This reference contains the imagery data used in the completion of the baseline vegetation inventory project for the NPS park unit. Orthophotos, raw imagery, and scanned aerial photos are common files held here. Overstory vegetation was mapped using color infrared aerial photographs of 1:12,000 and 1:16,000 scale in film transparency format recorded with a standard photogrammetric mapping camera (f = 15 cm) in late October and early-November by the U. S. Forest Service and Air Photographics (Martinsville, WV). The fall photos were acquired when the leaves were still on the trees (leaf-on) and displayed a color diversity that allowed the vegetation communities/species to be identified. Photo Dates: 10/31/2001 Photo Scale: 1:12,000 Area(ac): 13698

This reference contains the imagery data used in the completion of the baseline vegetation inventory project for the NPS park unit. Orthophotos, raw imagery, and scanned aerial photos are common files held here. Vegetation and land use were interpreted to as detailed a level as 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 on Mylar overlays on aerial photographs (where signatures were confusing) and with the heads-up digitizing technique (where signatures had high contrast), then transferred to a spatial database. The project used the national program standard minimum mapping unit of 0.5 ha with few exceptions.

This reference contains the imagery data used in the completion of the baseline vegetation inventory project for the NPS park unit. Orthophotos, raw imagery, and scanned aerial photos are common files held here. 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.

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. Using the National Vegetation Classification System (NVCS) developed by Natureserve, with additional classes and modifiers, overstory vegetation communities for each park were interpreted from stereo color infrared aerial photographs using manual interpretation methods. Using a minimum mapping unit of 0.5 hectares (MMU = 0.5 ha), polygons representing areas of relatively uniform vegetation were delineated and annotated on clear plastic overlays registered to the aerial photographs. Polygons were labeled according to the dominant vegetation community. Where the polygons were not uniform, second and third vegetation classes were added. Further, a number of modifier codes were employed to indicate important aspects of the polygon that could be interpreted from the photograph (for example, burn condition). The polygons on the plastic overlays were then corrected using photogrammetric procedures and converted to vector format for use in creating a geographic information system (GIS) database for each park. In addition, high resolution color orthophotographs were created from the original aerial photographs for use in the GIS. Upon completion of the GIS database (including vegetation, orthophotos and updated roads and hydrology layers), both hardcopy and softcopy maps were produced for delivery. Metadata for each database includes a description of the vegetation classification system used for each park, summary statistics and documentation of the sources, procedures and spatial accuracies of the data. At the time of this writing, an accuracy assessment of the vegetation mapping has not been performed for most of these parks.

This reference contains the imagery data used in the completion of the baseline vegetation inventory project for the NPS park unit. Orthophotos, raw imagery, and scanned aerial photos are common files held here. Color infrared, stereo pair, 1:12,000 scale, aerial photography of New River Gorge National River was acquired on March 27, 2003, during leaf-off conditions, by Sanborn Mapping Company, Inc. A digital orthophoto mosaic was produced from 471 color infrared aerial photographs, scanned at 600 dpi with 24-bit color depth. Scanned .tif images of the aerial photographs were imported into ERDAS IMAGINE IMG format where a photo block was created using the airborne GPS and IMU data that Sanborn Mapping Company, Inc. supplied with the aerial photography.

This reference contains the imagery data used in the completion of the baseline vegetation inventory project for the NPS park unit. Orthophotos, raw imagery, and scanned aerial photos are common files held here. One complete set of aerial photography was provided for the project, including both a set of prints and diapositives. The specifications for the aerial photography are listed below: Color infrared photography (CIR) Flown October 29, 1996 - (height of the leaf change) Nominal scale - 1:6,000 (Nominal refers to the photo scale variability within each aerial photo and across flight lines. In this case the photo scale ranged from approximately 1:5,800 to 1:6,200) Approximate photo size - 9" x 9" Overlap between photos and across flight paths met the standards for photo interpretation using a mirror stereo scope. (Approximately 60% between photos and 10% - 20% between the flight lines)

This reference contains the imagery data used in the completion of the baseline vegetation inventory project for the NPS park unit. Orthophotos, raw imagery, and scanned aerial photos are common files held here. One complete set of aerial photography was provided for the project, including both a set of prints and diapositives. The specifications for the aerial photography are listed below: Color infrared photography (CIR) Flown October 29, 1996 - (height of the leaf change) Nominal scale - 1:6,000 (Nominal refers to the photo scale variability within each aerial photo and across flight lines. In this case the photo scale ranged from approximately 1:5,800 to 1:6,200) Approximate photo size - 9" x 9" Overlap between photos and across flight paths met the standards for photo interpretation using a mirror stereo scope. (Approximately 60% between photos and 10% - 20% between the flight lines)

This reference contains the imagery data used in the completion of the baseline vegetation inventory project for the NPS park unit. Orthophotos, raw imagery, and scanned aerial photos are common files held here. Photointerpreters delineated initial polygons through manual interpretation of 2003/2004 1:12,000-scale true color aerial photography supplemented by occasional computer screen digitizing on a mosaic of digitized aerial photos. These polygons were labeled with base map classes during photointerpretation. Field visits verified interpretation concepts.

This reference contains the imagery data used in the completion of the baseline vegetation inventory project for the NPS park unit. Orthophotos, raw imagery, and scanned aerial photos are common files held here. Photointerpreters delineated initial polygons through manual interpretation of 2003/2004 1:12,000-scale true color aerial photography supplemented by occasional computer screen digitizing on a mosaic of digitized aerial photos. These polygons were labeled with base map classes during photointerpretation. Field visits verified interpretation concepts.

This reference contains the imagery data used in the completion of the baseline vegetation inventory project for the NPS park unit. Orthophotos, raw imagery, and scanned aerial photos are common files held here. A total of 44 map classes were developed to map the vegetation and general land cover of CUVA, including the following: 29 map classes represent natural/semi-natural vegetation types in the NVCS, 12 map classes represent cultural vegetation (agricultural and developed) in the NVCS, and 3 map classes represent non-vegetation features (open-water bodies). Features were interpreted from viewing color-infrared digital aerial imagery dated October 2010 (during peak leaf-phenology change of trees) via digital onscreen three-dimensional stereoscopic workflow systems in geographic information systems (GIS). The interpreted data were digitally and spatially referenced, thus making the spatial database layers usable in GIS. Polygon units were mapped to either a 0.5 ha or 0.25 ha minimum mapping unit, depending on vegetation type.