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. Field reconnaissance is intended to familiarize the photo interpreter with the Monument, patterns of vegetation distribution, and environmental factors. During map class and attribute development, the mapping ecologist uses all available information, professional experience, and an inspection of the aerial imagery to develop map classes and appropriate attributes. Mapping is the process during which the photo interpreter uses field data, field notes, and characteristic photo signatures to draw consistent, homogenous polygons on the base photography. During spatial database development, attributes (e.g., vegetation height, land use category) and ancillary datasets (e.g., photos, map class descriptions) are linked to each point or polygon in the spatial layer. Because TICA is a small park, the first three steps were accomplished simultaneously during the plot data collection visit in June 2007.

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 late May and June of 1997, after a preliminary vegetation map had been prepared by the photointerpreter, a map validation step was performed in which further data were collected to obtain more information on the vegetation types and to better correlate the vegetation with the signatures on the aerial photographs. Sampling was conducted at points selected by the photointerpreter based on stratified random design in which more extensive vegetation types were allocated more points. This resulted in the collection of 36 observation points. At each point, the dominant species in each vegetation stratum were recorded with an estimated cover class. These extra points gave a better understanding of the variation within vegetation types and allowed sampling of three types that had not been found in the previous field season.

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. NCPN decided to use existing imagery rather than fly new stereo and orthophotography for the TICA vegetation mapping project. NCPN staff and partners worked with 2006 true-color orthophotographs available through the State of Utah to delineate polygons. The acquired photography had relatively low contrast and 1m resolution (i.e., objects smaller than 1m in diameter, including many shrubs, are usually indistinguishable); however, major vegetation boundaries were generally easy to identify.

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. A final vegetation map for TIMU was created to represent the vegetation occurring within the park during 2012. This product represents the final of four steps necessary to produce an accurate vegetation map based upon aerial photographs. This includes the determination of the community element global (CEGL) codes (2008) and acquisition of aerial imagery (2012), using the aerial imagery, with 162 ground truthing points (2014, 2015), to create a draft vegetation map, performing an accuracy assessment (2016), and then using all the available information to create a final vegetation map (2018).

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. A final vegetation map for TIMU was created to represent the vegetation occurring within the park during 2012. This product represents the final of four steps necessary to produce an accurate vegetation map based upon aerial photographs. This includes the determination of the community element global (CEGL) codes (2008) and acquisition of aerial imagery (2012), using the aerial imagery, with 162 ground truthing points (2014, 2015), to create a draft vegetation map, performing an accuracy assessment (2016), and then using all the available information to create a final vegetation map (2018).

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. Large scale final map products were created within ArcMap and designed to show both the orthophoto coverage and the vegetation maps. For the vegetation maps, colors were assigned and the polygons labeled with the dominant vegetation and modifier and, where present, the second vegetation and modifier. For the orthophoto maps, the photos were simply plotted at the same scale and area coverage as the vegetation maps. Additional planimetric map data included roads, trails, hydrology, boundaries and a UTM coordinate grid. Legends are designed to provide full definitions of the vegetation and buffer classes and modifiers, as well as information about the park, map projection, data sources and authorship (Figure 19). All maps are projected to the Universal Transverse Mercator Coordinate System, North American Datum of 1984, in the local zone for the specific park.

These data were converted from the originally delivered Microsoft Access PLOTs database from the Vegetation Mapping Inventory Project of Timpanogos Cave National Monument. These comma-delimited data tables contain(s) vegetation mapping plot classification and accuracy assessment data, as well as summary information about the data itself. If a table is empty, then it was empty in the original database.

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 consists of 267 polygons comprising an area of 1842.5 ha (4,552.8 ac) (Table 4). Average polygon size is 6.7 ha (16.6 ac). One-hundred-nineteen polygons were 100% dominated by one physiognomic vegetation class. The remaining polygons contain two physiognomic vegetation classes, of these: (1) 59 were 90% dominated by the primary physiognomic class; (2) 34 were 80% dominated by the primary class type; (3) 16 were 70% dominated by the primary class type; (4) 15 polygons were 60% dominated by the primary class type; and (5) 24 polygons had a 50/50 split between the two physiognomic vegetation class types present. Maps are produced in Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinates (NAD 83) with a 1:24,000 scale and a minimum mapping unit of 0.5 hectares (ha) (1.24 acres (ac)). This vegetation feature class was updated in 2017 to reflect the final Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve boundary approved by the U.S. Congress on December 19, 2014, which deviated slightly from the original proposed expansion boundary and project area used in the original vegetation mapping effort.

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 development of map units (map classes) and construction of a map legend is an iterative process that integrates the ecological vegetation classification units (plant associations, groups, etc.) described above with their spatial distribution as determined by the quality of the remote sensing imagery and on-the-ground reconnaissance work. Following NPS guidelines, the desired target is the development of map units that correspond to the plant-association level of the national classification, but this is contingent on being able to discern differences in the available imagery at that level using various remote techniques. Once a final supervised classification was completed, the resulting 45 classes were recoded into one of the 23 map units that best represented them. The image polygons developed from the object-oriented classification were imported as a feature dataset polygon layer in ESRI ArcGIS (v. 9.3), the file quality controlled, and topology built. The image polygons were then overlaid onto the recoded classification and the majority map unit was assigned as that polygon’s map unit.

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 development of map units (map classes) and construction of a map legend is an iterative process that integrates the ecological vegetation classification units (plant associations, groups, etc.) described above with their spatial distribution as determined by the quality of the remote sensing imagery and on-the-ground reconnaissance work. Following NPS guidelines, the desired target is the development of map units that correspond to the plant-association level of the national classification, but this is contingent on being able to discern differences in the available imagery at that level using various remote techniques. Once a final supervised classification was completed, the resulting 45 classes were recoded into one of the 23 map units that best represented them. The image polygons developed from the object-oriented classification were imported as a feature dataset polygon layer in ESRI ArcGIS (v. 9.3), the file quality controlled, and topology built. The image polygons were then overlaid onto the recoded classification and the majority map unit was assigned as that polygon’s map unit.