Vegetation Mapping Program Effigy Mounds National Monument, Iowa

Hop, Kevin; Lubinski, Sara; Menard, Shannon

Known as the USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping Program (VMP) mapping and classification of existing plant communities at Effigy Mounds National Monument and extended surroundings has been completed. Photointerpreters, ecologists, and botanists collaborated to describe National Vegetation Classification System (NVCS) plant associations (communities) and determine how best to map them using aerial photographs. Two vegetation map coverages were produced, the Yellow River and Sny Magill Units and their respective environs. Vegetation and land use were interpreted using high-quality mirror stereoscopes and 1:8,000-scale color infrared aerial photographs dated October 9, 2000. Polygons were mapped to 0.25 ha (0.62 acres) and, for specific classes, to 0.1 ha (0.25 acres). The interpreted data were digitally and spatially referenced using state-of-the-art mapping software, making the map data usable in geographic information systems. Results from a thematic accuracy assessment of map classes representing NVCS plant communities provide an overall accuracy of 92% (Kappa index of 90%). Most individual map class themes exceed the VMP standard of 80% with a 90% confidence interval. The EFMO project delivers many geospatial and vegetation data products in hard copy and digital formats. These products include an in-depth project summary report discussing methods and results and vegetation community descriptions and dichotomous key. They also include representative ground photos of plant community types, database sets of plot samples and accuracy assessment sites, field data sheets, aerial photograph prints and images (including geo-referenced photo mosaics), map classification and descriptions, and maps and spatial coverages of vegetation communities, fieldwork locations, aerial photo indexes, and project boundaries. All geospatial products are in Universal Transverse Mercator projection, Zone 15, using North American Datum of 1983. More VMP information and products of completed park mapping projects are on the Internet at http:biology.usgs.gov