Field data for the Vegetation Mapping Inventory Project of Fire Island National Seashore

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. The vegetation mapping project at Fire Island National Seashore (FIIS) was initiated in June of 1999. The Conservation Management Institute at Virginia Tech was contracted to complete the photointerpretation, accuracy assessment, and fieldwork stages of the project. The Nature Conservancy (now NatureServe) along with the New York Natural Heritage Program (NYNHP), were subcontracted to complete vegetation sampling and develop a classification system for the FIIS. The vegetation communities and spatial patterns on Fire Island, as on all barrier islands, is a direct result of dynamism. The forces of sand deposition, storm-driven over wash, salt spray, and surface water all play major roles in affecting vegetation distribution. More recently, disturbance from both humans and white-tailed deer have impacted vegetation communities on Fire Island. The vegetation-mapping project at FIIS follows the standards and general procedures of other NPS Vegetation Mapping Program projects. The same standards, type of photography, vegetation classification system, and field procedures were employed for FIIS. There were, however, some unique conditions at FIIS that called for some changes in sampling as well as techniques that may not be applicable in other regions. NatureServe provided a preliminary classification that was used in the initial delineation phase. In October of 1999, CMI field staff and photointerpreters visited Fire Island to familiarize themselves with the dominant vegetative species on the island. The data collected during the initial reconnaissance mission was used to better identify areas and vegetation types that required comprehensive vegetation measurement. Field data collection was completed with two types of plots. The first, which was completed by the NatureServe ecologists, involved detailed data collection on representative plots for each vegetation type encountered. The second type, completed by CMI field staff, involved a more qualitative classification of vegetation types observed on the ground. The plot sampling methodology used by the NYNHP on Fire Island follow the methodology developed by The Nature Conservancy and the network of Natural Heritage Programs. The second data point set was selected in the field, and allowed us to maximize the contribution of each point to the knowledge base of the photointerpreter.

Field data for the Vegetation Mapping Inventory Project of Fire Island National Seashore

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