Vegetation mapping inventory project: Kalaupapa National Historical Park
Green K, Schulz K, Lopez C, Ainsworth A, Selvig M, Akamine K, Hall M, Kudray G. 2014. Vegetation mapping inventory project: Kalaupapa National Historical Park. Natural Resource Report. NPS/PACN/NRR—2014/819. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado
This report details the methods used and results of the vegetation inventory for Kalaupapa National Historical Park (KALA). KALA’s unique vegetation spans 4,340 ha (10,726 ac) on the Hawaiian Island of Molokaʻi’s isolated northern peninsula, cliffs, coastal waters, and islets. The park’s isolated location, rich cultural history, and extreme topographic and climatic conditions combine to create a spectacularly beautiful and unique national park. The vegetation inventory was a team effort managed by the National Park Service (NPS) Pacific Island Network (PACN) and staffed by personnel from the NPS, University of Hawaii (UH), Cogan Technology, Inc. (CTI), NatureServe, and Kass Green & Associates (KGA).The objective of a vegetation inventory is to “produce high-quality, standardized maps and associated data sets of vegetation and other land-cover occurring within parks” in support of resource assessment, park management and conservation needs (NPS 2013c). The NPS collected 135 vegetation classification plots at KALA which were analyzed by NatureServe to create a key and descriptions for the 47 vegetation associations at KALA. To ensure data compatibility throughout the NPS and other agencies the National Vegetation Classification Standard, Version 2 was used to characterize KALA’s vegetation. Digital Globe Quickbird and Worldview2 imagery of KALA were obtained from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). During the calibration trip to KALA by KGA and PACN staff, 4 additional vegetation associations were discovered and added to the key. KGA segmented the imagery using eCognition software and labeled the segments using the imagery, ancillary data sets, and Classification and Regression Tree analysis to create a preliminary map. The prelimanary map was reviewd by PACN staff and assessed in the field by KGA staff. Manual edits based on the comments and validation trip were made to the preliminary map to create KALA’s draft vegetation map. PACN personnel collected 241 accuracy assessment (AA) samples of KALA’s vegetation. The sample labels were compared to the draft map labels at each sample location to create an error matrix. PACN and KGA personnel reviewed the AA data and decided which associations would be collapsed into map classes for creation of KALA’s final vegetation map, resulting in 39 vegetation map classes and 6 non vegetated land use classes. Overall accuracy of KALA’s final vegetation map is 84%.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Green, Kass; Schulz, Keith; Lopez, Chad; Ainsworth, Alison; Selvig, Meagan; Akamine, Kathryn; Hall, Mark; Kudray, Greg
- Date of Issue
- 2014-06
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- KALA , NRSS , PACN
- Keywords
- Accuracy Assessment, Biota, International Vegetation Classification, National Park, National Park Service, National Vegetation Classification Standard, National Vegetation Classification System, NPS, NVCS, Plant Inventory Report, U.S. National Vegetation Classification, US Geological Survey, USA, USGS, USNVC, Vegetation, Vegetation Inventory, Vegetation Map, Vegetation Mapping Inventory
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Vegetation Complex