Spatial vegetation data documents cover types within Agate Fossil Beds National Monument using the 1995 National Vegetation Classification System. The National Park Service and U.S. Geological Survey created this baseline map through stereoscopic interpretation of July 1995 aerial photography, supported by field sampling. It captures prairie grassland, riverine woodland, and wetland vegetation units across the monument's 4.5 square miles.
Use Cases
- Analyze spatial distribution of prairie grassland, riverine woodland, and wetland cover types across the monument's 4.5 square miles.
- Establish a 1995 baseline for change detection studies by comparing vegetation boundaries identified from aerial photographic signatures.
- Study relationships between mapped vegetation units and collateral data on slope, hydrology, and geography used in the classification process.
- Validate or refine photointerpretation and field procedures developed during the prototype phase of the national vegetation mapping program.
Strengths
- Data provides a documented baseline state of vegetation for a specific year and season (July 1995).
- Vegetation units determined through stereoscopic aerial photo interpretation supported by field sampling and ecological analysis.
- Classification follows the standardized National Vegetation Classification System (October 1995).
Limitations
- Temporal coverage is limited to a single snapshot from July 1995, with no subsequent updates provided.
- The methodology using 1995 aerial photography has an inherent margin of error for vegetation delineation and classification.
- Geographic scope is restricted to one prototype park (Agate Fossil Beds National Monument).
Provenance
- Source
- National Park Service (NPS) and Biological Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
- Collection Method
- Stereoscopic interpretation of July 1995 aerial photographs, supported by field sampling and ecological analysis, following the Standardized National Vegetation Classification System.
- Time Range
- 1995-07
- Freshness
- 1995-07-29
- Geography
- Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, Nebraska, USA (4.5 square miles).