Field Plots FAQ Metadata

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Frequently-anticipated questions:

• What does this data set describe?
  1. How should this data set be cited?
  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?
  3. What does it look like?
  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
  5. What is the general form of this data set?
  6. How does the data set represent geographic features?
  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?
  8. What biological taxa does this data set concern?
• Who produced the data set?
  1. Who are the originators of the data set?
  2. Who also contributed to the data set?
  3. To whom should users address questions about the data?
• Why was the data set created?
• How was the data set created?
  1. From what previous works were the data drawn?
  2. How were the data generated, processed, and modified?
  3. What similar or related data should the user be aware of?
• How reliable are the data; what problems remain in the data set?
  1. How well have the observations been checked?
  2. How accurate are the geographic locations?
  3. How accurate are the heights or depths?
  4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
  5. How consistent are the relationships among the data, including topology?
• How can someone get a copy of the data set?
  1. Are there legal restrictions on access or use of the data?
  2. Who distributes the data?
  3. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set?
  4. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?
  5. How can I download or order the data?
• Who wrote the metadata?

What does this data set describe?

1. How should this data set be cited?

   USBR Remote Sensing and GIS Group, Denver, Colorado, Unpublished Material, Grand Teton National Park Vegetation Mapping Project 2003 Vegetation Plots: None None, None, None.

   Online Links:

   • <http://biology.usgs.gov/npsveg/ftp/vegmapping/grte/grteplot.zip>

   Other_Citation_Details: None

2. What geographic area does the data set cover?

   West_Bounding_Coordinate: -110.926169

   East_Bounding_Coordinate: -110.426009

   North_Bounding_Coordinate: 44.133579

   South_Bounding_Coordinate: 43.557489

   Description_of_Geographic_Extent: Grand Teton National Park and environs

3. What does it look like?

   <http://biology.usgs.gov/npsveg/grte/images/grteplots.pdf> (PDF)

   Locations of vegetation plot samples; low resolution for web browsing.

4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?

   Calendar_Date: 2003

   Currentness_Reference: ground condition

5. What is the general form of this data set?

   Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: vector digital data

6. How does the data set represent geographic features?
   1. 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 (248)
      • Point (4)

   2. What coordinate system is used to represent geographic features?

      Grid_Coordinate_System_Name: Universal Transverse Mercator

      Universal_Transverse_Mercator:

      UTM_Zone_Number: 12

      Transverse_Mercator:

      Scale_Factor_at_Central_Meridian: 0.999600

      Longitude_of_Central_Meridian: -111.000000

      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.
      

7. How does the data set describe geographic features?

   plots_2003.pat

   2003 Plot Point Attribute Table (Source: NPS)

   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)

   Perimeter is always zero for point coverages. Values are automatically generated.

   PLOTS_2003#

   Internal feature number. (Source: ESRI)

   Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.

   PLOTS_2003-ID

   User-defined feature number. (Source: ESRI)

   Positive real numbers that are automatically generated.

   PLOT_CODE

   Unique Code Used to Identify Plots (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   User-defined feature number.

   PROV_NAME

   Provisional Name of Plant Association Recorded by Field Crew (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Textual defining the provisional name (scientific name) of the association.

   ELCODE

   NVCS CODE for Plant Association (Source: NatureServe)

   Textual and numerical code.

   CLASS_NAME

   Classified Plant Association Name (Source: NatureServe)

   Textual defining the classification name (scientific name) of the association.

   AIR_PHOTO

   Corresponding Aerial Photo Number (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Numerical aerial photo number.

   SUBLOC

   Sub-location of the Point in the Park (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Textual defining sub-location of the plot point.

   QUAD

   Name of the USGS Quadrangle (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Textual quadrangle map name.

   GPS

   Internal Numbering of GPS Waypoint Files (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Values may represent xxx may indicate downloadable GPS file names.

   GPS_TECH

   Description of the GPS Unit (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Trimble.

   FIELD_X

   UTM X Value as Recorded in the Field (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Numerical of X universal transverse mercator location description.

   FIELD_Y

   UTM Y Value as Recorded in the Field (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Numerical of Y universal transverse mercator location description.

   X_NAD83

   Re-projected NAD83 UTM X Value (Source: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation)

   UTM Values were reprojected to NAD83 by USBR using NADCON for those points recorded in UTM NAD27.

   Y_NAD83

   Re-projected NAD83 UTM Y Value (Source: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation)

   UTM Values were reprojected to NAD83 by USBR using NADCON for those points recorded in UTM NAD27.

   UTM_ZONE

   UTM Zone (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Value	Definition
   12	UTM Zone 12

   DATE

   Date of Data Collection (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Numerical of the date the plot was observed.

   SURVEYORS

   Names of the Surveyors Who Collected the Data (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Textual surveyors last names and/or initials.

   XDIM

   X Dimension of Field Plot (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Numerical X dimension of the plot size.

   YDIM

   Y Dimension of Field Plot (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Numerical Y dimension of the plot size.

   PLOT_SHAPE

   Overall Shape of the Plot (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Textual defining the shape of the plot.

   PHOTOS

   Corresponding Ground Photos (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Textual of yes or no for ground photos.

   ROLL

   Roll of Film used to Take Ground Photos (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Textual and numerical of roll number (whole numbers).

   PERMANENT

   Is the Point Permanently Marked in the Field (Yes/No) (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Textual of yes or no for permanently marked point.

   REPRESENT

   Description of How Representative the Point is of the Surrounding Vegetation or Polygon (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Textual representative description.

   SUCCESSION

   Comments on the Succession of the Vegetation in the Plot (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Textual succession comments.

   ELEV

   Elevation of the Plot (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Numerical elevation of plot.

   ELEV_UNITS

   Units of the Elevation Values (feet/meters) (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Textual of feet.

   SLOPE

   Degree of Slope in the Plot (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Numerical of slope degree.

   ASPECT

   General Aspect of the Plot in Degrees (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Numerical of aspect type.

   TOPO_POS

   General Position of the Plot on the Landscape (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Textual of topology position type description.

   LANDFORM

   General Landform that the Plot Occurs On (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Textual of landform description.

   GEOLOGY

   Presence of any Geological Features (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Textual description of the geology surface.

   COWARDIN

   General Wetland Description (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Textual cowadrin classification description.

   HYDRO

   Comments on the Hydrology of the Soils in the Plot (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Textual of hydrology type description.

   ENVIRO

   General Environmental Comments about the Plot (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Textual of environment description.

   LANDSCAPE

   General Landscape Comments about the Plot (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Textual of landscape description.

   TEXTURE

   Soil Texture in the Plot (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Textual of soil texture type description.

   DRAINAGE

   Comments on the Soil Drainage within the Plot (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Textual of the soil drainage type description.

   ZBEDROCK

   Percent (%) of Bedrock in the Plot (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	0
   Maximum:	100
   Units:	Percentage (i.e. 25.000 = 25%)

   ZLROCKS

   Percent (%) of Large Rocks in the Plot (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	0
   Maximum:	100
   Units:	Percentage (i.e. 25.000 = 25%)

   ZSROCKS

   Percent (%) of Small Rocks in the Plot (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	0
   Maximum:	100
   Units:	Percentage (i.e. 25.000 = 25%)

   ZSAND

   Percent (%) of Sand in the Plot (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	0
   Maximum:	100
   Units:	Percentage (i.e. 25.000 = 25%)

   ZLITTER

   Percent (%) of Litter in the Plot (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	0
   Maximum:	100
   Units:	Percentage (i.e. 25.000 = 25%)

   ZWOOD

   Percent (%) of Dead and Down Wood in the Plot (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	0
   Maximum:	100
   Units:	Percentage (i.e. 25.000 = 25%)

   ZWATER

   Percent (%) of Standing Water in the Plot (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	0
   Maximum:	100
   Units:	Percentage (i.e. 25.000 = 25%)

   ZBARESOIL

   Percent (%) of Bare Soil in the Plot (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	0
   Maximum:	100
   Units:	Percentage (i.e. 25.000 = 25%)

   ZOTHER

   Percent (%) of Other Non-vegetated Item in the Plot (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	0
   Maximum:	100
   Units:	Percentage (i.e. 25.000 = 25%)

   OTHER

   Description of the Other Category used in Cover Classes (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Textual misc. comments.

   ZFUNGI

   Percent (%) of Fungi in the Plot (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	0
   Maximum:	100
   Units:	Percentage (i.e. 25.000 = 25%)

   ZMOSS

   Percent (%) of Moss in the Plot (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	0
   Maximum:	100
   Units:	Percentage (i.e. 25.000 = 25%)

   ZLICHEN

   Percent (%) of Lichen in the Plot (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	0
   Maximum:	100
   Units:	Percentage (i.e. 25.000 = 25%)

   PHENOLOGY

   Phenology of the Dominant Stratum in the Plot (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Textual of leaf phenology type description.

   LEAF_TYPE

   General Leaf Type of the Dominant Stratum (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Textual of leaf type description.

   PHYSIO

   Physiognomic Description of the Dominant Stratum (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Textual of physiology class type description.

   T1_HGT

   Height of the Emergent Stratum (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Textual and numerical of T1 height (whole & decimal numbers).

   T1_COVER

   Relative Percent Cover of the Emergent Stratum (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Numerical of T1 cover (whole numbers).

   T2_HGT

   Height of the Canopy Stratum (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Textual and numerical of T2 height (whole & decimal numbers).

   T2_COVER

   Relative Percent Cover of the Canopy Stratum (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Numerical of T2 cover (whole numbers).

   T3_HGT

   Height of the Sub-canopy Stratum (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Textual and numerical of T3 height (whole & decimal numbers).

   T3_COVER

   Relative Percent Cover of the Sub-Canopy Stratum (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Numerical of T3 cover (whole numbers).

   S1_HGT

   Height of the Tall Shrub Stratum (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Textual and numerical of S1 height (whole & decimal numbers).

   S1_COVER

   Relative Percent Cover of the Tall Shrub Stratum (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Textual and numerical of S1 cover (whole numbers).

   S2_HGT

   Height of the Short Shrub Stratum (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Textual and numerical of S2 height (whole & decimal numbers).

   S2_COVER

   Relative Percent Cover of the Short Shrub Stratum (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Textual and numerical of S2 cover (whole numbers).

   S3_HGT

   Height of the Dwarf Shrub Stratum (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Textual and numerical of S3 height (whole & decimal numbers).

   S3_COVER

   Relative Percent Cover of the Dwarf Shrub Stratum (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Textual and numerical of S3 cover (whole numbers).

   H_HGT

   Height of the Herbaceous Stratum (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Textual and numerical of H height (whole & decimal numbers).

   H_COVER

   Relative Percent Cover of the Herbaceous Stratum (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Textual and numerical of H cover (whole numbers).

   N_HGT

   Height of the Non-vascular Stratum (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Textual and numerical of N height (whole & decimal numbers).

   N_COVER

   Relative Percent Cover of the Non-vascular Stratum (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Textual and numerical of N cover (whole numbers).

   ANIMAL_USE

   Evidence of Any Animal Use in the Area (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Textual description of animal use.

   DISTURB

   Evidence of Any Disturbance in the Area (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Textual description of other disturbance.

   COMMENTS

   General Comments About the Data Collection (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Textual of other general description.

   OPTIONAL

   Description of the Optional Fields (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Textual classification comments.

   OPT1

   Description of the Plot Type (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Textual classification comments.

   OPT2

   Dominant Species in the Emergent Stratum (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Textual classification comments.

   OPT3

   Dominant Species in the Canopy Stratum (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Textual classification comments.

   OPT4

   Dominant Species in the Sub-canopy Stratum (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Textual classification comments.

   OPT5

   Dominant Species in the Tall Shrub Stratum (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Textual classification comments.

   OPT6

   Dominant Species in the Short Shrub Stratum (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Textual classification comments.

   OPT7

   Dominant Species in the Dwarf Shrub Stratum (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Textual classification comments.

   OPT8

   Dominant Species in the Herbaceous Stratum (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Textual classification comments.

   OPT9

   Dominant Species in the Non-vascular Stratum (Source: Grand Teton National Park)

   Textual classification comments.

   Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:

   Attributes were either generated by ArcInfo or assigned by Grand Teton National Park or the USBR Remote Sensing GIS Group.

   Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation:

   Grand Teton National Park Vegetation Mapping Project Final Report (DOI - USGS/USBR)

8. What biological taxa does this data set concern?

   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

Who produced the data set?

1. Who are the originators of the data set? (may include formal authors, digital compilers, and editors)
   • USBR Remote Sensing and GIS Group, Denver, Colorado

2. Who also contributed to the data set?

   USBR Remote Sensing and GIS Group: David Salas,Trudy Meyer, and Mike Pucherelli. Others: Dan Cogan (Cogan Technology Inc.) and Gwen Kittle (Nature Serve).

3. To whom should users address questions about the data?
   Bureau of Reclamation
   c/o Mike Pucherelli
   Group Manager
   P.O. Box 25007 Bldg. 56 Denver Federal Center M.S. D-8260
   Denver, Colorado 80225
   United States of America
   

   303-445-2267 (voice)
   303-445-6337 (FAX)
   mpucherelli@do.usbr.gov
   

   Hours_of_Service: 8 am - 5 pm

   Contact_Instructions: None

Why was the data set created?

Plots were collected to characterize the vegetation at Grand Teton National Park and vicinity. This GIS layer was created from the GPS coordinates recorded at the center of each plot to map their distribution and location in the Park.

How was the data set created?

1. From what previous works were the data drawn?

   None (source 1 of 1)

   Unknown, Unknown, None.

   Type_of_Source_Media: paper

   Source_Contribution: None

2. How were the data generated, processed, and modified?

   Date: Unknown (process 1 of 1)

   Plots were subjectively placed by qualified ecologists to characterize the plant communities. Portions of the methodology were derived from the USGS/NPS Vegetation Mapping Program's Field Methods for Vegetation Mapping standard. Vegetation data in each sample plot was recorded by qualified ecologists using a standard NVC plot data collection form. Data was manually transferred to a MS Access database. Point coverage was created by importing the database into ArcView as an event theme.

   Data sources used in this process:

   • None

   Data sources produced in this process:

   • None

3. What similar or related data should the user be aware of?

How reliable are the data; what problems remain in the data set?

1. How well have the observations been checked?

   Positional accuracy is only as good as the GPS receiver used. Thematic accuracy was not checked for this layer. Thematic data was collected on the ground by trained ecologists.

2. How accurate are the geographic locations?

   GPS accuracy varies for each plot. PDOP +/- error values were recorded.

3. How accurate are the heights or depths?

   GPS accuracy varies for each plot. PDOP +/- error values were recorded.

4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?

   All field plots collected in 2002 at Grand Teton National Park are included in this coverage.

5. How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?

   All point features were checked for uniqueness and for correct and complete attributing.

How can someone get a copy of the data set?

Are there legal restrictions on access or use of the data?

Access_Constraints: None

Use_Constraints:

Acknowledgment of the USBR Remote Sensing and GIS Group would be appreciated in products derived from these data. Any person using the information presented here should fully understand the data collection and compilation process before beginning their analysis/use. The burden of determining fitness for use lies with the user.

1. 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
   

2. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set?

   Downloadable Data

3. 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.

4. How can I download or order the data?
   • Availability in digital form:

     Data format:	HTML
     Network links:	<http://biology.usgs.gov/npsveg/grte/index.html>

   • Cost to order the data: None

Who wrote the metadata?

Dates:

Last modified: 27-Dec-2005
Last Reviewed: 27-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:

• <http://www.nbii.gov/portal/server.pt/community/fgdc_metadata/255>