Geospatial data for the Vegetation Mapping Inventory Project of El Morro National Monument

The files linked to this reference are the geospatial data created as part of the completion of the baseline vegetation inventory project for the NPS park unit. Current format is ArcGIS file geodatabase but older formats may exist as shapefiles.

were derived from the NVC. NatureServe developed a preliminary list of potential vegetation types. These data were combined with existing plot data (Cully 2002) to derive an initial list of potential types. Additional data and information were gleaned from a field visit and incorporated into the final list of map units. Because of the park’s small size and the large amount of field data, the map units are equivalent to existing vegetation associations or local associations/descriptions (e.g., Prairie Dog Colony). In addition to vegetation type, vegetation structures were described using three attributes: height, coverage density, and coverage pattern. In addition to vegetation structure and context, a number of attributes for each polygon were stored in the associated table within the GIS database. Many of these attributes were derived from the photointerpretation; others were calculated or crosswalked from other classifications. Table 2.7.2 shows all of the attributes and their sources. Anderson Level 1 and 2 codes are also included (Anderson et al. 1976). These codes should allow for a more regional perspective on the vegetation types. Look-up tables for the names associated with the codes is included within the geodatabase and in Appendix D. The look-up tables contain all the NVC formation information as well as alliance names, unique IDs, and the ecological system codes (El_Code) for the associations. These El_Codes often represent a one-to-many relationship; that is, one association may be related to more than one ecological system. The NatureServe conservation status is included as a separate item. Finally, slope (degrees), aspect, and elevation were calculated for each polygon label point using a digital elevation model and an ArcView script. The slope figure will vary if one uses a TIN (triangulated irregular network) versus a GRID (grid-referenced information display) for the calculation (Jenness 2005). A grid was used for the slope figure in this dataset. Acres and hectares were calculated using XTools Pro for ArcGIS Desktop.