USGS:Biology Biological Informatics Program Vegetation Characterization Program Valley Forge National Historical Park Field Plots Data Metadata

Field Plots Data 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: North Carolina State University, Center for Earth Observation

Publication_Date: 200703

Title:

Vegetation Sampling Plots (Points) for the Association-level Vegetation Map of Valley Forge National Historical Park (VAFO) - Modified

Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: vector digital data

Online_Linkage: <http://biology.usgs.gov/npsveg/vafo/fielddata.html>

Description:

Abstract:

This shapefile includes the locations of vegetation classification sampling plots used to develop an association-level vegetation classification of Valley Forge National Historic Park by the Pennsylvania Science Office of The Nature Conservancy (PSO-TNC) and Nature Serve for the National Park Service. Vegetation plot sampling was performed by staff of PSO-TNC. In this data set, the X, Y coordinates for one plot have been altered to protect a rare plant species that could be vulnerable to collection.

Purpose:

The shapefile shows point locations for vegetation classification sampling points. Locations were determined using a Garmin III+ Gps unit

Time_Period_of_Content:

Time_Period_Information:

Single_Date/Time:

Calendar_Date: 200010

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: -75.470916

East_Bounding_Coordinate: -75.421855

North_Bounding_Coordinate: 40.114312

South_Bounding_Coordinate: 40.082719

Keywords:

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: None

Theme_Keyword: Vegetation Map

Theme_Keyword: Association level

Theme_Keyword: vegetation classification

Place:

Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: None

Place_Keyword: Valley Forge National Historical Park

Temporal:

Temporal_Keyword_Thesaurus: None

Temporal_Keyword: 2004

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

Data_Set_Credit:

The shapefile from which this data set is derived was created by Greg Podniesinski, Pennsylvania Science Office of the Nature Conservancy.

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, Lesley Sneddon, and Julie Lundgren, Pennsylvania Science Office of The Nature Conservancy

Originator:

Hugh Devine, Bill Slocumb, and Frank Koch, North Carolina State University, Center for Earth Observation

Publication_Date: 200511

Title:

Vegetation classification and mapping of Valley Forge National Historical Park, Technical Report NPS/NER/NRTR--2005/028

Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: report

Publication_Information:

Publication_Place: Philadelphia, PA

Publisher: National Park Service, Northeast Region

Data_Quality_Information:

Logical_Consistency_Report: ESRI point geometry

Completeness_Report:

Point locations for all 80 plot locations are included. The X,Y coordinates for one plot (VAFO.10) have been altered, as described in the second processing step below, to protect a rare species that could be vulnerable to collection.

Lineage:

Process_Step:

Process_Description:

Vegetation Sampling (taken from the cross-referenced final report)

Plots were subjectively placed to be most representative of the vegetation within a given formation polygon. All mapped vegetation types were sampled over a range of environmental variation (primarily geology, hydrology, and topographic position) (see Appendix B for field data forms). Plot sizes were determined based on physiognomy: 20 x 20 m for forests and woodlands, 10 x 10 m for shrublands, and 5 x 5 m for herbaceous vegetation. Forest was defined as vegetation with trees over 5 m high and canopy cover between 60 to 100%. Woodland was defined as vegetation with trees over 5 m high and canopy cover 25 to 60%. Shrubland was defined as vegetation with trees and shrubs less than 5 m tall and typically more than 0.5 m tall with shrub cover greater than 25%. Herbaceous vegetation was defined as vegetation with herbs (graminoids, forbs, and ferns) dominant with woody plants (trees and shrubs) typically having less than 25% total cover. The vegetation was visually divided into strata, all the species of each stratum listed, and percent cover (in modified Braun-Blanquet cover classes) estimated for each. Vegetation strata used in sampling were emergent (individual trees significantly taller or emergent relative to the general height of the forest canopy), canopy (general forest canopy), subcanopy (trees with maximum height below general forest canopy, but taller than 5 m in height), tall shrub (saplings and shrubs 2 to 5 m in height), short shrubs (woody plants under 2 m in height), herbaceous (grasses, sedges, forbs, and ferns), vines and lianas (perennial woody vegetation with a vine habit), and non-vascular (mosses and lichens. Species that were not identifiable in the field were collected for later identification. In addition to floristic information the following environmental information was recorded: flooding regime, soil moisture regime, slope, aspect, and evidence of disturbance. Additional notes on plot setting, other environmental factors, surrounding stand, etc., were recorded as appropriate. Location of each plot was recorded using a Garmin III Plus GPS unit, with datum set to North America Datum 1983 (Conus) and coordinate system set to Universal Trans-Mercator (UTM) Zone 18 North. The vegetation / topographic profile was sketched in cross-section to represent the location and setting of the plot. A photo was taken of each sample plot.

The Pennsylvania Science Office of The Nature Conservancy (PSO/ TNC) completed sampling of 80 plant community plots at the Valley Forge National Historical Site between May and October 2000. A complete copy of original and transcribed field data sheets was sent to the NatureServe regional ecologist in Boston for use in developing crosswalks between park vegetation types and the National Vegetation Classification System.

Process_Date: 2000

Source_Produced_Citation_Abbreviation: Vegetation plots shapefile

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: 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

Process_Step:

Process_Description:

The vegetation plots shapefile was altered to create a shapefile suitable for public distribution. The X, Y coordinates for each plot that contains a rare plant species that could be vulnerable to collection were rounded as follows: the coordinate value was rounded up if the last three digits = 000-499; the coordinate value was rounded down if the last three digits = 500-999. Coordinates were altered in this manner for one plot. As a result, it is possible that the point now falls outside the park boundary. A field named "crd_alt" was added to the shapefile attribute table; the value for this field is "no" if the plot coordinates have not been altered and "yes" if the plot coordinates were altered.

Process_Date: 200703

Process_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Organization_Primary:

Contact_Organization:

North Carolina State University (NCSU), Center for Earth Observation

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: mailing address

Address: Campus Box 7106

City: Raleigh

State_or_Province: NC

Postal_Code: 27695-7106

Country: United States

Contact_Voice_Telephone: 919 515-3430

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: 80

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: vafoplots_mod

Entity_Type_Definition:

Attribute table for shapefile of vegetation classification plots for Valley Forge National Historical Park

Entity_Type_Definition_Source: PSO-TNC

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: PLOT_ID

Attribute_Definition:

Unique ID that relates this spatial data layer to the Plots table in the PLOTS (MS Access) database.

Attribute_Definition_Source: NPS

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Range_Domain:

Range_Domain_Minimum: VAFO.1

Range_Domain_Maximum: VAFO.80

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: crd_alt

Attribute_Definition:

Field used to indicate whether X, Y coordinates for the plot have been altered to protect a rare species that could be vulnerable to collection

Attribute_Definition_Source: NCSU

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Enumerated_Domain:

Enumerated_Domain_Value: yes

Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: The X, Y coordinates for the plot have been altered.

Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: NCSU

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Enumerated_Domain:

Enumerated_Domain_Value: no

Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: The X, Y coordinates for the plot have not been altered.

Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: NCSU

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

Resource_Description: Downloadable Data

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/fielddata.html>

Access_Instructions: Internet Access

Fees: None

Metadata_Reference_Information:

Metadata_Date: 200703

Metadata_Review_Date: 200711086

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