This data set includes polygons for ecological sections within Subregions within the conterminous United States. This data set contains regional geographic delineations for analysis of ecological relationships across ecological units. Metadata

This data set includes polygons for ecological provinces within the conterminous United States. This data set contains regional geographic delineations for analysis of ecological relationships across ecological units. Metadata

국립생태원에서 수행한 생태계정밀조사의 조사지역(면) 정보입니다. 조사지역의 위치정보(면)이 포함되어 있습니다.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) modeled the distribution of terrestrial ecosystems for the contiguous United States using a standardized, deductive approach to associate unique physical environments with ecological systems characterized in NatureServe's Ecological Systems of the United States classification (Comer et al., 2003). This approach was first developed for South America (Sayre et al., 2008) and is now being implemented globally (Sayre et al., 2007). Unique physical environments were delineated from a massive biophysical stratification of the nation into the major structural components of ecosystems: biogeographic regions (Cress et al., 2008c), land surface forms (Cress et al., 2008a), surficial lithology (Cress et al., 2008d), and topographic moisture potential (Cress et al., 2008b). Each of these structural components was mapped for the contiguous United States and then spatially combined to produce ecosystem structural footprints which represented unique abiotic (physical) environments. Among 49,168 unique structural footprint classes, 13,482 classes which met a minimum pixel count threshold (20,000 pixels) were aggregated into 419 NatureServe ecosystems through semi-automated labeling process using rule set formulations for attribution of each ecosystem. UPDATE: A newer terrestrial ecosystems datalayer, "World Terrestrial Ecosystems (WTE) 2020", is now available at: https://doi.org/10.5066/P9DO61LP. This datalayer is a global raster dataset at a 250 m spatial resolution where 431 ecosystem types are identified and mapped. Each ecosystem type is a unique combination of vegetation/land cover, climate region, and landform.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) modeled the distribution of terrestrial ecosystems for the contiguous United States using a standardized, deductive approach to associate unique physical environments with ecological systems characterized in NatureServe's Ecological Systems of the United States classification (Comer et al., 2003). This approach was first developed for South America (Sayre et al., 2008) and is now being implemented globally (Sayre et al., 2007). Unique physical environments were delineated from a massive biophysical stratification of the nation into the major structural components of ecosystems: biogeographic regions (Cress et al., 2008c), land surface forms (Cress et al., 2008a), surficial lithology (Cress et al., 2008d), and topographic moisture potential (Cress et al., 2008b). Each of these structural components was mapped for the contiguous United States and then spatially combined to produce ecosystem structural footprints which represented unique abiotic (physical) environments. Among 49,168 unique structural footprint classes, 13,482 classes which met a minimum pixel count threshold (20,000 pixels) were aggregated into 419 NatureServe ecosystems through semi-automated labeling process using rule set formulations for attribution of each ecosystem. UPDATE: A newer terrestrial ecosystems datalayer, "World Terrestrial Ecosystems (WTE) 2020", is now available at: https://doi.org/10.5066/P9DO61LP. This datalayer is a global raster dataset at a 250 m spatial resolution where 431 ecosystem types are identified and mapped. Each ecosystem type is a unique combination of vegetation/land cover, climate region, and landform.

Gap Analysis Project (GAP) habitat maps are predictions of the spatial distribution of suitable environmental and land cover conditions within the United States for individual species. Mapped areas represent places where the environment is suitable for the species to occur (i.e. suitable to support one or more life history requirements for breeding, resting, or foraging), while areas not included in the map are those predicted to be unsuitable for the species. While the actual distributions of many species are likely to be habitat limited, suitable habitat will not always be occupied because of population dynamics and species interactions. Furthermore, these maps correspond to midscale characterizations of landscapes, but individual animals may deem areas to be unsuitable because of presence or absence of fine-scale features and characteristics that are not represented in our models (e.g. snags, vernal pools, shrubby undergrowth). These maps are intended to be used at a 1:100,000 or smaller map scale. These habitat maps are created by applying a deductive habitat model to remotely-sensed data layers within a species’ range. The deductive habitat models are built by compiling information on species’ habitat associations and entering it into a relational database. Information is compiled from the best available characterizations of species’ habitat, which included species accounts in books and databases, primary peer-reviewed literature. The literature references for each species are included in the "Species Habitat Model Report" and "Machine Readable Habitat Database Parameters" files attached to each habitat map item in the repository. For all species, the compiled habitat information is used by a biologist to determine which of the ecological systems and land use classes represented in the National Gap Analysis Project’s (GAP) Land Cover Map Ver. 1.0 that species is associated with. The name of the biologist who conducted the literature review and assembled the modeling parameters is shown as the "editor" type contact for each habitat map item in the repository. For many species, information on other mapped factors that define the environment that is suitable is also entered into the database. These factors included elevation (i.e. minimum, maximum), proximity to water features, proximity to wetlands, level of human development, forest ecotone width, and forest edge; and each of these factors corresponded to a data layer that is available during the map production. The individual datasets used in the modeling process with these parameters are also made available in the ScienceBase Repository (see the end of this Summary section for details). The "Machine Readable Habitat Database Parameters" JSON file attached to each species habitat map item has an "input_layers" object that contains the specific parameter names and references (via Digital Object Identifier) to the input data used with that parameter. The specific parameters for each species were output from the database used in the modeling and mapping process to the "Species Habitat Model Report" and "Machine Readable Habitat Database Parameters" files attached to each habitat map item in the repository. The maps are generated using a python script that queries the model parameters in the database; reclassifies the GAP Land Cover Ver 1.0 and ancillary data layers within the species’ range; and combines the reclassified layers to produce the final 30m resolution habitat map. Map output is, therefore, not only a reflection of the ecological systems that are selected in the habitat model, but also any other constraints in the model that are represented by the ancillary data layers. Modeling regions were used to stratify the conterminous U.S. into six regions (Northwest, Southwest, Great Plains, Upper Midwest, Southeast, and Northeast). These regions allowed for efficient processing of the species distribution models on smaller, ecologically homogenous extents. The 2008 start

Gap Analysis Project (GAP) habitat maps are predictions of the spatial distribution of suitable environmental and land cover conditions within the United States for individual species. Mapped areas represent places where the environment is suitable for the species to occur (i.e. suitable to support one or more life history requirements for breeding, resting, or foraging), while areas not included in the map are those predicted to be unsuitable for the species. While the actual distributions of many species are likely to be habitat limited, suitable habitat will not always be occupied because of population dynamics and species interactions. Furthermore, these maps correspond to midscale characterizations of landscapes, but individual animals may deem areas to be unsuitable because of presence or absence of fine-scale features and characteristics that are not represented in our models (e.g. snags, vernal pools, shrubby undergrowth). These maps are intended to be used at a 1:100,000 or smaller map scale. These habitat maps are created by applying a deductive habitat model to remotely-sensed data layers within a species’ range. The deductive habitat models are built by compiling information on species’ habitat associations and entering it into a relational database. Information is compiled from the best available characterizations of species’ habitat, which included species accounts in books and databases, primary peer-reviewed literature. The literature references for each species are included in the "Species Habitat Model Report" and "Machine Readable Habitat Database Parameters" files attached to each habitat map item in the repository. For all species, the compiled habitat information is used by a biologist to determine which of the ecological systems and land use classes represented in the National Gap Analysis Project’s (GAP) Land Cover Map Ver. 1.0 that species is associated with. The name of the biologist who conducted the literature review and assembled the modeling parameters is shown as the "editor" type contact for each habitat map item in the repository. For many species, information on other mapped factors that define the environment that is suitable is also entered into the database. These factors included elevation (i.e. minimum, maximum), proximity to water features, proximity to wetlands, level of human development, forest ecotone width, and forest edge; and each of these factors corresponded to a data layer that is available during the map production. The individual datasets used in the modeling process with these parameters are also made available in the ScienceBase Repository (see the end of this Summary section for details). The "Machine Readable Habitat Database Parameters" JSON file attached to each species habitat map item has an "input_layers" object that contains the specific parameter names and references (via Digital Object Identifier) to the input data used with that parameter. The specific parameters for each species were output from the database used in the modeling and mapping process to the "Species Habitat Model Report" and "Machine Readable Habitat Database Parameters" files attached to each habitat map item in the repository. The maps are generated using a python script that queries the model parameters in the database; reclassifies the GAP Land Cover Ver 1.0 and ancillary data layers within the species’ range; and combines the reclassified layers to produce the final 30m resolution habitat map. Map output is, therefore, not only a reflection of the ecological systems that are selected in the habitat model, but also any other constraints in the model that are represented by the ancillary data layers. Modeling regions were used to stratify the conterminous U.S. into six regions (Northwest, Southwest, Great Plains, Upper Midwest, Southeast, and Northeast). These regions allowed for efficient processing of the species distribution models on smaller, ecologically homogenous extents. The 2008 start