25.04.2013 Views

Vegetation Classification and Mapping Project Report - USGS

Vegetation Classification and Mapping Project Report - USGS

Vegetation Classification and Mapping Project Report - USGS

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

<strong>USGS</strong>-NPS <strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Mapping</strong> Program<br />

Colonial National Historical Park<br />

units on the ground. In most l<strong>and</strong>scapes, the Ecological System will manifest itself on the<br />

ground as a spatial aggregation at an intermediate scale (e.g., between the USNVC Alliance <strong>and</strong><br />

Formation scales).<br />

GLOBAL DESCRIPTION<br />

Concept Summary: A description of the range, structure, composition, environmental setting,<br />

<strong>and</strong> dynamics associated with the community. Information includes a general underst<strong>and</strong>ing of<br />

the type, often with some concept of its distribution; environmental setting in which the type<br />

occurs, <strong>and</strong> a summary of the important disturbance regimes, successional status, <strong>and</strong> temporal<br />

dynamics for this community rangewide; community structure/physiognomy; species by strata<br />

(dominant <strong>and</strong> diagnostic taxa); <strong>and</strong> key diagnostic characteristics that distinguish it from similar<br />

types.<br />

Environmental Description: A summary of available information on the environmental<br />

conditions of the Association rangewide <strong>and</strong> any other important aspects of the environment<br />

which affect this particular type, including elevation ranges <strong>and</strong>, where relevant, information on<br />

large l<strong>and</strong>scape context, geology, <strong>and</strong> soils.<br />

<strong>Vegetation</strong> Description: A summary of available information on the leaf type <strong>and</strong> phenology,<br />

species composition (including dominant <strong>and</strong> diagnostic taxa, as well as problematic exotic<br />

species), structure (defining strata <strong>and</strong> their heights <strong>and</strong> percent cover), <strong>and</strong> variability of the<br />

vegetation of this Association rangewide, <strong>and</strong> any additional comments relating to the<br />

vegetation.<br />

Most Abundant Species: Component plant species that are dominant (i.e., most abundant in<br />

terms of percent cover) for the Association as it occurs rangewide.<br />

Stratum: For each component plant species, the stratum (or strata) in which it occurs in the<br />

Association rangewide. Values for Stratum are:<br />

Tree (canopy & subcanopy) Short shrub/sapling<br />

Tree canopy Herb (field)<br />

Tree subcanopy Nonvascular<br />

Shrub/sapling (tall & short) Floating aquatic<br />

Tall shrub/sapling Submerged aquatic<br />

354

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!