Accuracy Assessment FAQ Metadata
Frequently-anticipated questions:
- Title: Wind Cave National Park Vegetation Mapping Project - Accuracy Assessment Points
- Abstract:
-
The accuracy assessment field work was performed
to verify the accuracy of the vegetation communities
spatial data developed by the USGS-NPS Vegetation
Mapping Program for Wind Cave National Park. The
data points were stratified according to
vegetation association over the project area
according to protocols developed by the Program.
Points were located by GPS navigation and the
community information was collected at the point,
without knowledge of the attributes of the
vegetation spatial data. Accuracy assessment attribute
were composed with the map codes and a contigency
table was developed.
- How should this data set be cited?
U.S. Geological Survey, and Department of the Interior, 19990430, Wind Cave National Park Accuracy Assessment: USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping Program Wind Cave National Park, USGS Core Science Systems, Core Science Analytics and Synthesis, Denver, CO.
Online Links:
- What geographic area does the data set cover?
- West_Bounding_Coordinate: -103.6194
- East_Bounding_Coordinate: -103.3222
- North_Bounding_Coordinate: 43.65139
- South_Bounding_Coordinate: 43.50639
- Description_of_Geographic_Extent:
-
Wind Cave National Park, SD including approx 5 mile buffer around park
which includes private lands and portions of Custer State Park and Black
Hills National Forest.
- What does it look like?
- <http://biology.usgs.gov/npsveg/wica/images/wicaaa.pdf> (PDF)
-
440 kbyte file showing vegetation associations and
location of accuracy assessment points
- Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
- Beginning_Date: Sep-1998
- Ending_Date: Dec-1998
- Currentness_Reference: Source of data collection
- What is the general form of this data set?
- Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: database and report
- How does the data set represent geographic features?
- How are geographic features stored in the data set?
This is a Vector data set.
It contains the following vector data types (SDTS terminology):
- What coordinate system is used to represent geographic features?
- Grid_Coordinate_System_Name: Universal Transverse Mercator
- Universal_Transverse_Mercator:
-
- UTM_Zone_Number: 13
- Transverse_Mercator:
-
- Longitude_of_Central_Meridian: -105
- Latitude_of_Projection_Origin: 0
- False_Easting: 500000
- False_Northing: 0
- Scale_Factor_at_Central_Meridian: .9996
Planar coordinates are encoded using coordinate pair
Abscissae (x-coordinates) are specified to the nearest 1
Ordinates (y-coordinates) are specified to the nearest 1
Planar coordinates are specified in meters
The horizontal datum used is North American Datum of 1983.
The ellipsoid used is Geodedic Reference System 80.
The semi-major axis of the ellipsoid used is 6378137.
The flattening of the ellipsoid used is 1/298.257.
- How does the data set describe geographic features?
- Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:
-
The National Vegetation Classification Standard is
organized hierarchically to support conservation
and resource stewardship applications across
multiple scales. The upper levels of the hierarchy
are based on the physical form or structure of the
vegetation (physiognomy) and have been refined
from the international standards developed by the
United nations Educational, Scientific, and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The two most
detailed levels of the hierarchy are based on the
species composition of existing vegetation
(floristics) and reflect the phyto-sociological
standards that were originally developed by
European ecologists. The vegetation classification
is continually advanced through the collection and
analysis of new field data and will be greatly
strengthened during the course of the USGS-NPS
mapping efforts. Data file attributes include
species, alliance, and community element.
0=no data
1=Purple Three-awn - Fetid Marigold Herbaceous Vegetation
2=Ponderosa Pine Limestone Cliff Sparse Vegetation
3=Redbeds Sparse Vegetation
4=Black Hills Rock Outcrop Sparse Vegetation
5=Shale Barren Slope Sparse Vegetation
6=White Sedimentary Rock Outcrop
7=Bisonj Wallows
11=Little Bluestem - Grama Grass - Threadleaf Sedge Herbaceous Vegetation (with burned ponderosa pine)
12=Chokecherry Shrubland (with burned ponderosa pine)
13=Western Wheatgrass - Kentucky Bluegrass Grassland Complex (with burned ponderosa pine)
14=Emergent Wetland Herbaceous Complex (with burned ponderosa pine)
15=Little Bluestem - Grama Grass - Threadleaf Sedge Herbaceous Vegetation
16=Western Wheatgrass - Kentucky Bluegrass Grassland Complex
17=Introduced Weedy Graminoid Herbaceous Vegetation
18=Needle-and-thread - Blue Grama - Threadleaf Sedge Herbaceous Vegetation
30=Mountain Mahogany / Sideoats Shrubland I (15-50% cover)
31=Mountain Mahogany / Sideoats Grama Dense Shrubland II (50-100% cover)
32=Lead Plant Shrubland
33=Chokecherry Shrubland
34=Beaked Willow Shrubland
35=Western Snowberry Shrubland
36=Creeping Juniper / Little Bluestem Shrubland
40=Plains Cottonwood / Western Snowberry Forest
41=Boxelder / Chokecherry Forest
42=Bur Oak Stand
43=Green Ash - American Elm / Western Snowberry Forest
44=Birch - Aspen Stands
45=Ponderosa Pine Woodland Complex I (75-100% cover)
46=Ponderosa Pine / Little Bluestem Woodland
47=Ponderosa Pine / Chokecherry Forest
48=Ponderosa Pine Woodland Complex II (15-75% cover)
49=Young Ponderosa Pine Dense Cover Complex
- Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation:
-
Bureau of Reclamation's Remote Sensing and Geographic Information
Group (RSGIG) with assistance from The Nature Conservancy (TNC) has
mapped the vegetation occurring in and around Wind Cave National Park
(near Hot Springs, South Dakota). National Park Service/
National Biological Service Vegetation Mapping
Project, National Vegetation Classification System 209 pp.
- What biological taxa does this data set concern?
- Taxonomy:
-
- Keywords/Taxon:
-
- Taxonomic_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
- Taxonomic_Keywords: Plants
- Taxonomic_Keywords: vegetation
- Taxonomic_Keywords: National Vegetation Classification System
- Taxonomic_System:
-
- Classification_System/Authority:
-
- Classification_System_Citation:
-
- Citation_Information:
-
- Originator: U.S. Government; Federal Geographic Data Committee
- Publication_Date: 19971022
- Title: National Vegetation Classification Standard (NVCS)
- Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: document
- Publication_Information:
-
- Publication_Place: Washington D.C.
- Publisher: Federal Geographic Data Committee
- Online_Linkage:
-
<http://www.fgdc.gov/standards/projects/FGDC-standards-projects/vegetation/index_html>
- Taxonomic_Procedures:
-
Sequence of field test data and observation plots, and CIR photo signature
field observations.
- General_Taxonomic_Coverage:
-
Refer to complete listing of mapped plant alliances/associations
under Supplemental Information above.
- Taxonomic_Classification:
-
- Taxon_Rank_Name: Kingdom
- Taxon_Rank_Value: Plantae
- Who are the originators of the data set? (may include formal authors, digital compilers, and editors)
- U.S. Geological Survey
- Department of the Interior
- Who also contributed to the data set?
- To whom should users address questions about the data?
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
To verify the accuracy of the mapped vegetation
communities at Wind Cave National Park
- What methods were used to collect the data?
- Method 0 of 2
-
Type: Field
Data points were located by use of a PLGR GPS
receiver. Vegetation communities were identified
on the basis of a dichotomous field key and
plant species present.
- Method 0 of 2
-
Type: Lab
Accuracy assessment points were compiled into an
ARCINFO point coverage and intersected with the
vegetation community coverage. The resulting INFO
file was exported into a text file, imported into
a spreadsheet, and the attributes from the
accuracy assessment and the spatial data were
compared. If the attributes did not compare, an
analysis of the mismatch was made and either the
AA attribute or the map attribute was changed
based on identification of the community on the
aerial photo.
- From what previous works were the data drawn?
- Accuracy Assessment Procedures Document (source 1 of 2)
-
Systems, USGS-Core Science , U.S. National Park Service, and Department of the Interior, 199411, Accuracy Assessment Procedures, NBS/NPS Vegetation Mapping Program: USGS, Core Science Systems, Core Science Analytics and Synthesis, Denver, CO.
- Other_Citation_Details:
-
Prepared by: Environmental Systems Research Institute; Redlands, CA
and National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis,
University of California, Santa Barbara, CA and The Nature Conservancy,
Arlington, VA under contract from U.S. Department of the Interior
Core Science Systems and National Park Service.
- Type_of_Source_Media: electronic document
- Source_Contribution:
-
This document established the procedures and protocols for the accuracy assessment
at Wind Cave National Park.
- Spatial data of vegetation communities for Wind Cave National Park. (source 2 of 2)
-
U.S. Geological Survey, and Department of the Interior, 199809, Wind Cave National Park Spatial Vegetation Data: Cover type / Association level of the National Vegetation Classification System: USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping Program Wind Cave National Park, USGS, Core Science Systems, Core Science Analytics and Synthesis, Denver, CO.
- Other_Citation_Details:
-
Remote Sensing and GIS Group, Technical Service Center, US Bureau of
Reclamation, Mail Code D-8260, POB 25007, Denver CO 80225
- Type_of_Source_Media: Disc
- Source_Contribution:
-
The vegetation spatial data were tested for
accuracy with the AA data.
- How were the data generated, processed, and modified?
- Date: Oct-1998 (process 1 of 1)
-
The accuracy assessment field work was performed
in September-December, 1998 to verify the accuracy of the
vegetation communities spatial data developed by
the USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping Program for Wind
Cave National Park. The data points were
randomly distributed stratified according to
vegetation association over the project area
according to protocols developed by the Program.
Points were located by GPS navigation and the
community information was collected at the point,
without knowledge of the attributes of the
vegetation spatial data.
Data sources used in this process:
- Spatial data of vegetation communities for Wind Cave National Park.
- Accuracy Assessment Procedure Document
- What similar or related data should the user be aware of?
- How well have the observations been checked?
The attributes for the accuracy assessment were
recorded in the field in September-December, 1998. Vegetation
associations were identified based on the field
key and plant identification. If additional
communities were found within a 50 meter radius of
the plot center, they were recorded as well.
During the analysis, it was concluded that some
attributes were in error and changed to match the
mapped attributes. This was done by examination
of the aerial photographs under stereoscopic view.
The attributes were in error due to 1) spatial
error in the GPS derived coordinates (4-8 meters),
2) change of vegetation community due to temporal
changes, or differences between observation team identifications.
- How accurate are the geographic locations?
The points were located using a military-style GPS
receiver (PLGR), which has a published accuracy of
4-8 meters.
- How accurate are the heights or depths?
Not applicable
- Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
All points were collected and analyzed. Several
points fell outside the mapping area, so were
discarded.
- How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?
All attributes are codes that correspond to
vegetation communities and have been checked for
typographical and logical errors.
Are there legal restrictions on access or use of the data?
- Access_Constraints: None
- Use_Constraints:
-
Any person using the information presented here should fully understand the
data collection and compilation procedures, as described in the metadata,
before beginning analysis. The burden for determining fitness for use lies
entirely with the user. For purposes of publication or dissemination, citations
or credit should be given to the U.S. Geological Survey, and the National Park
Service, and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.
- 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
- What's the catalog number I need to order this data set?
- 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.
- How can I download or order the data?
- Availability in digital form:
- Cost to order the data: None
- Dates:
- Last modified: 22-Oct-2001
Last Reviewed: 21-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:
-
Generated by mp version 2.9.12 on Mon Jun 21 11:49:40 2010
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