Vegetation Classification, Distribution, and Mapping
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National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Program Center Vegetation Classifi cation, Distribution, and Mapping Report Tumacácori National Historical Park Natural Resource Report NPS/SODN/NRR—2009/148 ON THE COVER Church and Santa Rita Mountains, Tumacácori National Historical Park. NPS photo by Jeff Axel. Vegetation Classifi cation, Distribution, and Mapping Report Tumacácori National Historical Park Natural Resource Report NPS/SODN/NRR—2009/148 Authors Sam Drake Steve Buckley Miguel Villarreal Offi ce of Arid Lands Studies University of Arizona Tucson, Arizona Sarah Studd J. Andrew Hubbard National Park Service Sonoran Desert Network Tucson, Arizona Editing and Design Alice Wondrak Biel National Park Service Sonoran Desert Network Tucson, Arizona September 2009 U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Natural Resource Program Center Fort Collins, Colorado The National Park Service, Natural Resource Program Center publishes a range of reports that address natural resource topics of interest and applicability to a broad audience in the National Park Service and others in natural resource management, including scientists, con- servation and environmental constituencies, and the public. The Natural Resource Report Series is used to disseminate high-priority, current natural resource management information with managerial application. The series targets a general, diverse audience, and may contain NPS policy considerations or address sensitive issues of management applicability. All manuscripts in the series receive the appropriate level of peer review to ensure that the in- formation is scientifi cally credible, technically accurate, appropriately written for the intended audience, and designed and published in a professional manner. This report received formal peer review by subject-matter experts who were not directly involved in the collection, analy- sis, or reporting of the data, and whose background and expertise put them on par technically and scientifi cally with the authors of the information. Views, statements, fi ndings, conclusions, recommendations, and data in this report are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily refl ect views and policies of the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use by the National Park Service. This report is available from the web sites of the Sonoran Desert Network (http://www.nature.nps.gov/im/units/sodn), NPS Natural Resource Program Center (http://www.nature.nps.gov/publications/NRPM), and USGS-NPS Vegetation Characteriza- tion Program (http://biology.usgs.gov/npsveg). Please cite this publication as: Drake, S., S. Buckley, M. Villarreal, S. Studd, and J. A. Hubbard. 2009. Vegetation classifi cation, distribution, and mapping report: Tumacácori National Historical Park. Natural Resource Report NPS/SODN/NRR—2009/148. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. NPS 311/100300, September 2009 ii Vegetation Classifi cation, Distribution, and Mapping Report: Tumacácori National Historical Park Contents Figures ..................................................................................................................................... v Tables ..................................................................................................................................... vii Acronyms and Abbreviations ................................................................................................ix Executive Summary ................................................................................................................ xi Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................. xiii Chapter 1: Introduction ............................................................................................ 1 1.1 Background ...............................................................................................................1 1.2 Scope and Products ...................................................................................................1 1.3 The USGS-NPS Vegetation Characterization Program ............................................1 1.4 The National Vegetation Classifi cation Standard ...................................................3 1.5 The National Vegetation Classifi cation ...................................................................4 1.6 Terminology and Naming Conventions ...................................................................4 1.7 Park Environment ......................................................................................................5 Chapter 2: Classifi cation and Mapping of Plant Communities .............................. 9 2.1 Methods .....................................................................................................................9 2.2 Results ......................................................................................................................11 Chapter 3: Accuracy Assessment ............................................................................ 35 3.1 Methods ...................................................................................................................35 3.2 Results ......................................................................................................................35 3.3 Resolution of Discrepancies ....................................................................................36 3.4 Spatial Accuracy Assessment ..................................................................................36 Chapter 4: Discussion .............................................................................................. 41 4.1 Strata and Growth Form .........................................................................................41 4.2 Notable Vegetation Patterns ..................................................................................41 4.3 Implications for Management ................................................................................42 Chapter 5: Literature Cited ..................................................................................... 45 Appendices Appendix A: Vegetation Formation Key ......................................................................47 Appendix B: Polygon Data Sheets .................................................................................49 Appendix C: Plot Data Sheets ........................................................................................53 Appendix D: Vegetation Type Descriptions ..................................................................57 Appendix E: Species List ...............................................................................................105 Appendix F: Accuracy Assessment Data Sheet ...........................................................115 Appendix G: Root Mean Square Error ........................................................................117 Contents iii Figures Figure 1.2-1. Location of Tumacácori National Historical Park (including the Calabazas and Guevavi units), along the Santa Cruz River in southern Arizona. .......................................2 Figure 1.2-2. Tumacácori National Historical Park vegetation mapping project area. ......................3 Figure 2.2-1. Vegetation map of the Mission unit of Tumacácori National Historical Park. ...........14 Figure 2.2-2. Vegetation map of the Calabazas and Guevavi units of Tumacácori National Historical Park. ...................................................................................................................... 15 Figure 2.2-3. Populus fremontii - Salix gooddingii Forest. ................................................................ 16 Figure 2.2-4. Prosopis velutina Forest Alliance. ..................................................................................17 Figure 2.2-5. Celtis laevigata var. reticulata Forest Alliance. .............................................................18 Figure 2.2-6. Populus fremontii - Salix gooddingii Woodland. ......................................................... 19 Figure 2.2-7. Prosopis velutina Woodland Alliance. .......................................................................... 20 Figure 2.2-8. Acacia greggii Woodland Alliance. ............................................................................... 21 Figure 2.2-9. Prosopis velutina / [Prosopis velutina - Acacia greggii] Wooded Shrubland Alliance. ................................................................................................................................. 22 Figure 2.2-10. Prosopis velutina - Acacia greggii Shrubland. ............................................................ 23 Figure 2.2-11. Acacia constricta Shrubland Alliance. ......................................................................... 24 Figure 2.2-12. Tamarix spp. Semi-natural Temporarily Flooded Shrubland Alliance. ...................... 25 Figure 2.2-13. Populus fremontii / Mixed Annual Wooded Herbaceous Alliance. ........................... 26 Figure 2.2-14. Prosopis velutina / Mixed Annual Wooded Herbaceous Alliance. ............................ 27 Figure 2.2-15. Prosopis velutina / Amaranthus palmeri Shrub Herbaceous Alliance. ......................28 Figure 2.2-16. Hymenoclea monogyra / [Amaranthus palmeri - Chloris virgata] Shrub Herbaceous Alliance. ...........................................................................................................