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   USBR Remote Sensing and GIS Group, Denver, Colorado, Unpublished Material, lyjo_plots: None None, None, None.

   Online Links:

   • <http://biology.usgs.gov/npsveg/ftp/vegmapping/lyjo/lyjoplot.zip>

   Other_Citation_Details: None

2. What geographic area does the data set cover?

   West_Bounding_Coordinate: -98.636333

   East_Bounding_Coordinate: -98.412399

   North_Bounding_Coordinate: 30.276334

   South_Bounding_Coordinate: 30.234155

   Description_of_Geographic_Extent: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park

3. What does it look like?

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

   Calendar_Date: 2005

   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 Point data set. It contains the following vector data types (SDTS terminology):

      • Entity point (36)
      • 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: 14

      Transverse_Mercator:

      Scale_Factor_at_Central_Meridian: 0.999600

      Longitude_of_Central_Meridian: -99.000000

      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 0.000032
      Ordinates (y-coordinates) are specified to the nearest 0.000032
      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?

   lyjo_plots

   attributes from shapefile table (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

   OTHER

   Description of the Other Category used in Cover Classes (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

   Textual description of other information found within the site.

   FID

   Internal feature number. (Source: ESRI)

   Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.

   Shape

   Feature geometry. (Source: ESRI)

   Coordinates defining the features.

   PLOT_CODE

   Unique Code Used to Identify Plots (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

   Unique plot number.

   PROV_NAME

   Provisional Name of Plant Association Recorded by Field Crew (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

   Textual common association name.

   ELCODE

   NVCS CODE for Plant Association (Source: NatureServe)

   Textual and numerical code.

   CLASS_NAME

   Classified Plant Association Name (Source: NatureServe)

   Textual Scientific association name.

   SUBLOC

   Sub-location of the Point in the Park (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

   Textual description of the sub-location.

   QUAD

   Name of the USGS Quadrangle (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

   USGS Quadrangle name.

   PHENOLOGY

   Phenology of the Dominant Stratum in the Plot (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

   Textual of leaf phenology type description.

   GPS_TECH

   Internal GPS File Name (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

   Numerical GPS file name.

   FIELD_X

   UTM X Value as Recorded in the Field (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

   Easting coordinate collected in the field.

   FIELD_Y

   UTM Y Value as Recorded in the Field (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

   Northing coordinate collected in the field.

   UTM_ZONE

   UTM Zone (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

   UTM Zone 14.

   DATE

   Date of Data Collection (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

   Numerical of the date the plot was observed.

   SURVEYORS

   Names of the Surveyors Who Collected the Data (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

   Textual surveyors last name.

   XDIM

   X Dimension of Field Plot (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

   Textual and numerical of X dimension (whole numbers).

   Range of values
   Minimum:	0
   Maximum:	100
   Units:	Meters

   YDIM

   Y Dimension of Field Plot (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

   Textual and numerical of Y dimension (whole numbers).

   Range of values
   Minimum:	0
   Maximum:	100
   Units:	Meters

   PLOT_SHAPE

   Overall Shape of the Plot (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

   Textual defining the shape of the plot.

   PHOTOS

   Where Ground Photos Taken of the Plot (True/False) (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

   Ground photos relating to plot points.

   PERMANENT

   Is the Point Permanently Marked in the Field (Yes/No) (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

   Textual of yes/no for permanent plots.

   REPRESENT

   Description of How Representative the Point is of the Surrounding Vegetation or Polygon (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

   Textual of representiveness description.

   ELEV

   Elevation of the Plot (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

   Numerical elevation of plot.

   ELEV_UNITS

   Units of the Elevation Values (feet/meters) (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

   Elevation units in feet/meters.

   SLOPE

   Degree of Slope in the Plot (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

   Numerical of slope in degrees.

   ASPECT

   General Aspect of the Plot in Degrees (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

   Numerical of aspect in degrees.

   TOPO_POS

   General Position of the Plot on the Landscape (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

   Textual of topology position type description.

   LANDFORM

   General Landform that the Plot Occurs On (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

   Textual of landform description.

   GEOLOGY

   Presence of any Geological Features (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

   Textual description of the geology surface.

   COWARDIN

   General Wetland Description (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

   Textual cowadrin classification description.

   HYDRO

   Comments on the Hydrology of the Soils in the Plot (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

   Textual hydrology type description.

   ENVIRO

   General Environmental Comments about the Plot (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

   Textual of environment description.

   LANDSCAPE

   General Landscape Comments about the Plot (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

   Textual of landform description.

   TEXTURE

   Soil Texture in the Plot (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

   Textual of soil texture description.

   ZLROCKS

   Percent (%) of Large Rocks in the Plot (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

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

   ZSAND

   Percent (%) of Sand in the Plot (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical 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: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

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

   ZBARESOIL

   Percent (%) of Bare Soil in the Plot (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical 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: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

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

   LEAF_TYPE

   General Leaf Type of the Dominant Stratum (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

   Textual of leaf type description.

   PHYSIO

   Physiognomic Description of the Dominant Stratum (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

   Textual of physiology class type description.

   T2_HGT

   Height of the Canopy Stratum (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

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

   Range of values
   Minimum:	0
   Maximum:	100
   Units:	Range in meters (i.e. 0.5 - 1 m)

   T2_COVER

   Relative Percent Cover of the Canopy Stratum (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

   Numerical of T2 cover (whole numbers).

   Range of values
   Minimum:	0
   Maximum:	100
   Units:	Midpoint of the Cover Scale = Percentage (i.e. 80 = 80%)

   T3_HGT

   Height of the Sub-canopy Stratum (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

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

   Range of values
   Minimum:	0
   Maximum:	100
   Units:	Range in meters (i.e. 0.5 - 1 m)

   T3_COVER

   Relative Percent Cover of the Sub-Canopy Stratum (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

   Numerical of T3 cover (whole numbers).

   Range of values
   Minimum:	0
   Maximum:	100
   Units:	Midpoint of the Cover Scale = Percentage (i.e. 80 = 80%)

   S1_HGT

   Height of the Tall Shrub Stratum (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

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

   Range of values
   Minimum:	0
   Maximum:	100
   Units:	Range in meters (i.e. 0.5 - 1 m)

   S1_COVER

   Relative Percent Cover of the Tall Shrub Stratum (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

   Numerical of S1 cover (whole numbers).

   Range of values
   Minimum:	0
   Maximum:	100
   Units:	Midpoint of the Cover Scale = Percentage (i.e. 80 = 80%)

   S2_HGT

   Height of the Short Shrub Stratum (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

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

   Range of values
   Minimum:	0
   Maximum:	100
   Units:	Range in meters (i.e. 0.5 - 1 m)

   S2_COVER

   Relative Percent Cover of the Short Shrub Stratum (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

   Numerical of S2 cover (whole numbers).

   Range of values
   Minimum:	0
   Maximum:	100
   Units:	Midpoint of the Cover Scale = Percentage (i.e. 80 = 80%)

   S3_HGT

   Height of the Dwarf Shrub Stratum (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

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

   Range of values
   Minimum:	0
   Maximum:	100
   Units:	Range in meters (i.e. 0.5 - 1 m)

   S3_COVER

   Relative Percent Cover of the Dwarf Shrub Stratum (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

   Numerical of S3 cover (whole numbers).

   Range of values
   Minimum:	0
   Maximum:	100
   Units:	Midpoint of the Cover Scale = Percentage (i.e. 80 = 80%)

   H_HGT

   Height of the Herbaceous Stratum (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

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

   Range of values
   Minimum:	0
   Maximum:	100
   Units:	Range in meters (i.e. 0.5 - 1 m)

   H_COVER

   Relative Percent Cover of the Herbaceous Stratum (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

   Numerical of H cover (whole numbers).

   Range of values
   Minimum:	0
   Maximum:	100
   Units:	Midpoint of the Cover Scale = Percentage (i.e. 80 = 80%)

   ANIMAL_USE

   Evidence of Any Animal Use in the Area (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

   Textual description of animal use.

   DISTURB

   Evidence of Any Disturbance in the Area (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

   Textual description of other disturbance.

   COMMENTS

   General Comments About the Data Collection (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

   Textual comments description of collected data.

   COUNTY

   The Texas County the Plots was Recorded in (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

   Texas County name.

   DRAINAGE

   Comments on the Soil Drainage within the Plot (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

   Soil drainage description type.

   LOCATION

   Location of the Plot (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

   Project-derived location descriptions providing plot point location.

   ZSROCKS

   Percent (%) of Small Rocks in the Plot (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

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

   DIRECTIONS

   General Directions to the Plot Center (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

   Textual direction description of locations.

   ZLITTER

   Percent (%) of Litter in the Plot (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

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

   PHOTO

   Number of the Cooresponding Ground Photo (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

   Ground photos relating to plot points.

   ZWATER

   Percent (%) of Standing Water in the Plot (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

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

   DATUM

   The Projection Datum of the GPS Point (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

   NAD 83.

   PDOP

   Positional Dilution of Position (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

   GPS accuracy from position.

   SOIL

   General Description of the Soils on the Plot (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

   Textual soil description of plot.

   SPECIES

   Number of Plant Species Recorded at the Plot (Source: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park)

   Numerical count of plant species at each plot point.

   Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:

   Attributes were either generated by ArcInfo or assigned by Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park or NatureServe.

   Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation:

   Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park 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.), Roger Sanders (formally with the Botanical Research Institute of Texas) and Jim Drake (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 Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical 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)

   None, None, None.

   Type_of_Source_Media: paper

   Source_Scale_Denominator: None

   Source_Contribution: None

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

   Date: Unknown (process 1 of 4)

   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.

   Person who carried out this activity:
   

   Dan Cogan
   Cogan Technology Inc.
   Vice-President
   21 Valley Road
   Galena, Illinois 61036
   United States of America
   

   815-777-1773 (voice)
   None (FAX)
   gs-b-npsveg@usgs.gov
   

   Hours_of_Service: 8 am - 5 pm

   Contact_Instructions: None

   Data sources used in this process:

   • None

   Data sources produced in this process:

   • None

   Date: Unknown (process 2 of 4)

   Metadata imported.

   Data sources used in this process:

   • C:\Projects\nps\grte\CD\GIS_Data\NAD83\Vegetation_Data\Field_Plots\2002_Plots\Spatial_data\metadata.xml

   Date: Unknown (process 3 of 4)

   Metadata imported.

   Data sources used in this process:

   • C:\Projects\nps\grte\CD\GIS_Data\NAD83\Vegetation_Data\Field_Plots\2002_Plots\Spatial_data\2002_plots_cov\plots_2002\metadata.xml

   Date: Unknown (process 4 of 4)

   Metadata imported.

   Data sources used in this process:

   • C:\DOCUME~1\Dan\LOCALS~1\Temp\xml6C.tmp

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. No GPS error or PDOP values were recorded.

3. How accurate are the heights or depths?

   GPS accuracy varies for each plot.

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

   All field plots collected in 2005 at Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical 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: None

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/lyjo/index.html>

   • Cost to order the data: None

Who wrote the metadata?

Dates:

Last modified: 19-Dec-2006
Last Reviewed: 02-Jun-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>