Field data for the Vegetation Mapping Inventory Project of Cape Hatteras 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. Plots were placed non-randomly in such a way as to sample as many of the vegetation associations as possible given the minimum number of plots for the project (C. Nordman, pers. comm., 21 Feb. 2011). Plots were deliberately placed in certain areas in order to capture the diversity of vegetation communities at the park. Plot size was variable (e.g., 10 m × 30 m, 15 m × 20 m, 20 m × 20 m, 20 m × 40 m, 20 m × 50 m) and decided at the time of sampling based on which dimension would most adequately characterize the vegetation sampled in each plot. Forty plots were sampled in CAHA in October 2005 and June 2006. A field reconnaissance trip was taken to CAHA in October, 2010. During this trip, the SECN remote sensing specialist spent time investigating ground conditions with copies of the aerial photographs in hand. Notes were taken directly on the copies of the aerial imagery as observations were made. The remote sensing specialist used a Garmin® Rino GPS unit to navigate to a set of predetermined points of interest within the vegetation polygons mapped during the preliminary mapping step. These points of interest were chosen specifically to aid in the identification of vegetation photo-signatures.