Yosemite National Park: Spatial Vegetation Data Metadata

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Biology - Biological Informatics Program - Vegetation Characterization Program

USGS:Biology

Biological Informatics Program

Vegetation Characterization Program

Yosemite National Park

Spatial Vegetation Data Metadata

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

Identification_Information:

Citation:

Citation_Information:

Originator: National Park Service
Originator: The Nature Conservancy
Publication_Date: 2009
Title:: Yosemite National Park Vegetation Mapping Project - Spatial Vegetation Data
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: vector digital data
Online_Linkage:: <http://biology.usgs.gov/npsveg/ftp/vegmapping/yose/yosegeodata.zip>

Description:

Abstract:: High resolution vegetation polygons mapped by the National Park Service. This is the vegetation of Yosemite National Park and beyond the boundary. The data were produced from 1997 color infrared analog photographs flown by Photo Science through a nationwide contract. ESRI (Environmental Systems Research Institute) was the contrator that coordinated the work. Hundreds of vegetation plots were surveyed within the park and outside the park boundaries by the National Park Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, and The Nature Conservancy. The photointerpretation of the 1997 photos was performed by Aerial Information Systems (Redlands, CA). Photointerpretation was conducted manually using analog photos in stereo pairs and then the polygon boundaries were georeferenced to DOQQS to georectify the map. A plant community classification was developed by NatureServe (in cooperation with the California Department of Fish and Game and California Native Plant Society) by running cluster analysis on the plot data from 604 sites surveyed in 1998 and 1999, 362 sites surveyed in 1989 to 1993, and 774 sites surveyed in 1935 to 1937. A list of mappable types was developed and crosswalked to the floristic classification based on the cluster analysis. Photointerpretation and georectification were completed in 2003; accuracy assessment was completed in 2006.
Purpose:: Vegetation maps of National Parks and National Monuments were developed to support natural resources management, planning, research and interpretation.
Supplemental_Information:: Data were imported to a file geodatabase by the Colorado Natural Heritage Program/Colorado State University. Parks had the flexibility to map vegetation down to the map class or to the association.

Time_Period_of_Content:

Time_Period_Information:

Single_Date/Time:

Calendar_Date: 1997

Currentness_Reference: ground condition

Status:

Progress: Complete
Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: None planned

Spatial_Domain:

Description_of_Geographic_Extent: Yosemite National Park and environs

Bounding_Coordinates:

West_Bounding_Coordinate: -120.044144
East_Bounding_Coordinate: -119.025712
North_Bounding_Coordinate: 38.289001
South_Bounding_Coordinate: 37.426912

Keywords:

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Theme_Keyword: Vegetation

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:

It is strongly recommended that these data are directly acquired from U.S. Geological Survey and National Park Service servers and not indirectly through other sources which may have changed the data in some way.

Use_Constraints:

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 tables 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.

The National Park Service gives no warranty, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of these data. Although these data have been processed successfully on a computer system, 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.

Native_Data_Set_Environment:

Microsoft Windows Vista Version 6.1 (Build 7600) ; ESRI ArcCatalog 9.3.1.3500

Data_Quality_Information:

Attribute_Accuracy:

Attribute_Accuracy_Report:: The data have a high accuracy (in terms of correct vegetation assignments) with the majority meeting the minimum standard of 80 percent correct by type for those types assessed for accuracy. Fewer than 10 assessed types fell between 75 and 80 percent accurate.

Logical_Consistency_Report: None

Completeness_Report:

As of July 2007 the vegetation map was finalized following a process of quality assessment by a subcontractor who checked the accuracy of the mapping classification (vegetation type) assignments. Accuracy was increased to greater than 80% through a process of lumping classes together.

Lineage:

Process_Step:

Process_Description:: Using 1997 analog color infrared photographs (1;15,840), distinct vegetation units were manually drawn onto mylar overlays. These overlays were then digitized and georeferenced to digital ortho photoquads. On the ground, a total of approximately 1900 vegetation plots were surveyed to classify the vegetation. These plots consisted of historical Weislander plot data (1935-1937), plots surveyed between 1989 and 1993 (NRI) and plots surveyed in 1998 and 1999 (Nature Conservancy). The plot data were used to create a new floristic vegetation classification for the Yosemite region down to the association level. The data were then run through an accuracy assessment analysis based on 2200 sites visited and assigned a floristic class. These assignments were compared with the mapping classification assignment for each polygon visited and scored according to accuracy at the association or alliance level.
Process_Date: Unknown

Spatial_Data_Organization_Information:

Direct_Spatial_Reference_Method: Vector

Point_and_Vector_Object_Information:

SDTS_Terms_Description:

SDTS_Point_and_Vector_Object_Type: G-polygon
Point_and_Vector_Object_Count: 70380

Spatial_Reference_Information:

Horizontal_Coordinate_System_Definition:

Planar:

Grid_Coordinate_System:

Grid_Coordinate_System_Name: Universal Transverse Mercator

Universal_Transverse_Mercator:

UTM_Zone_Number: 11

Transverse_Mercator:

Scale_Factor_at_Central_Meridian: 0.999600
Longitude_of_Central_Meridian: -117.000000
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: 0.000100
Ordinate_Resolution: 0.000100

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

Vertical_Coordinate_System_Definition:

Altitude_System_Definition:

Altitude_Datum_Name: National Geodetic Vertical Datum 1983
Altitude_Encoding_Method:: Explicit elevation coordinate included with horizontal coordinates
Altitude_Resolution: 0.000100
Altitude_Distance_Units: Unknown

Entity_and_Attribute_Information:

Detailed_Description:

Entity_Type:

Entity_Type_Label: YOSE_VegPolys
Entity_Type_Definition: GDB
Entity_Type_Definition_Source: National Park Service

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: OBJECTID

Attribute_Definition: Internal feature number.

Attribute_Definition_Source: ESRI