Field data for the Vegetation Mapping Inventory Project of Fort Union National Monument
2004-2009. Field data for the Vegetation Mapping Inventory Project of Fort Union National Monument
This reference is an assemblage of field data collected as part the baseline vegetation inventory for the park unit. Typical files here are vegetation plot data, accuracy assessment data, field photos, PDF showing locations of vegetation plots and accuracy assessment data, and other data for this type. A classification and map of the vegetation at FOUN were created in 2004 by ecologists with Natural Heritage New Mexico (NHNM) and published as Muldavin et al. (2004). An accuracy assessment (AA) of the FOUN vegetation map was conducted in 2009 by ecologists with the Colorado Natural Heritage Program (CNHP) and published internally as Stevens and Sever (2011). This document was compiled from those efforts by Joe Stevens and Travis Talbot, ecologists with CNHP, and includes both the vegetation inventory and the AA information reformatted to have a consistent flow and eliminate overlaps and duplications. A series of 8 plots and 19 observation points were established in homogeneous stands of vegetation and were used to classify the various plant associations found in the park. Plots were usually 400 m2 and square, with other sizes occasionally used to fit the structure of a community, especially along drainages where vegetation stands conform to the channel shape. A list of all vascular plant species and their aerial cover, stratified by life form (tree, shrub, subshrub, grass and forb layers) was compiled for each plot. In addition, several site attributes were recorded including slope percent, aspect, slope shape, surface rock type, and ground cover (percent rock, gravel, bare soil and litter), along with narratives on species composition and site conditions. Observation points were collected where only the dominants and their abundance were recorded. All plot locations were established with handheld Garmin GPS units. Accuracy is estimated to be +/- 10 m or less (see Data Addendum for examples of sampling forms and detailed survey methods). The classification included 18 associations, 6 of which are recognized within the US National Vegetation Classification system (USNVC) (an additional 8 are recognized by NHNM only and 4 are considered Park Specials). This report provides the AA of the vegetation map created in 2004.
- Type
- Assemblage
- Units
- FOUN , SOPN , VMI
- Keywords
- Accuracy Assessment, botanical survey, Classification, Geodatabase, Habitat Types, Imagery, National Vegetation Classification, NVC, NVCS, Plots, Releve, Relevé, Remote Sensing, USNVCS, Vegetation, Vegetation Inventory, Vegetation Map, Vegetation Mapping