Accuracy Assessment 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   USBR Remote Sensing and GIS Group, Denver, Colorado, Unpublished Material, saan_aa_pts: None None, None, None.

   Online Links:

   • <http://biology.usgs.gov/npsveg/ftp/vegmapping/saan/saanaa.zip>

   Other_Citation_Details: None

2. What geographic area does the data set cover?

   West_Bounding_Coordinate: -98.494619

   East_Bounding_Coordinate: -98.158230

   North_Bounding_Coordinate: 29.390756

   South_Bounding_Coordinate: 29.091861

   Description_of_Geographic_Extent: San Antonio Missions National Historical Park and environs

3. What does it look like?

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

   Beginning_Date: 2006

   Ending_Date: 2006

   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 (124)
      • 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 0.000001
      Ordinates (y-coordinates) are specified to the nearest 0.000001
      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?

   saan_aa_pts

   Feature Class (Source: San Antonio Missions National Historical Park)

   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 AA Points (Source: Roger Sanders)

   Unique Code Used to Identify AA Points.

   NAME1

   Map Class Name of the Primary AA Choice (Source: Roger Sanders)

   Textual first other plant association name.

   MAP_CODE

   Corresponding Map Code of the Primary Plant Association Choice (Source: Roger Sanders)

   Global explanation of map class codes used for field and map calls.

   NAME2

   Map Class Name for the Secondary AA Choice (Source: Roger Sanders)

   Textual second other plant association name.

   MAP_CODE2

   Corresponding Map Code of the Secondary Plant Association Choice (Source: Roger Sanders)

   Global explanation of map class codes used for field and map calls.

   FINAL_CODE

   Final Code for the Map Class used in the Accuracy Assessment (Source: Roger Sanders)

   Numerical final map code used in AA.

   COUNTY

   Texas County were Data was Recorded (Source: Roger Sanders)

   Bexar or Wilson counties.

   LOCATION

   Location of the AA Point (Source: Roger Sanders)

   Project-derived location descriptions providing AA point location.

   SUBLOC

   Sub-location of the Point in the Park (Source: Roger Sanders)

   Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.

   TARGET

   AA Target Number to be Sampled (Source: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation)

   Coordinates defining the features.

   QUAD

   Name of the USGS Quadrangle that the Point is on (Source: Roger Sanders)

   USGS Quadrangle name.

   GPS

   GPS Units Used to Record the Location (Source: Roger Sanders)

   Type of GPS unit used.

   X_CORRECT

   Corrected UTM X Value (Source: Roger Sanders)

   Easting coordinate collected during field assessment.

   Y_CORRECT

   Corrected UTM Y Value (Source: Roger Sanders)

   Northing coordinate collected during field assessment.

   UTM_ZONE

   UTM Zone of the AA Point (Source: Roger Sanders)

   UTM Zone 14.

   DATUM

   Projection Datum of the AA Point (Source: Roger Sanders)

   NAD 83.

   ERROR

   GPS Error (Source: Roger Sanders)

   GPS error in meters.

   DATE

   Date of Data Collection (Source: Roger Sanders)

   Numerical of the date the plot was observed.

   SURVEYORS

   Names of the Surveyors Who Collected the Data (Source: Roger Sanders)

   Textual surveyors last name.

   SLOPE

   Degree of Slope at the Point (Source: Roger Sanders)

   Textual of slope type description.

   ASPECT

   General Aspect of the Point in Degrees (Source: Roger Sanders)

   Value	Definition
   N	North
   NE	North East
   E	East
   SE	Southeast
   S	South
   SW	Southwest
   W	West
   NW	Northwest
   Variable	Flat or Undulating

   TOPO_POS

   General Position of the Point on the Landscape (Source: Roger Sanders)

   Textual of topology position type description.

   LANDFORM

   General Landform that the Point lies on (Source: Roger Sanders)

   Textual of landform description.

   COWARDIN

   General Wetland Description (Source: Roger Sanders)

   Textual cowadrin classification description.

   ENVIRO

   General Environmental Comments about the Point (Source: Roger Sanders)

   Textual of environment description.

   BEDROCK

   Percent (%) of Bedrock in the Plot (Source: Roger Sanders)

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

   L_ROCKS

   Percent (%) of Large Rocks in the Plot (Source: Roger Sanders)

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

   S_ROCKS

   Percent (%) of Small Rocks in the Plot (Source: Roger Sanders)

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

   SAND

   Percent (%) of Sand in the Plot (Source: Roger Sanders)

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

   LITTER

   Percent (%) of Litter in the Plot (Source: Roger Sanders)

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

   WOOD

   Percent (%) of Dead and Down Wood in the Plot (Source: Roger Sanders)

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

   WATER

   Percent (%) of Standing Water in the Plot (Source: Roger Sanders)

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

   BARE_SOIL

   Percent (%) of Bare Soil in the Plot (Source: Roger Sanders)

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

   OTHER

   Percent (%) of Other Non-vegetated Item in the Plot (Source: Roger Sanders)

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

   DESCRIPT

   Description of the Other Category used in Cover Classes (Source: Roger Sanders)

   Textual description of other information found within the site.

   PHENOLOGY

   Phenology of the Dominant Stratum in the Plot (Source: Roger Sanders)

   Textual of leaf phenology type description.

   LEAF_TYPE

   General Leaf Type of the Dominant Stratum (Source: Roger Sanders)

   Textual of leaf type description.

   PHYSIO

   Physiognomic Description of the Dominant Stratum (Source: Roger Sanders)

   Textual of physiology class type description.

   T1_HGT

   Height of the Emergent Stratum (Source: Roger Sanders)

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

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

   T1_COVER

   Relative Percent Cover of the Emergent Stratum (Source: Roger Sanders)

   Numerical of T1 cover (whole numbers).

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

   T2_HGT

   Height of the Canopy Stratum (Source: Roger Sanders)

   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: Roger Sanders)

   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: Roger Sanders)

   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: Roger Sanders)

   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: Roger Sanders)

   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: Roger Sanders)

   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: Roger Sanders)

   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: Roger Sanders)

   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: Roger Sanders)

   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: Roger Sanders)

   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: Roger Sanders)

   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: Roger Sanders)

   Textual and numerical of H cover (whole numbers).

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

   HETERO

   Description of the heterogeneity of the vegetation in the vicinity of the AA point (Source: Roger Sanders)

   Textual vegetation description near AA points.

   CLASS

   Description of how well the vegetation at the AA Point could be classified (Source: Roger Sanders)

   Textual AA vegetation classified description.

   DISTURB

   Evidence of Any Disturbance in the Area (Source: Roger Sanders)

   Textual description of other disturbance.

   PHOTOS

   Corresponding Ground Photos (Source: Roger Sanders)

   Ground photos relating to AA points.

   SPECIES

   Number of Plant Species Recorded at the Plot (Source: Roger Sanders)

   Numerical count of plant species at each accuracy assessment point.

   Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:

   Attributes were either generated by ArcInfo or assigned by U.S. Bureau of Reclamation or Roger Sanders..

   Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation:

   San Antonio Missions 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: 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?

Points were collected on the ground to calculate the thematic accuracy of the vegetation map.

How was the data set created?

1. From what previous works were the data drawn?

   None (source 1 of 1)

   None, Unpublished Material, None: Unknown, Unknown.

   Type_of_Source_Media: paper

   Source_Scale_Denominator: Ground Condition

   Source_Contribution: None

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

   Date: 2006 (process 1 of 1)

   Points were located using a stratified random sampling method. Portions of the methodology were derived from the USGS/NPS Vegetation Mapping Program's Accuracy Assessment Procedures. Vegetation data at each point was recorded by qualified ecologists using a standard NVC Point 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)
   dancogan@cogantech.com
   

   Hours_of_Service: 8 am - 5 pm

   Contact_Instructions: None

   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 points required for the accuracy assessment at San Antonio Missions 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/saan/index.html>

   • Cost to order the data: None

Who wrote the metadata?

Dates:

Last modified: 13-Mar-2008
Last Reviewed: 14-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>