Field data for the Vegetation Mapping Inventory Project of Roosevelt-Vanderbilt National Historic Site

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. Vegetation sampling, classification, and mapping to plant associations and land use types were conducted at ROVA, which includes the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site (hereafter known as “Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt NHS” and contains Roosevelt Farm and Forest), Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site (hereafter known as "Vanderbilt Mansion NHS"), and Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site (hereafter known as “Val-Kill”). To classify the vegetation, 147 representative classification plots were sampled throughout the 2,029 acre (821 hectare) project area using traditional phytosociological methods (i.e., relevé sampling). The relevé plots were located and sampled primarily in 2003, 2004, and 2007. Three hundred and sixty vascular plant species were identified; the plot data were classified into 50 local vegetation associations using multivariate statistical analyses and the associations were described in detail. These local vegetation associations were also crosswalked to the U.S. National Vegetation Classification (USNVC) in order to provide a regional and global context for the park vegetation. The associations represented 43 USNVC alliances, 19 USNVC groups, 13 USNVC macrogroups, eight USNVC divisions and formations, and three USNVC subclasses and classes. A dichotomous field key was developed for these vegetation associations to assist with field recognition and classification.