Field Plots FAQ Metadata
Frequently-anticipated questions:
- Title:
-
Fire Island National Seashore Vegetation Mapping Project - Field Plot Points
- Abstract:
-
This dataset was compiled to provide users with the geographic locations of the vegetation plots used to create the Fire Island Vegetation Map classification system.
- How should this data set be cited?
New York Natural Heritage Program, 200204, Fire Island National Seashore, Field Plots Data Base for Vegetation Mappings.
Online Links:
- What geographic area does the data set cover?
- West_Bounding_Coordinate: -73.301832
- East_Bounding_Coordinate: -72.756856
- North_Bounding_Coordinate: 40.781410
- South_Bounding_Coordinate: 40.612784
- Description_of_Geographic_Extent:
-
Fire Island Natioanl Seashore and on the West by the Robert Moses State Park and on the East by the Smith Point County Park.
- What does it look like?
- <http://biology.usgs.gov/npsveg/fiis/images/fiisplots.pdf> (PDF)
-
208 Kbyte, locations of vegetation plot samples; low resolution for web browsing.
- Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
- Calendar_Date: Jul-2000
- Currentness_Reference: ground condition as of 2000
- 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 (62)
- 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 0.000064
Ordinates (y-coordinates) are specified to the nearest 0.000064
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_plot.pat
- Field plots data base information at various spots on the entire length of Fire Island. These attributes included species, height, and estimates of percent cover for a particular polygon. Plots were georeferenced to within 5 m using GPS unit and differentially corrected.
(Source: The plot sampling methodology used by the NYNHP on Fire Island follow the methodology developed by The Nature Conservancy and the network of Natural Heritage Programs (Sneddon 1994, Grossman et al. 1998, Edinger et al. 2000).)
- 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
- code assigned by NYNHP
(Source: New York Natural Heritage Program)
| Formal codeset |
|---|
| Codeset Name: | New York Natural Heritage Program Vegetation Classification Codeset |
|---|
| Codeset Source: | New York Natural Heritage Program |
|---|
Perimeter is always zero for point coverages. Values are automatically generated.
- FIIS_PLOT#
- NYNHP vegetation classification
(Source: ESRI)
vegetation type from NYNHP
- FIIS_PLOT-ID
- final association classification the plot represents
(Source: NatureServe & The Nature Conservancy)
textual description of vegetation association
- ATTRIBUTE
- description of the attributes
(Source: USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping Program)
Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.
- FINAL_CLAS
- description of the final classes.
(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)
- New York Natural Heritage Program
- 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)
-
These data were taken as locations with attributes in the field. The points were differentially corrected and imported to the GIS. The vegetation information along with the point location were used to guide assignment of delineated polygons to vegetation associations.
- What similar or related data should the user be aware of?
- How well have the observations been checked?
Data and locations were collected on a GPS and differentially corrected. The vegetation values collected were largely qulitative and based on the experience of the observer. These data were only used as a guide for the photointerpreter to assign vegetation asociations from the phtography.
- How accurate are the geographic locations?
Location information was taken with a GPS and differentially corrected. No quantitative report of accuracy is available, but subsequent field visits to these same points indicate that accuracy is within 5 m at most locations.
- How accurate are the heights or depths?
- Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
All vegetation plots conducted as part of the Fire Island Vegetation Mapping Project are included as are some plots from previous NYNHP work in the area.
- 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 14:19:56 2010
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U.S. Department of the Interior |
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