Report Supplements and Field data for the Vegetation Mapping Inventory Project of Saguaro 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. Saguaro National Park consists of two units located at opposite ends of Tucson, Arizona. The Tucson Mountain District (TMD) spans the Tucson Mountains to the west of Tucson, while the Rincon Mountain District (RMD) spans the Rincon and Tanque Verde Mountains to the east. These units were completed as separate projects due to their large size and considerable differences in vegetation communities, elevational range, and geology. Vegetation mapping and characterization comprised four major phases: (1) field-based data collection, (2) development of vegetation community types at the National Vegetation Classification (NVC) association level, (3) development of the vegetation map, and (4) accuracy assessment of the vegetation map. These phases began at the TMD in spring 2010 and at the RMD in spring 2013. The final phase, accuracy assessment, was completed at the TMD in fall 2016 and at the RMD in summer/fall 2018. Due to concurrent vegetation projects at other SODN parks, fieldwork at both units was sporadic throughout these time periods. A total of 97 distinct vegetation communities were described: 9 exclusively at the TMD, 83 exclusively at the RMD, and 5 occurring in both districts. These communities ranged from low-elevation creosote (Larrea tridentata) shrublands spanning broad alluvial fans to mountaintop Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) forests on the slopes of Rincon Peak. All 97 communities were described at the association level, each with detailed narratives including lists of species found in each association, their abundance, landscape features, and overall community structural characteristics. These associations were attributed across 76 map classes in the final map: 13 at the TMD and 68 at the RMD (with 5 occurring at both districts).