Field data for the Vegetation Mapping Inventory Project of Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area

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. Classification plot sampling was conducted in September 2006. Within each stand selected for sampling, a plot was established in an area that was assessed to be most representative of the stand. All vegetation data were collected following NatureServe’s accepted Natural Heritage sampling protocols, with 20-m x 20-m plots in forests and woodlands, 10-m x 10-m plots in shrublands, and 5-m x 5-m plots in herbaceous vegetation. Data from the 47 vegetation classification plots were entered into the NatureServe PLOTS 2.0 Database System on a Microsoft Access platform during January 2007. In addition to floristic information, the following environmental data was recorded at each plot: slope, aspect, topographic position, hydrologic regime, soil stoniness, average soil texture, and soil drainage. Any un-vegetated area of the plot was characterized by the exposed substrate. Notes were taken on the plot representativeness of the surrounding vegetation and any other significant environmental information, such as landscape context, herbivory, stand health, recent disturbance, or evidence of historic disturbance. The vegetation profile and topographic position were sketched in cross-section to represent the location and setting of the plot. A digital photograph of each plot was also acquired to document site conditions.