The files linked to this reference are the geospatial data created as part of the completion of the baseline vegetation inventory project for the NPS park unit. Current format is ArcGIS file geodatabase but older formats may exist as shapefiles.

Using the National Vegetation Classification System (NVCS) developed by Natureserve, with additional classes and modifiers, overstory vegetation communities for each park were interpreted from stereo color infrared aerial photographs using manual interpretation methods. Using a minimum mapping unit of 0.5 hectares (MMU = 0.5 ha), polygons representing areas of relatively uniform vegetation were delineated and annotated on clear plastic overlays registered to the aerial photographs. Polygons were labeled according to the dominant vegetation community. Where the polygons were not uniform, second and third vegetation classes were added. Further, a number of modifier codes were employed to indicate important aspects of the polygon that could be interpreted from the photograph (for example, burn condition). The polygons on the plastic overlays were then corrected using photogrammetric procedures and converted to vector format for use in creating a geographic information system (GIS) database for each park. In addition, high resolution color orthophotographs were created from the original aerial photographs for use in the GIS. Upon completion of the GIS database (including vegetation, orthophotos and updated roads and hydrology layers), both hardcopy and softcopy maps were produced for delivery. Metadata for each database includes a description of the vegetation classification system used for each park, summary statistics and documentation of the sources, procedures and spatial accuracies of the data. At the time of this writing, an accuracy assessment of the vegetation mapping has not been performed for most of these parks.