Fort Vancouver National Historic Reserve vegetation inventory and mapping project

Copass CC and Ramm-Granberg TC. 2016. Fort Vancouver National Historic Reserve vegetation inventory and mapping project. NPS/NCCN/NRR—2016/1128. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado

This report represents the first complete vegetation classification and map of plant associations at the Fort Vancouver National Historic Reserve (The Reserve). The classification and accompanying map represent a contemporary inventory of vegetation across administrative boundaries within the Reserve, allowing the Reserve stakeholders to distinguish local vegetation types in a consistent manner. The vegetation classification and map were developed by the National Park Service’s Vegetation Inventory Program. This program uses the National Vegetation Classification (NVC) system and requires that maps meet program standards for scale and accuracy. For this project, the 484-acre Reserve was mapped to a NVC association or alliance or to a non-NVC map class. Thirty-eight percent of the Reserve is Non-Vegetated, a category which includes five map classes covering housing, buildings, parking lots, roads, and standing water. Forty-six percent of the Reserve is Agricultural or Developed vegetation. This class is dominated by the Mowed Lawn Provisional Alliance (140 acres / 57 ha) and the Lawn with Trees Alliance (53 acres / 21 ha) which characterize the Historic Site. Ruderal associations and alliances cover 7% of the Reserve. Of these, the most abundant forest association is the Black Cottonwood / Himalayan Blackberry Ruderal Woodland. Nine percent of the Reserve is natural vegetation, described by 5 vegetation associations or alliances. Of these, the Oregon Ash - (Black Cottonwood) / Red Osier Dogwood Forest covers the greatest area (37 acres / 15 ha). Two other natural associations of conservation interest in the Reserve are the Oregon White Oak - (Oregon Ash) / Snowberry Forest (0.7 acre / 0.3 ha) and the Common camas Wet Prairie Herbaceous Vegetation (1.1 acre / 0.5 ha). The Fort Vancouver National Historic Reserve encompasses a diverse and intriguing history, both culturally and botanically. The vegetation classification and map presented here provides additional tools for the ongoing effort to preserve and interpret the Reserve.

Type
Published Report
Authors
Copass, Catharine; Ramm-Granberg, Tynan
Date of Issue
2016-02
Publisher
National Park Service
Units
FOVA , NRSS , VMI
Keywords
agricultural, Alliance, association, Classification, developed, Forest, Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, FOVA, Habitats, herbaceous, Hudson’s Bay Company, Institute for Natural Resources, Mapping, NAIP, National Agriculture Imagery Program, National Vegetation Classification Standard, non-vegetated, NVCS, Prairie, shrubland, The Reserve, Vancouver National Historic Reserve, Vegetation, Vegetation Inventory Program, VIP, Wetland
Subjects
Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Vegetation Complex

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