Field data for the Vegetation Mapping Inventory Project of Big Bend National Park

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. An eight-year, six-phase project was begun in 2010 to complete the inventorying and mapping of the vegetation at BIBE. In phase one, Cogan Technology, Inc. (CTI) reviewed the existing vegetation data, summarized the previous classification efforts, and created a new sampling plan. In phase two, NPS, Rio Grande Institute (RGI), and Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center (LBJWC) ecologists used the sampling plan to collect 499 classification plots and one observation point across the landscape. Field data was then entered into the NVIP-specific PLOTS database and reviewed by CHDN staff. In phase three, CTI analyzed the PLOTS data to classify 55 plant associations using the revised U.S. National Vegetation Classification (rUSNVC) standard. During phase four, CTI created the digital vegetation map layer for the project area that included 810,482 acres (327.991 hectares) in and around BIBE. In the accuracy assessment (AA) phase, contracted field crews collected data at 1,113 AA point locations that were randomly placed by map class throughout the project area. In the final phase, CTI finalized the classification, reported the AA results, revised the final vegetation map, and delivered the final products to the NVIP.