USGS:Biology Biological Informatics Program Vegetation Characterization Program Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site Field Plots Data Metadata

Field Plots Data Metadata

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Metadata:

• Identification_Information
• Data_Quality_Information
• Spatial_Data_Organization_Information
• Spatial_Reference_Information
• Entity_and_Attribute_Information
• Distribution_Information
• Metadata_Reference_Information

Identification_Information:

Citation:

Citation_Information:

Originator: Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program

Publication_Date: 20070712

Title: alpo_veg_plots_2005_public

Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: vector digital data

Online_Linkage: <http://biology.usgs.gov/npsveg/alpo/index.html>

Larger_Work_Citation:

Citation_Information:

Originator: Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program

Publication_Date: 20061231

Title:

Vegetation Classification and Mapping at Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site

Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: document

File_or_Table_Name: metaalpofield

Description:

Abstract:

Location of vegetation sampling plots used to collect data for vegetation classification and mapping at Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site. In this data set, the X, Y coordinates for one plot have been altered to protect rare plant species that could be vulnerable to collection.

Purpose:

To identify locations of plots from which data was collected to use in the classification and mapping efforts at Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site.

Time_Period_of_Content:

Time_Period_Information:

Single_Date/Time:

Calendar_Date: 20061231

Currentness_Reference: 20061231

Status:

Progress: Complete

Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: None planned

Spatial_Domain:

Description_of_Geographic_Extent: Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site

Bounding_Coordinates:

West_Bounding_Coordinate: -78.858729

East_Bounding_Coordinate: -78.451388

North_Bounding_Coordinate: 40.469325

South_Bounding_Coordinate: 40.350584

Local_Bounding_Coordinates:
Left_Bounding_Coordinate: 681824.998732
Right_Bounding_Coordinate: 716089.767509
Bottom_Bounding_Coordinate: 4469777.486720
Top_Bounding_Coordinate: 4482059.190541

Keywords:

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: none

Theme_Keyword: plot

Theme_Keyword: vegetation

Theme_Keyword: community classification

Theme_Keyword: vegetation association map

Theme_Keyword: National Park Service

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: National Park Service Theme Category Thesaurus

Theme_Keyword: Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site

Place:

Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: none

Place_Keyword: Pennsylvania

Place_Keyword: Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site

Place:

Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: National Park System Unit Name Thesaurus

Place_Keyword: Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site

Place:

Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: National Park System Unit Code Thesaurus

Place_Keyword: ALPO

Taxonomy:

Keywords/Taxon:

Taxonomic_Keyword_Thesaurus: None

Taxonomic_Keywords: Standardized National Vegetation Classification System

Taxonomic_Keywords: vegetation classification

Taxonomic_Keywords: alliance

Taxonomic_Keywords: community association

Taxonomic_Classification:

Taxon_Rank_Name: Kingdom

Taxon_Rank_Value: Plantae

Access_Constraints: none

Use_Constraints: none

Point_of_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Organization_Primary:

Contact_Organization: Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program

Contact_Position: Ecologist

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: mailing and physical address

Address: 208 Airport Drive

City: Middletown

State_or_Province: Pennsylvania

Postal_Code: 17055

Country: USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone: (717) 948-3962

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: (717) 948-3957

Data_Set_Credit:

Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program, Western Pennsylvania Conservancy

Native_Data_Set_Environment:

Microsoft Windows XP Version 5.1 (Build 2600) Service Pack 2; ESRI ArcCatalog 9.1.0.780

Native_Dataset_Format: Shapefile

Data_Quality_Information:

Logical_Consistency_Report: ESRI point geometry

Completeness_Report:

Each plot is represented by one point. All points fall within the mapped polygons.

Lineage:

Process_Step:

Process_Description:

The number and distribution of vegetation plots was determined according to the USGS/NPS Vegetation Mapping protocols. The protocol suggests that each vegetation association should have been sampled at least three times in order to capture the naturally occurring variation within the park. If each of the vegetation cover types represented only one association in Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site, the minimum number of plots needed would have been 34. This assumed that areas labeled with modified Anderson level II categories would not be sampled, and that for cover types with less than three polygons, one plot would be placed in each polygon. However, it is more likely that some cover types represent multiple associations. Alternatively, a few of the vegetation cover types assigned to the map may actually represent a single association. This occurs because of significant variation in vegetation structure and leaf phenology caused by past land use, natural resource management, and environmental setting. Regardless, the vegetation cover type map is a useful guide to determine the intensity, distribution, and location of vegetation sampling. Based on the cover type map, our initial reconnaissance of the park, and vegetation mapping efforts at other parks, we estimated that 80 plots was the approximate number needed to sufficiently capture the range of vegetation types. Eighty polygons representing different aerial photograph signatures and vegetation cover types were then selected for sampling.

Plot sampling was conducted in August 2005. The diversity of vegetation types, especially within the Deciduous Forest cover type, was less than originally estimated, and therefore, only 77 plots were sampled in total. All vegetation types were sampled over a range of environmental variables. One vegetation cover type, Temporarily Flooded Mixed Evergreen - Deciduous Forest, was not sampled because it's one mapped polygon was primarily outside the park's boundary and it contained a mosaic of two forest types already adequately sampled.

Process_Date: 20050630

Source_Produced_Citation_Abbreviation: Vegetation plots shapefile

Process_Step:

Process_Description:

The vegetation plots shapefile was altered to create a shapefile suitable for public distribution. The X, Y coordinates for one plot that contains a rare plant species that could be vulnerable to collection were rounded as follows: the coordinate value was rounded up if the last three digits = 000-499; the coordinate value was rounded down if the last three digits = 500-999. A field named "crd_alt" was added to the shapefile attribute table; the value for this field is "no" if the plot coordinates have not been altered and "yes" if the plot coordinates were altered.

Process_Date: 20070711

Spatial_Data_Organization_Information:

Direct_Spatial_Reference_Method: Vector

Point_and_Vector_Object_Information:

SDTS_Terms_Description:

SDTS_Point_and_Vector_Object_Type: Entity point

Point_and_Vector_Object_Count: 77

ESRI_Terms_Description:
ESRI_Feature_Type: Simple
ESRI_Feature_Geometry: Point
ESRI_Topology: FALSE
ESRI_Feature_Count: 77
Spatial_Index: TRUE
Linear_Referencing: FALSE

Spatial_Reference_Information:

Horizontal_Coordinate_System_Definition:

Planar:

Grid_Coordinate_System:

Grid_Coordinate_System_Name: Universal Transverse Mercator

Universal_Transverse_Mercator:

UTM_Zone_Number: 17

Transverse_Mercator:

Scale_Factor_at_Central_Meridian: 0.999600

Longitude_of_Central_Meridian: -81.000000

Latitude_of_Projection_Origin: 0.000000

False_Easting: 500000.000000

False_Northing: 0.000000

Planar_Coordinate_Information:

Planar_Coordinate_Encoding_Method: coordinate pair

Coordinate_Representation:

Abscissa_Resolution: 0.000064

Ordinate_Resolution: 0.000064

Planar_Distance_Units: meters

Geodetic_Model:

Horizontal_Datum_Name: North American Datum of 1983

Ellipsoid_Name: Geodetic Reference System 80

Semi-major_Axis: 6378137.000000

Denominator_of_Flattening_Ratio: 298.257222

Entity_and_Attribute_Information:

Detailed_Description:

Entity_Type:

Entity_Type_Label: alpo_veg_plots_2005_public

Entity_Type_Definition: attributes from shapefile table

Entity_Type_Definition_Source: Pennyslvania Natural Heritage Program

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: FID

Attribute_Definition: Internal feature number.

Attribute_Definition_Source: ESRI

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Unrepresentable_Domain:

Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: Shape

Attribute_Definition: Feature geometry.

Attribute_Definition_Source: ESRI

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Unrepresentable_Domain: Coordinates defining the features.

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: PLOT_CODE

Attribute_Definition: unique plot identification code

Attribute_Definition_Source: Investigator

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Unrepresentable_Domain: NPS four letter park code plus unique number

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: crd_alt

Attribute_Definition:

Field used to indicate whether X, Y coordinates for the plot have been altered to protect a rare species that could be vulnerable to collection

Attribute_Definition_Source: NCSU

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Enumerated_Domain:

Enumerated_Domain_Value: yes

Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: The X, Y coordinates for the plot have been altered.

Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: NCSU

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Enumerated_Domain:

Enumerated_Domain_Value: no

Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: The X, Y coordinates for the plot have not been altered.

Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: NCSU

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: UTM_X

Attribute_Definition: Easting coordinate of site location.

Attribute_Definition_Source: USGS

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Unrepresentable_Domain: Easting coordinate added using XTools Pro.

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: UTM_X

Attribute_Definition: Northing coordinate of site location.

Attribute_Definition_Source: USGS

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Unrepresentable_Domain: Northing coordinate added using XTools Pro.

Distribution_Information:

Distributor:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Organization_Primary:

Contact_Organization:

USGS Biological Resources Division, Center for Biological Informatics

Contact_Person: USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping Program Coordinator

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: Physical Address

Address: USGS

Address: Biological Resources Division, CBI

Address: Building 810, Room 8000

City: Denver

State_or_Province: Colorado

Postal_Code: 80225-0046

Country: USA

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: Mailing Address

Address: USGS

Address: Biological Resources Division, CBI

Address: PO BOX 25046, DFC, MS302

City: Denver

State_or_Province: Colorado

Postal_Code: 80225-0046

Country: USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone: (303) 202-4220

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: (303) 202-4229

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: (303) 202-4219 (org)

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: gs-b-npsveg@usgs.gov

Resource_Description:

The name of the shapefile that this metadata record documents is: alpo_veg_plots_2005_public.shp

Distribution_Liability:

The U.S. Geological Survey and the National Park Service shall not be held liable for improper or incorrect use of the data described and/or contained herein. These data and related graphics (if available) are not legal documents and are not intended to be used as such.

The information contained in these data is dynamic and may change over time. The data are not better than the original sources from which they were derived. It is the responsibility of the data user to use the data appropriately and consistent within the limitations of geospatial data in general and these data in particular. Any related graphics (if available) are intended to aid the data user in acquiring relevant data; it is not approriate to use the related graphics as data.

The U.S. Geological Survey and the National Park Service gives no warranty, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of these data. It is strongly recommended that these data are directly acquired from an U.S. Geological Survey and National Park Service servers and not indirectly through other sources which may have changed the data in some way. Although these data have been processed successfully on a computer system at the U.S. Geological Survey, no warranty expressed or implied is made regarding the utility of the data on another system or for general or scientific purposes, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty. This disclaimer applies both to individual use of the data and aggregate use with other data. It is also strongly recommended that careful attention be paid to the contents of the metadata file associated with these data. Mention of trade names or commercial products in this metadata report does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use by the U. S. Department of the Interior, U. S. Geological Survey and National Park Service.

Standard_Order_Process:

Digital_Form:

Digital_Transfer_Information:

Format_Name: HTML

Digital_Transfer_Option:

Online_Option:

Computer_Contact_Information:

Network_Address:

Network_Resource_Name: <http://biology.usgs.gov/npsveg/alpo/index.html>

Fees: None

Metadata_Reference_Information:

Metadata_Date: 20070712

Metadata_Review_Date: 20071206

Metadata_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Organization_Primary:

Contact_Organization: USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping Program Coordinator

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: mailing and physical address

Address:

U.S. Geological Survey, Center for Biological Informatics, MS 302,
Room 8000, Building 810, Denver Federal Center

City: Denver

State_or_Province: Colorado

Postal_Code: 80225

Country: USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone: (303) 202-4220

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: (303) 202-4219

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: gs-b-npsveg@usgs.gov

Metadata_Standard_Name:

FGDC-STD-001.1-1999 Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata, 1998 Part 1: Biological Data Profile, 1999

Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001-1998

Metadata_Extensions:

Online_Linkage:

<http://metadata.nbii.gov/portal/community/Communities/Toolkit/Metadata/FGDC_Metadata/>

Profile_Name: Biological Data Profile FGDC-STD-001.1-1999