Vegetation inventory, mapping, and characterization report, Fort Bowie National Historic Site

Studd, Sarah; Fallon, Elizabeth; Crumbacher, Laura; Drake, Sam; Villarreal, Miguel

The Fort Bowie NHS project comprised three major field phases: (1) concurrent, field-based data collection and mapping from satellite imagery (map unit delineation), (2) development of vegetation community types at the National Vegetation Classification (NVC) alliance or association level, and (3) map accuracy assessment. Phase 1 was completed in late 2008 and early 2009. Community type descriptions were drafted to meet the then-current hierarchy (version 1) of the National Vegetation Classification System (NVCS) and were applied to each of the mapped areas. This classification was developed concurrently from both plot data and field-censused polygon data (map units). Accuracy assessment was completed in the fall of 2010 and consisted of a complete census of each map unit (each polygon). The assessment was conducted almost entirely by Fort Bowie NHS staff. Following accuracy assessment, the map was amended where needed and final products were developed, including this report, a digital map, and full vegetation descriptions. Fort Bowie NHS covers only 1,000 acres yet has a relatively complex landscape, topography, and geology. A total of 16 distinct communities were described and mapped at the park. These ranged from lush riparian woodlands lining the ephemeral washes dominated by ash (Fraxinus), walnut (Juglans), and hackberry (Celtis) to drier upland sites typical of desert scrub and semi-desert grassland communities. These shrublands boast a diverse mixture of shrubs, succulents, and perennial grasses. In many places, the vegetation could be seen to echo the history of the fort site, with management of shrub encroachment apparent in the grasslands and the paucity of trees evidence of historic cutting for timber and firewood. Seven of the 16 vegetation types were “accepted” types within the NVC, while the others have been described here as specific to Fort Bowie NHS and are currently proposed for formal status within the NVC. The vegetation map, designed to facilitate ecologically based natural resources management and research, is in digital format within a geodatabase structure that allows for complex relationships to be established between spatial and tabular data, and makes accessing the product easy and seamless. The GIS format allows user flexibility and will also enable updates to be made as new information becomes available (such as revised NVC codes or vegetation type names) or in the event of major disturbance events that could impact vegetation.

Vegetation inventory, mapping, and characterization report, Fort Bowie National Historic Site

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