Mapping the Natchez Trace Parkway
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Prepared in cooperation with the National Park Service Mapping the Natchez Trace Parkway Nashville TENNESSEE 400 mi 300 mi ALABAMA MISSISSIPPI Tupelo 200 mi Jackson 100 mi Natchez Open-File Report 2011–1276 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Mapping the Natchez Trace Parkway By Amina Rangoonwala, Terri Bannister, and Elijah Ramsey III Prepared in cooperation with the National Park Service Open-File Report 2011–1276 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior KEN SALAZAR, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey Marcia K. McNutt, Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2011 For more information on the USGS—the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment, visit http://www.usgs.gov or call 1–888–ASK–USGS. 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Suggested citation: Rangoonwala, Amina, Bannister, Terri, and Ramsey, Elijah, III, 2011, Mapping the Natchez Trace Parkway: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2011-1276, 58 p. iii Acknowledgments First and foremost, we thank Paul Conzelman and Martha Segura of the National Park Service for allowing us the opportunity to contribute to the landcover mapping of the Nations resources and Kurt Foote of the National Park Service for his guidance and vital help in our field reconnaissance. Partial funding for this work was provided through the U.S. National Park Service Agreement Number 14431A53200000. We are grateful to Steve Hartley of the U.S. Geological Survey for his development of critical geographic information system (GIS) procedures and help in GIS processing. v Contents Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................................................iii Abstract ...........................................................................................................................................................1 Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................2 Imagery Spatial Resolution ................................................................................................................2 Seasonal Timing of Imagery Collection .............................................................................................2 Map Classification Accuracy Assessment ......................................................................................4 Map Classification Spatial Complexity ..............................................................................................4 Parkway Spectral Varibility related to Mapping ..............................................................................4 Mapping Classification Procedures ..................................................................................................4 Supervised Landcover Mapping ..............................................................................................4 Unsupervised Landcover Mapping ...........................................................................................4 Site Composition and Mapping Classification Confusion ..............................................................4 Methods...........................................................................................................................................................5 Photographic Image Data Collection ................................................................................................5 Creation of the Roadway Vector for the Natchez Trace Parkway ................................................8 Parkway Coverage Extracted from the CIR DOQQ Mosaic ...........................................................8 A CIR Rendition Appropriate for Mapping Forest Stands ..............................................................8 Mapping “Irregular” Classes ..............................................................................................................8 Mapping Kudzu (Pueraria) Vine ........................................................................................................13 2004 Field-based Reconnaissance and Mapping Classification ................................................13 Formation of Spectrally Distinct Mapping Classes .............................................................13 Second Natchez NPS Field Classification ......................................................................................16 2005 NPS Field-Site Sampling Strategy .................................................................................16 Field-Site Selection for the Second NPS Landcover Classification ..................................18 Mapping Limitations ...........................................................................................................................18 Composition Gradients ..............................................................................................................18 Varying Class Compositions .....................................................................................................18 Spatial Filtering and Mapping Classification ........................................................................22 Canopy Structure .......................................................................................................................22 Final Mapping Classification .............................................................................................................22 Removal and Replacement of Edge and Gap Shadows .....................................................22 Detection and Isolation of the Mosaiced DOQQ Cutlines ...................................................25 Landscape Mapping Classification Logistics .......................................................................25 Reduction of Mapping Artifacts after Mapping ....................................................................25 Field-Site Location and Accuracy Assessment of Mapped Classes ........................................31 Results and Discussion ...............................................................................................................................34 Initial Image Mapping Classification ...............................................................................................34 Undefined Landcover .........................................................................................................................35 Kudzu Landcover.................................................................................................................................35 Plantation Landcover .........................................................................................................................36 Scrubland Landcover .........................................................................................................................36 Addition of a USGS-defined Scrub-Shrub Class ..................................................................36 vi Swamp and Water Landcovers ........................................................................................................36 “Irregular” Landcovers .....................................................................................................................36 Field-Site Classification Data from NPS .........................................................................................36 Field-Site Distribution ................................................................................................................36 Physiognomic Class Descriptions for the NPS Landcover Classification ........................37 Field Data for NPS Landcover Classification ........................................................................38 Spectral Relationships Among NPS-Defined Alliance Classes ..................................................38 Correspondence of the USGS Landcover Map and the NPS Landcover Classification ..........................................................................................................................40 Parkway Landscape Overview Based on the USGS Map ...........................................................40 Southern Section Map Description ........................................................................................42 Middle Section Map Description ............................................................................................42 Northern Section Map Description ........................................................................................42 Minimum Mapping Unit......................................................................................................................42 Summary........................................................................................................................................................44 Landscape Classification Protocols and Metadata 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