from high-resolution 2007 Digital Map, Inc. imagery provided to CTI by the NPS. By comparing the signatures on the imagery to field and ground data, 64 map units (48 vegetated, four barren geology and snow, and 12 land-use / land-cover) were developed and the vegetation map units were directly cross-walked or matched to their corresponding rUSNVC plant associations. The interpreted and remotely sensed data were converted to Geographic Information System (GIS) spatial geodatabases and maps were printed, field tested, reviewed, and revised.

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. GRBA’s spatial database and map layer was produced from high-resolution 2007 Digital Map, Inc. imagery provided to CTI by the NPS. By comparing the signatures on the imagery to field and ground data, 64 map units (48 vegetated, four barren geology and snow, and 12 land-use / land-cover) were developed and the vegetation map units were directly cross-walked or matched to their corresponding rUSNVC plant associations. The interpreted and remotely sensed data were converted to Geographic Information System (GIS) spatial geodatabases and maps were printed, field tested, reviewed, and revised.

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. 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. 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.