Photointerpretation Key for the Everglades Vegetation Classification System

Madden, M.; Jones, D.; Vilchek, L.

The University of Georgia's Center for Remote Sensing and Mapping Science, the National Park Service's South Florida National Resources Center at Everglades National Park, and the South Florida Water Management District have cooperated in the development of a new Everglades Vegetation Classification System and associated photointerpretation key for mapping south Florida vegetation. The hierarchical classification system was required for a detailed geographic information system (GIS) vegetation database and 1:15,000-scale maps produced by the above agencies for over 12,000 km^2 of preserved federal and state lands. Vegetation for this extensive area was mapped from color-infrared (CIR) areal photographs using ground truth information collected by helicopter and airboat to verify the identification of plant communities. A total of 39 classes are included in the Everglades Vegetation Classification System and can be used in combination with 18 additional numeric modifiers indicating factors affecting vegetation growth such as hurricane damage, abandoned agriculture, intensive off-road Vehicle (ORV) use, and altered drainage. A digital photointerpretation key was developed that documents photo signatures of the vegetation classes. This key includes (1) scanned sections of aerial photographs that are representative of major plant communities (2) associated ground and helicopter oblique photographs illustrating vegetation conditions in the field; and (3) text descriptions of photo signatures such as color, tone, texture, pattern, relative height, shape, and context. The key is used to train new photointerpreters, as well as to provide users of the vegetation database with further information on photo details and field characteristics associated with Everglades vegetation classes.

Photointerpretation Key for the Everglades Vegetation Classification System

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