DOCSLIB.ORG

Vegetation Classification and Mapping Project Report

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Vegetation Classification and Mapping Project Report National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Vegetation Classification and Mapping at Thomas Stone National Historic Site, Maryland Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/NER/NRTR—2012/550 ON THE COVER Dry Mesic Forest at Thomas Stone National Historic Site. Photograph by: Chris Lea. Vegetation Classification and Mapping at Thomas Stone National Historic Site, Maryland Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/NER/NRTR—2012/550 Chris Lea1, Lesley A. Sneddon2, and Elizabeth Eastman3 1 National Park Service Natural Resource Information Division Vegetation Mapping Program P.O. Box 25287 Denver, CO 80228-0287 2 NatureServe c/o University of Massachusetts at Boston Biology Department 100 Morrissey Blvd. Boston, MA 02125-3393 3 North Carolina State University Center for Earth Observation Campus Box 7106 Raleigh, NC 27695-7106 February 2012 U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Fort Collins, Colorado The National Park Service, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science office in Fort Collins, Colorado 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, conservation and environmental constituencies, and the public. The Natural Resource Technical Report Series is used to disseminate results of scientific studies in the physical, biological, and social sciences for both the advancement of science and the achievement of the National Park Service mission. The series provides contributors with a forum for displaying comprehensive data that are often deleted from journals because of page limitations. All manuscripts in the series receive the appropriate level of peer review to ensure that the information is scientifically credible, technically accurate, appropriately written for the intended audience, and designed and published in a professional manner. This report received informal peer review by subject-matter experts who were not directly involved in the collection, analysis, or reporting of the data. Data in this report were collected and analyzed using methods based on established, peer-reviewed protocols and were analyzed and interpreted within the guidelines of the protocols. Views, statements, findings, conclusions, recommendations, and data in this report do not necessarily reflect 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 U.S. Government. This report is available from the Natural Resource Publications Management website (http://www.nature.nps.gov/publications/nrpm/). Please cite this publication as: Lea, C., L.A. Sneddon, and E. Eastman. 2012. Vegetation classification and mapping at Thomas Stone National Historic Site, Maryland. Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/NER/NRTR—2012/550. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. NPS 477/112894, February 2012 ii Contents Page Figures............................................................................................................................................. v Tables............................................................................................................................................. ix Appendixes .................................................................................................................................... xi Acknowledgments........................................................................................................................ xiii Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................... xv Introduction..................................................................................................................................... 1 General Background ................................................................................................................. 1 Park-specific Information ......................................................................................................... 2 Project Area .................................................................................................................................... 5 Location and Regional Setting .................................................................................................. 5 Park Environmental Attributes and Site History ...................................................................... 5 Floristic setting.......................................................................................................................... 7 Materials and Methods.................................................................................................................... 9 Planning and Scoping ............................................................................................................... 9 Preliminary Data Collection and Review of Existing Information ......................................... 10 Aerial Photography Acquisition and Processing .................................................................... 10 Orthophoto Mosaic Metadata ................................................................................................. 10 Photointerpretation and Development of the Formation-level Map ....................................... 13 Field Data Collection and Classification ................................................................................ 14 Vegetation Map Preparation ................................................................................................... 21 Accuracy Assessment ............................................................................................................. 21 iii Results........................................................................................................................................... 31 Vegetation Classification - Observation Points ...................................................................... 31 Vegetation Classification - Plots ............................................................................................. 32 Association Descriptions ........................................................................................................ 34 Vegetation Map Production .................................................................................................... 97 Accuracy Assessment ........................................................................................................... 102 Project Deliverables.............................................................................................................. 102 Discussion................................................................................................................................... 105 Vegetation Classification and Characterization .................................................................... 105 Vegetation Map Production .................................................................................................. 107 Accuracy Assessment ........................................................................................................... 107 Recommendations for Future Projects.................................................................................. 108 Literature Cited ........................................................................................................................... 109 iv Figures Page Figure 1. Location of Thomas Stone National Historic Site, Charles County, Maryland. ........................................................................................................................................ 3 Figure 2. Soil series of Thomas Stone National Historic Site (adapted from Hall and Mathews 1974). ........................................................................................................................ 6 Figure 3. Photo centers of the Thomas Stone National Historic Site leaf-on (fall) 2002 orthophoto mosaic, with association map for reference. ..................................................... 11 Figure 4. Photo centers of the Thomas Stone National Historic Site leaf-off (spring) 2002 orthophoto mosaic, with association map for reference. ........................................ 12 Figure 5. Vegetation observation (rapid assessment) points at Thomas Stone National Historic Site, May 2001. ................................................................................................ 16 Figure 6. Vegetation plots sampled at Thomas Stone National Historic Site. ............................. 18 Figure 7. Ground control points (n=23) used to calculate horizontal positional accuracy of the Thomas Stone National Historic Site leaf-off (spring) orthophoto mosaic. .......................................................................................................................................... 23 Figure 8. Ground control points (n=22) used to calculate horizontal positional accuracy of the Thomas Stone National Historic Site leaf-on (fall) orthophoto mosaic. .......................................................................................................................................... 24 Figure 9. Locations of sampling points in the northern section of Thomas Stone National Historic Site for the 2004 thematic accuracy assessment.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Field Release of the Leaf-Feeding Moth, Hypena Opulenta (Christoph)
    United States Department of Field release of the leaf-feeding Agriculture moth, Hypena opulenta Marketing and Regulatory (Christoph) (Lepidoptera: Programs Noctuidae), for classical Animal and Plant Health Inspection biological control of swallow- Service worts, Vincetoxicum nigrum (L.) Moench and V. rossicum (Kleopow) Barbarich (Gentianales: Apocynaceae), in the contiguous United States. Final Environmental Assessment, August 2017 Field release of the leaf-feeding moth, Hypena opulenta (Christoph) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), for classical biological control of swallow-worts, Vincetoxicum nigrum (L.) Moench and V. rossicum (Kleopow) Barbarich (Gentianales: Apocynaceae), in the contiguous United States. Final Environmental Assessment, August 2017 Agency Contact: Colin D. Stewart, Assistant Director Pests, Pathogens, and Biocontrol Permits Plant Protection and Quarantine Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service U.S. Department of Agriculture 4700 River Rd., Unit 133 Riverdale, MD 20737 Non-Discrimination Policy The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination against its customers, employees, and applicants for employment on the bases of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, gender identity, religion, reprisal, and where applicable, political beliefs, marital status, familial or parental status, sexual orientation, or all or part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program, or protected genetic information in employment or in any program or activity conducted or funded by the Department. (Not all prohibited bases will apply to all programs and/or employment activities.) To File an Employment Complaint If you wish to file an employment complaint, you must contact your agency's EEO Counselor (PDF) within 45 days of the date of the alleged discriminatory act, event, or in the case of a personnel action.
    [Show full text]
  • "National List of Vascular Plant Species That Occur in Wetlands: 1996 National Summary."
    Intro 1996 National List of Vascular Plant Species That Occur in Wetlands The Fish and Wildlife Service has prepared a National List of Vascular Plant Species That Occur in Wetlands: 1996 National Summary (1996 National List). The 1996 National List is a draft revision of the National List of Plant Species That Occur in Wetlands: 1988 National Summary (Reed 1988) (1988 National List). The 1996 National List is provided to encourage additional public review and comments on the draft regional wetland indicator assignments. The 1996 National List reflects a significant amount of new information that has become available since 1988 on the wetland affinity of vascular plants. This new information has resulted from the extensive use of the 1988 National List in the field by individuals involved in wetland and other resource inventories, wetland identification and delineation, and wetland research. Interim Regional Interagency Review Panel (Regional Panel) changes in indicator status as well as additions and deletions to the 1988 National List were documented in Regional supplements. The National List was originally developed as an appendix to the Classification of Wetlands and Deepwater Habitats of the United States (Cowardin et al.1979) to aid in the consistent application of this classification system for wetlands in the field.. The 1996 National List also was developed to aid in determining the presence of hydrophytic vegetation in the Clean Water Act Section 404 wetland regulatory program and in the implementation of the swampbuster provisions of the Food Security Act. While not required by law or regulation, the Fish and Wildlife Service is making the 1996 National List available for review and comment.
    [Show full text]
  • The Vascular Plants of Massachusetts
    The Vascular Plants of Massachusetts: The Vascular Plants of Massachusetts: A County Checklist • First Revision Melissa Dow Cullina, Bryan Connolly, Bruce Sorrie and Paul Somers Somers Bruce Sorrie and Paul Connolly, Bryan Cullina, Melissa Dow Revision • First A County Checklist Plants of Massachusetts: Vascular The A County Checklist First Revision Melissa Dow Cullina, Bryan Connolly, Bruce Sorrie and Paul Somers Massachusetts Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program The Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program (NHESP), part of the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, is one of the programs forming the Natural Heritage network. NHESP is responsible for the conservation and protection of hundreds of species that are not hunted, fished, trapped, or commercially harvested in the state. The Program's highest priority is protecting the 176 species of vertebrate and invertebrate animals and 259 species of native plants that are officially listed as Endangered, Threatened or of Special Concern in Massachusetts. Endangered species conservation in Massachusetts depends on you! A major source of funding for the protection of rare and endangered species comes from voluntary donations on state income tax forms. Contributions go to the Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Fund, which provides a portion of the operating budget for the Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program. NHESP protects rare species through biological inventory,
    [Show full text]
  • An Ecological Classification of Groundwater-Fed
    ECOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION OF GROUNDWATER-FED SEEPAGE WETLANDS OF THE MARYLAND COASTAL PLAIN By Jason W. Harrison Wildlife and Heritage Service Maryland Department of Natural Resources 909 Wye Mills Rd. Wye Mills, Maryland 21679 410-827-8612 ext. 109 [email protected] Wesley M. Knapp Wildlife and Heritage Service Maryland Department of Natural Resources 909 Wye Mills Rd. Wye Mills, Maryland 21679 410-827-8612 ext. 100 [email protected] June 2010 (updated February 2015) Prepared for United States Fish and Wildlife Service Lawrence J. Hogan, Jr. Governor Boyd K. Rutherford Lt. Governor Mark J. Belton Acting Secretary The facilities and services of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources are available to all without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin or physical or mental disability. This document is available in an alternative format upon request from a qualified individual with a disability. Toll free in Maryland: 1-877-620-8DNR ext. 3 Out of State call: 1-410-260-8540 TTY users call via the MD Relay www.dnr.maryland.gov Printed on recycled paper Citation: Harrison, J.W., W.M. Knapp. 2010. Ecological classification of groundwater-fed wetlands of the Maryland Coastal Plain. Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife and Heritage Service, Natural Heritage Program, Annapolis, MD. June 2010. 98 pp. 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ..............................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Leersia Virginica Plant Guide
    Plant Guide Wildlife: The caterpillars of the butterfly Enodia WHITEGRASS anthedon (Northern Pearly Eye) feed on the foliage of whitegrass. Aside from this, little is known about floral- Leersia virginica Willd. faunal relationships for this species. Plant Symbol = LEVI2 Status Please consult the PLANTS Web site and your State Contributed by: USDA NRCS Plant Materials Center, Department of Natural Resources for this plant’s current Alderson, West Virginia status (e.g., threatened or endangered species, state noxious status, and wetland indicator values). USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N). Description General: Grass Family (Poaceae) Whitegrass is a perennial grass that is native to eastern North America. It is 1 – 3 feet tall, branching occasionally; it is erect to spawling and flowers from July to October. Whitegrass is a good example of the kinds of grasses that grow in wooded areas. Such grasses usually have delicate tin- textured foliage and their panicles or racemes are slender and lanky with small spikelets. As a general rule, they are not very showy. Whitegrass is fairly easy to identify because its spikelets are appressed together to form a single row along the upper half of each branchlet. Each spikelet is single-flowered, oblongoid, and often ciliate along the margins of its lemma. Each floret of whitegrass produces only 2 anthers; this is unusual, because most grasses produce 3 anthers per floret. It is easily confused with the non-native and invasive Japanese stilt grass (Microstegium vimineum). Whitegrass may be distinguished from Japanese stilt grass by its lack of a prominent shiny leaf midvein. It has a short life span relative to most other plant species and a moderate growth rate.
    [Show full text]
  • Although Partridge Berry Is a Small and Creeping Herb, Its Jewel-Like Beauty Rewards Attentive Naturalists Year-Round
    Virginia Native Plant Society 2012 Wildflower of the Year Partridge Berry Mitchella Repens Although partridge berry is a small and creeping herb, its jewel-like beauty rewards attentive naturalists year-round. Description Partridge berry is a low-growing, herbaceous perennial that forms mat-like colonies of interlaced stems on the forest floor. Near their growing tips, stems are smooth or, when young, sparsely hairy; in older sections of a colony, stems bear adventitious roots. Branch stems arise either singly or in pairs, frequently from nodes below the previous year’s fruit, but sometimes from other nodes as well. The 1-2-cm- long leaves are opposite, evergreen, round to ovate, and somewhat leathery; the upper leaf surface is glossy, with a whitish mid- vein. Successive pairs of leaves are off-set 90° from the pair above and below, but this decussate arrangement is often obscured in older, fully prostrate, stems. Small, sharp- pointed stipules extend between petiole bases on each side of the nodes. Typically, flowers form in pairs at the ends of slightly upturned stem tips. The paired flowers have a common pedicel and exhibit various degrees of fusion with each other, especially in their lower regions. There are four scale-like sepals at the base of each flower, but these commonly fuse together, forming a common calyx for the pair of flowers. Four white petals form a gradually expanding corolla tube that ranges from 9 to 14 mm in length and is topped by spreading lobes that are 3-4 mm long and densely hairy on their inner surfaces.
    [Show full text]
  • New to Oklahoma: Eleocharis Equisetoides (Cyperaceae)
    Buthod, A.K. and B.W. Hoagland. 2017. New to Oklahoma: Eleocharis equisetoides (Cyperaceae). Phytoneuron 2017-78: 1–4. Published 25 October 2017. ISSN 2153 733X NEW TO OKLAHOMA: ELEOCHARIS EQUISETOIDES (CYPERACEAE) AMY K. BUTHOD Oklahoma Biological Survey/Oklahoma Natural Heritage Inventory/Robert Bebb Herbarium University of Oklahoma Norman, Oklahoma 73019 [email protected] BRUCE W. HOAGLAND Oklahoma Biological Survey/Oklahoma Natural Heritage Inventory/ Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability University of Oklahoma Norman, Oklahoma 73019 ABSTRACT This paper documents an occurrence of a vascular plant species previously unreported for the flora of Oklahoma. Eleocharis equisetoides , a perennial spikerush, was found along a lake margin in north-central Pushmataha County. Eleocharis equisetoides (Elliott) Torr. (Cyperaceae, subg. Limnochloa; horsetail spikerush, jointed spikesedge) is a perennial spikerush found in marshes, lakes, ponds, ditches, and streams (ITIS 2017; Smith et al. 2002). While the majority of the known populations are from coastal regions of the southeastern USA, E. equisetoides has also been reported as far north as Ontario (Kartesz 2014; USDA, NRCS 2017). In the USA its distribution includes Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin (Kartesz 2014; USDA, NRCS 2017). It is listed as critically imperiled, imperiled, or vulnerable in all but five of these states (Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Texas), and is known only historically from three (Arkansas, Massachusetts , and Missouri; NatureServe 2012). The taxon is presumed extirpated from Illinois (NatureServe 2012). The Oklahoma collection of Eleocharis equisetoides (figures 1 and 2) was found at the margin of a small lake in Pushmataha County in southeastern Oklahoma.
    [Show full text]
  • Carex and Scleria
    University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies Nebraska Academy of Sciences 1997 Keys and Distributional Maps for Nebraska Cyperaceae, Part 2: Carex and Scleria Steven B. Rolfsmeier Barbara Wilson Oregon State University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/tnas Part of the Life Sciences Commons Rolfsmeier, Steven B. and Wilson, Barbara, "Keys and Distributional Maps for Nebraska Cyperaceae, Part 2: Carex and Scleria" (1997). Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies. 73. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/tnas/73 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Nebraska Academy of Sciences at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societiesy b an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. 1997. Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences, 24: 5-26 KEYS AND DISTRIBUTIONAL MAPS FOR NEBRASKA CYPERACEAE, PART 2: CAREX AND SCLERIA Steven B. Rolfsmeier and Barbara Wilson* 2293 Superior Road Department of Biology Milford, Nebraska 68405-8420 University of Nebraska at Omaha Omaha, Nebraska 68182-0040 *Present address: Department of Botany, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon ABSTRACT Flora GP are deleted based on misidentifications: Carex Keys and distributional maps are provided for the 71 species and one hybrid of Carex and single species of Scleria festucacea, C. haydenii, C. muehlenbergii var. enervis, documented for Nebraska. Six species-Carex albursina, C. C. normalis, C. siccata (reported as C. foenea), C. stricta, melanostachya, C.
    [Show full text]
  • Carex of New England
    Field Guide to Carex of New England Lisa A. Standley A Special Publication of the New England Botanical Club About the Author: Lisa A. Standley is an environmental consultant. She obtained a B.S, and M.S. from Cornell University and Ph.D. from the University of Washington. She has published several articles on the systematics of Carex, particularly Section Phacocystis, and was the author of several section treatments in the Flora of North America. Cover Illustrations: Pictured are Carex pensylvanica and Carex intumescens. Field Guide to Carex of New England Lisa A. Standley Special Publication of the New England Botanical Club Copyright © 2011 Lisa A. Standley Acknowledgements This book is dedicated to Robert Reed, who first urged me to write a user-friendly guide to Carex; to the memory of Melinda F. Denton, my mentor and inspiration; and to Tony Reznicek, for always sharing his expertise. I would like to thank all of the people who helped with this book in so many ways, particularly Karen Searcy and Robert Bertin for their careful editing; Paul Somers, Bruce Sorrie, Alice Schori, Pam Weatherbee, and others who helped search for sedges; Arthur Gilman, Melissa Dow Cullina, and Patricia Swain, who carefully read early drafts of the book; and to Emily Wood, Karen Searcy, and Ray Angelo, who provided access to the herbaria at Harvard University, the University of Massachusetts, and the New England Botanical Club. CONTENTS Introduction .......................................................................................................................1
    [Show full text]
  • Campylotropy in the Circumscription of the Morindeae Descriptions in Early
    BLUMEA 35 (1991) 307-345 The genera Mitchellaand Damnacanthus. Evidence for their close alliance; comments on the campylotropy in the Rubiaceae and the circumscription of the Morindeae E. RobbrechtC. Puff & A. Igersheim Summary The two species of Mitchella (Southeast Asian and North American) and several species of the character Southeast Asian genus Damnacanthus are investigated. Vegetative states (growth form, described and branching pattern, leaves) of the two genera are compared. Damnacanthusalways ex- hibits heterophylly and some species have paired thorns. The latter are interpreted as paired lateral of branch and it is that the thorns shoots in the proximal part a sympodial unit, speculated paired be modified inflorescence shoots. may Detailed information is also given on inflorescence structure and floral morphological and ana- tomical details of Damnacanthus and Mitchella. Particular emphasis is placed on the ovaries, the structure of which is remarkably similar in the two genera. The uniovulate locules are characterized ovules which inserted the of extensive by having campylotropous are near top the septum; obturator tissue covers part of the horizontally arranged curved ovule in cap-like manner.The micropyle of the ovule, obscured by the obturator,points upwards and to some degree also inwards, while the embryo sac is found in a ± horizontal position. The seeds, however, contain minute embryos, of which the radicles are pointing ± downwards. This apparently contradicting micropyle and radicle position finds its in the unusual ovule and orientation and in the explanation structure subsequent strong growth of the endosperm, through which the embryo is pushed to the position where it is found in mature seeds.
    [Show full text]
  • VH Flora Complete Rev 18-19
    Flora of Vinalhaven Island, Maine Macrolichens, Liverworts, Mosses and Vascular Plants Javier Peñalosa Version 1.4 Spring 2019 1. General introduction ------------------------------------------------------------------------1.1 2. The Setting: Landscape, Geology, Soils and Climate ----------------------------------2.1 3. Vegetation of Vinalhaven Vegetation: classification or description? --------------------------------------------------3.1 The trees and shrubs --------------------------------------------------------------------------3.1 The Forest --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------3.3 Upland spruce-fir forest -----------------------------------------------------------------3.3 Deciduous woodlands -------------------------------------------------------------------3.6 Pitch pine woodland ---------------------------------------------------------------------3.6 The shore ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------3.7 Rocky headlands and beaches ----------------------------------------------------------3.7 Salt marshes -------------------------------------------------------------------------------3.8 Shrub-dominated shoreline communities --------------------------------------------3.10 Freshwater wetlands -------------------------------------------------------------------------3.11 Streams -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------3.11 Ponds -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------3.11
    [Show full text]
  • Annals of the History and Philosophy of Biology
    he name DGGTB (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Geschichte und Deutsche Gesellschaft für Theorie der Biologie; German Society for the History and Philosophy of BioT logy) refl ects recent history as well as German tradition. Geschichte und Theorie der Biologie The Society is a relatively late addition to a series of German societies of science and medicine that began with the “Deutsche Gesellschaft für Geschichte der Medizin und der Naturwissenschaften”, Annals of the History founded in 1910 by Leipzig University‘s Karl Sudhoff (1853-1938), who wrote: “We want to establish a ‘German’ society in order to gather Ger- and Philosophy of Biology man-speaking historians together in our special disciplines so that they form the core of an international society…”. Yet Sudhoff, at this Volume 17 (2012) time of burgeoning academic internationalism, was “quite willing” to accommodate the wishes of a number of founding members and formerly Jahrbuch für “drop the word German in the title of the Society and have it merge Geschichte und Theorie der Biologie with an international society”. The founding and naming of the Society at that time derived from a specifi c set of histori- cal circumstances, and the same was true some 80 years lat- er when in 1991, in the wake of German reunifi cation, the “Deutsche Gesellschaft für Geschichte und Theorie der Biologie” was founded. From the start, the Society has been committed to bringing stud- ies in the history and philosophy of biology to a wide audience, us- ing for this purpose its Jahrbuch für Geschichte und Theorie der Biologie. Parallel to the Jahrbuch, the Verhandlungen zur Geschichte und Theorie der Biologie has become the by now traditional medi- Annals of the History and Philosophy Biology, Vol.
    [Show full text]