USGS:Biology Biological Informatics Program Vegetation Characterization Program Valley Forge National Historical Park Accuracy Assessment Metadata

Accuracy Assessment Metadata

Metadata also available as - [Questions & Answers] - [Text] - [Adobe Acrobat pdf file]

Metadata:

• Identification_Information
• Data_Quality_Information
• Spatial_Data_Organization_Information
• Spatial_Reference_Information
• Entity_and_Attribute_Information
• Distribution_Information
• Metadata_Reference_Information

Identification_Information:

Citation:

Citation_Information:

Originator:

Greg Podniesinski, Pennsylvania Science Office of the Nature Conservancy

Publication_Date: 20041206

Title:

Thematic Accuracy Assessment Points for the Association-level Vegetation Map of Valley Forge National Historical Park (VAFO)

Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: vector digital data

Online_Linkage:

<http://biology.usgs.gov/npsveg/vafo/index.html#accuracy_assessment_info>

Description:

Abstract:

This shapefile includes the accuracy assessment points used to assess the association-level vegetation map of Valley Forge National Historic Park developed by the Center for Earth Observation, the Pennsylvania Science Office of the The Nature Conservancy (PSO-TNC) and Nature Serve for the National Park Service. Accuracy assessment was performed by staff of PSO-TNC.

Purpose:

The shapefile shows point locations for accuracy assesment observation points. Locations were determined using a Garmin III+ Gps unit

Time_Period_of_Content:

Time_Period_Information:

Single_Date/Time:

Calendar_Date: 200109

Currentness_Reference: ground condition

Status:

Progress: Complete

Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: None planned

Spatial_Domain:

Description_of_Geographic_Extent: Valley Forge National Historical Park and environs

Bounding_Coordinates:

West_Bounding_Coordinate: -75.472342

East_Bounding_Coordinate: -75.417142

North_Bounding_Coordinate: 40.121246

South_Bounding_Coordinate: 40.079016

Keywords:

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: None

Theme_Keyword: Vegetation Map

Theme_Keyword: Association level

Theme_Keyword: Accuracy assessment

Place:

Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: None

Place_Keyword: Valley Forge National Historical Park

Temporal:

Temporal_Keyword_Thesaurus: None

Temporal_Keyword: 2001

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

Access_Constraints: None

Use_Constraints: None

Point_of_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Person_Primary:

Contact_Person: Greg Podniesinski

Contact_Organization: Pennsylvania Science Office of the Nature Conservancy

Contact_Position: Ecologist

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: mailing address

Address: 208 Airport Road

City: Middletown

State_or_Province: Pennsylvania

Postal_Code: 17057

Country: United States

Contact_Voice_Telephone: 717-948-3842

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: c-gpodnies@state.pa.us

Native_Data_Set_Environment:

Microsoft Windows XP Version 5.1 (Build 2600) Service Pack 2; ESRI ArcCatalog 9.0.0.535

Cross_Reference:

Citation_Information:

Originator:

Greg Podniesinski, Pennsylvania Science Office of the Nature Conservancy

Originator:

Stephanie Perles, Pennsylvania Science Office of the Nature Conservancy

Originator: Lesley Sneddon, NatureServe

Originator:

Bill Millinor, North Carolina State University Center for Earth Observation

Publication_Date: 200412

Title:

Vegetation classification and mapping of Hopewell National Historic Site

Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: report

Publication_Information:

Publication_Place: Middletown, Pennsylvania

Publisher: Pennsylvania Science Office of the Nature Conservancy

Data_Quality_Information:

Logical_Consistency_Report: ESRI Point Geometry exists.

Completeness_Report: Locations for all 308 accuracy assessment points are included.

Positional_Accuracy:

Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy:

Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Report:

Mean horizontal accuracy of thematic accuracy assessment points was 2.55 m +/- 1.067m STD

Lineage:

Source_Information:

Source_Citation:

Citation_Information:

Originator: Kucera International

Publication_Date: 200204

Title:

Spring 2002 False Color Infrared aerial photography, 1:12000 scale

Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: aerial photography

Type_of_Source_Media: color ir aerial transparencies

Source_Time_Period_of_Content:

Time_Period_Information:

Single_Date/Time:

Calendar_Date: 200204

Source_Currentness_Reference: publication date

Source_Citation_Abbreviation: photos

Source_Contribution: Aerial view of Valley Forge NHP

Process_Step:

Process_Description:

Thematic Accuracy Assessment Field Methods (from the cross-referenced final report)

Thematic accuracy assessment has several objectives including to assess the data's suitability for a particular application, to inform the map producers to learn more about data errors and improve the mapping process, and to conform to production standards.

Accuracy assessment (AA) sampling design followed the guidelines provided in the NBS/NPS Vegetation Mapping Program (The Nature Conservancy 1994) manuals with respect to the number of AA points sampled and their distribution across park polygons. The sampling design called for 308 points across 24 polygon types during the 2001 field season. Natural and anthropogenic polygon types were included in the AA. AA sampling coordinates were selected by generating random points within the minimum and maximum easting and northing UTM coordinates of the park's extent. Points within 30 m of a polygon border were eliminated to avoid sampling within ecotones. If two or more points still remained in a polygon, one point was randomly chosen and the others discarded. In several of the larger polygons up to six AA points were selected. In the case of some smaller polygons, additional random point selection was required before a random point fell into those polygons. Also, in some polygons it was not possible to locate an AA point 30 m from a border, in which case the AA point was manually located equidistant from polygon borders.

AA points were located in the field using a Garmin III Plus GPS unit. Data collection included accuracy assessment plot number and GPS location information, vegetation type at the AA point, vegetation type(s) within 50 m of the AA point, dominant species by strata, canopy closure, and rationale for classification. This data is stored in the PLOTS database (MS Aceess). Vegetation associations were identified using the vegetation key developed for the park. AA results were analyzed using a sample misclassification matrix. Overall accuracy, Kappa index and 90 % confidence intervals were calculated as described in the Accuracy Assessment Procedures-USGS/NPS Vegetation Mapping Program manual (The Nature Conservancy 1994).

Process_Date: 2001

Process_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Person_Primary:

Contact_Person: Greg Podniesinski

Contact_Organization: Pennsylvania Science Office of the Nature Conservancy

Contact_Position: Ecologist

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: mailing address

Address: 208 Airport Road

City: Middletwon

State_or_Province: Pennsylvania

Postal_Code: 17057

Country: United States

Contact_Voice_Telephone: (717) 948-3842

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: c-gpodnies@state.pa.us

Spatial_Data_Organization_Information:

Direct_Spatial_Reference_Method: Vector

Point_and_Vector_Object_Information:

SDTS_Terms_Description:

SDTS_Point_and_Vector_Object_Type: Entity point

Point_and_Vector_Object_Count: 308

Spatial_Reference_Information:

Horizontal_Coordinate_System_Definition:

Planar:

Grid_Coordinate_System:

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_Coordinate_Information:

Planar_Coordinate_Encoding_Method: coordinate pair

Coordinate_Representation:

Abscissa_Resolution: 0.000008

Ordinate_Resolution: 0.000008

Planar_Distance_Units: meters

Geodetic_Model:

Horizontal_Datum_Name: North American Datum of 1983

Ellipsoid_Name: Geodetic Reference System 80

Semi-major_Axis: 6378137.000000

Denominator_of_Flattening_Ratio: 298.257222

Entity_and_Attribute_Information:

Detailed_Description:

Entity_Type:

Entity_Type_Label: VAFO_VEG_AA_2005

Entity_Type_Definition: Accuracy Assessment sample plot locations for Valley Forge

Entity_Type_Definition_Source: PSO-TNCNational Historic Site

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: FID

Attribute_Definition: Internal feature number.

Attribute_Definition_Source: ESRI

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Unrepresentable_Domain:

Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: Shape

Attribute_Definition: Feature geometry.

Attribute_Definition_Source: ESRI

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Unrepresentable_Domain: Coordinates defining the features.

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: AA_OBS_ID

Attribute_Definition:

Unique ID that relates this spatial data layer to the AA Observations table in the PLOTS database.

Attribute_Definition_Source: NPS

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Unrepresentable_Domain: All IDs are prefixed with "VAFO" so an example ID is "VAFO.1"

Distribution_Information:

Distributor:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Organization_Primary:

Contact_Organization: USGS Center for Biological Informatics

Contact_Position: USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping Program Coordinator

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: mailing and physical address

Address:

United States Geological Survey, Center for Biological Informatics

Address: MS 302, Bldg 810, Room 8000

Address: Denver Federal Center

City: Denver

State_or_Province: Colorado

Postal_Code: 80225

Country: USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone: 303 202-4220

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 303 202-4219

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 303 202-4229

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: gs-b-npsveg@usgs.gov

Distribution_Liability:

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.

Standard_Order_Process:

Digital_Form:

Digital_Transfer_Information:

Format_Name: HTML

Digital_Transfer_Option:

Online_Option:

Computer_Contact_Information:

Network_Address:

Network_Resource_Name:

<http://biology.usgs.gov/npsveg/vafo/index.html#accuracy_assessment_info>

Access_Instructions: Internet Access

Fees: None

Metadata_Reference_Information:

Metadata_Date: 20050722

Metadata_Review_Date: 20071108

Metadata_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Organization_Primary:

Contact_Organization: USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping Program Coordinator

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: mailing and physical address

Address:

U.S. Geological Survey, Center for Biological Informatics, MS 302,
Room 8000, Building 810, Denver Federal Center

City: Denver

State_or_Province: Colorado

Postal_Code: 80225

Country: USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone: (303) 202-4220

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: (303) 202-4219

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: gs-b-npsveg@usgs.gov

Metadata_Standard_Name:

FGDC-STD-001.1-1999 Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata, 1998 Part 1: Biological Data Profile, 1999

Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001-1998

Metadata_Extensions:

Online_Linkage:

<http://metadata.nbii.gov/portal/community/Communities/Toolkit/Metadata/FGDC_Metadata/>

Profile_Name: Biological Data Profile FGDC-STD-001.1-1999