Dinosaur National Monument Vegetation Mapping Project - Spatial Vegetation Data
Dates
Publication Date
2008-07-15
Time Period
2002-06-18
Summary
This polygon feature class represents vegetation communities mapped at Dinosaur National Monument. The polygons were delineated following guidelines set by the National Vegetation Classification System (October 1995). Original lines were drawn on a mylar overlay on top of printed 1:12,000 digital scale orthophoto quadrangles (DOQ), collected in the summer of 2002. Hard copy 9X9 stereo aerial photography was used for photo interpretation. Intuitive ecological modeling and visual interpretation cues, such as shape, size, pattern, tone, texture, color, and shadow, were used to develop the polygons. Additional data layers used to aid the interpretation include slope, hydrology, geography, and ground-collected vegetation information. The [...]
Summary
This polygon feature class represents vegetation communities mapped at Dinosaur National Monument. The polygons were delineated following guidelines set by the National Vegetation Classification System (October 1995). Original lines were drawn on a mylar overlay on top of printed 1:12,000 digital scale orthophoto quadrangles (DOQ), collected in the summer of 2002. Hard copy 9X9 stereo aerial photography was used for photo interpretation. Intuitive ecological modeling and visual interpretation cues, such as shape, size, pattern, tone, texture, color, and shadow, were used to develop the polygons. Additional data layers used to aid the interpretation include slope, hydrology, geography, and ground-collected vegetation information. The lines developed in the image interpretation step were scanned using a large format scanner. The resultant scanned raster image was converted into a vector coverage to facilitate editing the linework within ArcGIS. The line work was cleaned, polygons created and attributed. The attributed vegetation classes were subjected to an accuracy assessment, following which final adjustments were made to the vegetation classes. As with any digital layer, this layer is a representation of what is actually occurring on the ground. Errors are inherent in any interpretation of ground qualities. Due to the "snapshot" nature of the DOQs, this vegetation layer reflects conditions that existed when the imagery was collected.
This polygon layer represents vegetation communities found at the Dinosaur National Monument. The intended use of all data in the park's GIS library is to support diverse park activities including planning, management, maintenance, research, and interpretation.
