Accuracy Assessment FAQ Metadata
Frequently-anticipated questions:
- Title:
-
Fire Island National Seashore Vegetation Mapping Project - Accuracy Assessment Point
- Abstract:
-
This dataset was compiled to provide users with the geographic locations of the accuracy assessment plots used to assess the Fire Island Vegetation Map classification system.
- How should this data set be cited?
Institute, Conservation Management , 200204, Fire Island National Seashore Vegetation Mapping Project: Accuracy Assessment Point Dataset.
Online Links:
- What geographic area does the data set cover?
- West_Bounding_Coordinate: -73.305740
- East_Bounding_Coordinate: -72.756824
- North_Bounding_Coordinate: 40.783224
- South_Bounding_Coordinate: 40.612470
- Description_of_Geographic_Extent: Fire Island National Seashore, New York, USA
- What does it look like?
- <http://biology.usgs.gov/npsveg/fiis/images/fiisaa.pdf> (PDF)
-
225 kbyte file showing vegetation associations and location of accuracy
assessment points
- Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
- Calendar_Date: Sep-2001
- Currentness_Reference: ground condition as of 2001
- What is the general form of this data set?
- Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: vector digital data
- How does the data set represent geographic features?
- How are geographic features stored in the data set?
This is a Vector data set.
It contains the following vector data types (SDTS terminology):
- Entity point (428)
- Point (4)
- GT-polygon composed of chains (7738)
- Point (4)
- What coordinate system is used to represent geographic features?
- Grid_Coordinate_System_Name: Universal Transverse Mercator
- Universal_Transverse_Mercator:
-
- UTM_Zone_Number: 18
- Transverse_Mercator:
-
- Scale_Factor_at_Central_Meridian: 0.999600
- Longitude_of_Central_Meridian: -75.000000
- Latitude_of_Projection_Origin: 0.000000
- False_Easting: 500000.000000
- False_Northing: 0.000000
Planar coordinates are encoded using coordinate pair
Abscissae (x-coordinates) are specified to the nearest 0.000128
Ordinates (y-coordinates) are specified to the nearest 0.000128
Planar coordinates are specified in meters
The horizontal datum used is North American Datum of 1983.
The ellipsoid used is Geodetic Reference System 80.
The semi-major axis of the ellipsoid used is 6378137.000000.
The flattening of the ellipsoid used is 1/298.257222.
- How does the data set describe geographic features?
- fiis_aa.pat
- Accuracy Assessment Point Dataset information for the entire length of Fire Island and the William Floyd Estate. The accuracy assessment mission was conducted in September of 2001. The data and location of each point was collected with a GPS unit. We used guidelines from The Nature Conservancy (1994) to determine the number of accuracy assessment points needed for Fire Island.
(Source: Fire Island National Seashore and the USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping Program.)
- FID
- Internal feature number.
(Source: ESRI)
Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.
- Shape
- Feature geometry.
(Source: ESRI)
Coordinates defining the features.
- AREA
- Area of feature in internal units squared.
(Source: ESRI)
Area is always zero for point coverages. Values are automatically generated.
- PERIMETER
- Perimeter of feature in internal units.
(Source: ESRI)
textual description of vegetation association
- FIIS_AA#
- the vegetation classification assigned in the field
(Source: ESRI)
| Formal codeset |
|---|
| Codeset Name: | Fire Island Vegetation Codeset |
|---|
| Codeset Source: | Conservation Management Institute |
|---|
Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.
- FIIS_AA-ID
- code used to denote spatial or thematic corrections used on the point for the fuzzy accuracy assessment
(Source: ESRI)
| Value | Definition |
|---|
| 1 | No corrections/modifications
|
| 2 | Spatial Modifications
|
| 3 | Thematic modification
|
| 4 | Spatial and Thematic Change
|
| 5 | Point removed
|
- AA_CLASS
- code used to denote whether the point was used to assess polygons larger or equal to the MMU, or smaller than the MMU.
(Source: ESRI)
| Value | Definition |
|---|
| 1 | Point used to AA polygons equal to or larger than the MMU
|
| 2 | Point used to AA polygons less than the MMU
|
- CORRCODE
- textual description of the corrected code
(Source: USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping Program)
Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.
- SIZECODE
- textual description of the size code
(Source: USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping Program)
Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.
- Who are the originators of the data set? (may include formal authors, digital compilers, and editors)
- Conservation Management Institute
- Who also contributed to the data set?
- To whom should users address questions about the data?
Conservation Management Institute
c/o Scott Klopfer
GIS & Remote Sensning Division Coordinator
203 West Roanoke Street
Blacksburg, Virginia 24061
USA
540 231 7348 (voice)
540 231 7019 (FAX)
sklopfer@vt.edu
- Hours_of_Service: 8-5 Monday through Friday EST
- Contact_Instructions: email preferred
The purpose of this data is to provide the managers and researchers on Fire Island with an accurate spatially referenced dataset to assist in their efforts.
- From what previous works were the data drawn?
- How were the data generated, processed, and modified?
- Date: Sep-2001 (process 1 of 1)
-
Points were selected at random within each vegetation association on Fire Island. These points were then broken up into routes which covered a specific region of Fire Island. Assessors used field keys prepared by NatureServe to classify polygons in which accuracy assessment targets were found. They also included notes as to the confidence they had in their classification and the spatial accuracy of their point. All information was recorded on a GPS unit which also recorded a positon for the interpreted location.
- What similar or related data should the user be aware of?
- How well have the observations been checked?
The classification of vegetation for this accuracy assessment was accomplished through the use of a vegetation key. Field assessors, at times, felt as if they did not have a "good" option when using the key. These points are discussed in detail in the final report.
- How accurate are the geographic locations?
Location information was taken with a GPS and differentially corrected. No quantitative report of accuracy is available, but standard deviations calculated for each position were used to filter locations before use in the accuracy assessment.
- How accurate are the heights or depths?
- Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
These points represent the target accuracy assessment points actually visited in the field.
- How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?
Points were created from GPS data recorded in the field.
Are there legal restrictions on access or use of the data?
- Access_Constraints: None
- Use_Constraints:
-
These data were designed to identify and map vegetation polygons only. They are not appropriate for other uses such as legal property boundary identification, tax assessment, etc.
- Who distributes the data set? (Distributor 1 of 1)
USGS/CSS/Core Science Analytics and Synthesis
c/o USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping Program Coordinator
Denver Federal Center, Building 810, Room 8000, MS 302
Denver, Colorado 80225
(303) 202-4220 (voice)
303-202-4219 (FAX)
gs-b-npsveg@usgs.gov
- What's the catalog number I need to order this data set?
NPS Vegetation Mapping Program: Vegetation Map of Fire Island National Seashore
- What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?
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.
- How can I download or order the data?
- Availability in digital form:
- Cost to order the data: None
- Dates:
- Last modified: 26-Apr-2002
Last Reviewed: 20-May-2010
- Metadata author:
-
USGS/CSS/Core Science Analytics and Synthesis
c/o USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping Program Coordinator
Denver Federal Center, Building 810, Room 8000, MS 302
Denver, Colorado 80225
(303) 202-4220 (voice)
303-202-4219 (FAX)
gs-b-npsveg@usgs.gov
- Metadata standard:
- FGDC Biological Data Profile of the Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (FGDC-STD-001.1-1999)
- Metadata extensions used:
-
Generated by mp version 2.9.12 on Thu May 20 13:57:01 2010
Return to USGS Vegetation Characterization Program at Fire Island National Seashore
|
Biological Informatics Program 
U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey
