Existing Vegetation Classification and Mapping Technical Guide Version
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Existing United States Department of Existing Vegetation Agriculture Forest Service Classification and V egetation Ecosystem Management Coordination Staff Mapping Technical Guide Gen. Tech. Report WO-67 Version 1.1 March 2011 Classication and Mapping T echnical Guide V ersion 1.1 2 005 United States Department of Existing Vegetation Agriculture Forest Service Classification and Ecosystem Management Coordination Staff Gen. Mapping Technical Guide Tech. Report WO-67 April Version 1.1 Ralph Warbington Technical Editor and Coordinator Authored by: Section 1: Existing Vegetation Classification and Mapping Framework David Tart, Clinton K. Williams, C. Kenneth Brewer, Jeff P. DiBenedetto, Brian Schwind, and Ralph Warbington Section 2: Existing Vegetation Classification Protocol David Tart, Clinton K. Williams, Jeff P. DiBenedetto, Elizabeth Crowe, Michele M. Girard, Hazel Gordon, Kathy Sleavin, Mary E. Manning, John Haglund, Bruce Short, David L. Wheeler, Kevin Megown, Mark Riley, and Andy Lister Section 3: Existing Vegetation Mapping Protocol C. Kenneth Brewer, Brian Schwind, Ralph J. Warbington, William Clerke, Patricia C. Krosse, Lowell H. Suring, Michael Schanta, Wendy Goetz, and Andy Lister Team Members Technical Editors Ralph Warbington Core Team Leader, Forester, METI Inc. Authors Jim Ellenwood Remote Sensing Program Manager, S&PF, FHP Jim Gerleman Timber Program Manager, Region 4, Dixie NF Andy Lister Research Forester, R&D, NIMAC Kevin Megown RMIM Program Manager, RSAC Carlos Ramirez Vegetation Mapping and inventory Group Leader, Region 5, RSL Wendy Goetz Remote Sensing Specialist, RSAC Mark Riley Remote Sensing Specialist, Region 10, RO Linda Spencer WO, EMC, NRM, NRIS David Tart Regional Vegetation Ecologist, Intermountain Region, Ogden, UT C. Kenneth Brewer Landscape Ecologist/Remote Sensing Specialist, Northern Region, Missoula, MT Brian Schwind Remote Sensing Specialist, Pacific Southwest Region, Sacramento, CA Clinton K. Williams Plant Ecologist, Intermountain Region, Ogden, UT Ralph J. Warbington Remote Sensing Lab Manager, Pacific Southwest Region, Sacramento, CA Jeff P. DiBenedetto Ecologist, Custer National Forest, Billings, MT Elizabeth Crowe Riparian/Wetland Ecologist, Deschutes National Forest, Bend, OR William Clerke Remote Sensing Program Manager, Southern Region, Atlanta GA Michele M. Girard Forest Hydrologist/Ecologist, Prescott National Forest, Camp Verde, AZ Hazel Gordon Vegetation Ecologist, Pacific Southwest Region, Sacramento, CA Kathy Sleavin Technical Support Group Leader, Natural Resource Information System (NRIS) Field- Sampled Vegetation (FSVeg), Fort Collins, CO Patricia C. Krosse Ecology & Botany Program Manager, Tongass National Forest, Ketchikan, AK Mary E. Manning Regional Vegetation Ecologist, Northern Region, Missoula, MT Lowell H. Suring Wildlife Ecologist, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Boise ID Michael Schanta Resource Information Manager, Mark Twain National Forest, Rollins, MO John Haglund Ecologist, NRIS Terra, Sandy, OR Bruce Short Timber Sales/Silviculture Program Leader, Rocky Mountain Region, Lakewood, CO David L. Wheeler Rangeland Vegetation Group Leader, Rocky Mountain Region, Lakewood, CO Editor Judy Tripp Geospatial Services Group, Engineering, Northern Region, Missoula, MT Brohman, R.; Bryant, L. eds. 2005. Existing Vegetation Classification and Mapping Technical Guide. Gen. Tech. Rep. WO–67. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Ecosystem Management Coordination Staff. 305 p. Sections 1 through 3 should be cited individually as follows: Tart, D.; Williams, C.; Brewer, C.; DiBenedetto, J.; and Schwind, B. 2005. Section 1: Existing Vegetation Classification and Mapping Framework. In: Brohman, R; Bryant, L. eds. Existing Vegetation Classification and Mapping Technical Guide. Gen. Tech. Rep. WO–67. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Ecosystem Management Coordination Staff. Tart, D.; Williams, C.; DiBenedetto, J.; Crowe, E.; Girard, M.; Gordon, H.; Sleavin, K.; Manning, M.; Haglund, J.; Short, B.; and Wheeler, D. 2005. Section 2: Existing Vegetation Classification Protocol. In: Brohman, R; Bryant, L. eds. Existing Vegetation Classification and Mapping Technical Guide. Gen. Tech. Rep. WO–67. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Ecosystem Management Coordination Staff. Brewer, C.; Schwind, B.; Warbington, R.; Clerke, W.; Krosse, P.; Suring, L.; and Schanta, M. 2005. Section 3: Existing Vegetation Mapping Protocol. In: Brohman; R. Bryant, L. eds. Existing Vegetation Classification and Mapping Technical Guide. Gen. Tech. Rep. WO–67. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Ecosystem Management Coordination Staff. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at 202–720–2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250–9410 or call 202–720–5964 (voice or TDD). Acknowledgments The following individuals provided information, advice, and/or assistance that contributed to the completion of this document: Robert Pfister Professor Emeritus, University of Montana, Missoula, MT Alison Hill Assistant Director, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fort Collins, CO Patrice Janiga Assistant Director, USDA Forest Service, Design and Quality Assurance, IMI, Fort Collins, CO David Meriwether Ecosystem Management Coordinator, USDA Forest Service, Southern Region, Atlanta, GA Douglas S. Powell National Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinator, USDA Forest Service, Washington Office Betsy Banas Staff Cartographer, Geospatial Services Group, Washington Office James D. Ellen Regional Inventory Specialist, USDA Forest Service, Alaska Region, Juneau, AK James White Forester, USDA Forest Service, NRIS Terra, Sandy, OR Cathy Askren Liaison Officer, USDA Forest Service, NRIS Interagency Regional Group (IRM), Sandy, OR Robert L. White Forest Silviculturist, USDA Forest Service, Allegheny National Forest, Warren, PA Ronald J. Brohman Technical Editor and Coordinator Version 1.0 Larry D. Bryant Technical Edirot and Coordinator Version 1.0 The ongoing work of the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC), Vegetation Subcommittee, and the Ecological Society of America (ESA) Vegetation Classification Panel provided a valuable foundation for the development of this protocol. We thank the members of each group for their willingness to communicate openly and share information. Table of Contents Section 1. Existing Vegetation Classification and Mapping Framework ....................... 1-7 1.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 1-7 1.1.1 Organization of Technical Guide ......................................................................................................... 1-7 1.1.2 Vegetation Classification Standards ..................................................................................................... 1-8 1.1.3 Vegetation Mapping Standards ............................................................................................................ 1-8 1.2 Background and Objectives .................................................................................................................... 1-8 1.2.1 Existing Vegetation Information Uses ................................................................................................. 1-8 1.2.2 Relationship of Existing and Potential Natural Vegetation ................................................................ 1-10 1.2.3 Vegetation Classification Business Requirements ............................................................................. 1-11 1.2.4 Vegetation Mapping Business Requirements ..................................................................................... 1-12 1.2.5 Protocol Objectives ............................................................................................................................ 1-13 1.3 Protocol Overview ................................................................................................................................ 1-14 1.3.1 Vegetation Classification Concepts and Definitions .......................................................................... 1-15 1.3.1.1 Physognomic Units ......................................................................................................................... 1-16 1.3.1.2 Floristic Taxonomic Units ............................................................................................................... 1-16 1.3.1.3 Structural Technical Groups ............................................................................................................ 1-17 1.3.2 Vegetation Mapping Concepts and Definitions ................................................................................. 1-18 1.3.2.1 Relation of Vegetation Classification to Mapping .........................................................................