Historical woodland density of the conterminous United States, 1873

Metadata:
Identification_Information:
Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Liknes, Greg C.
Originator: Nelson, Mark D.
Originator: Kaisershot, Daniel J.
Publication_Date: 2013
Title:
Historical woodland density of the conterminous United States, 1873
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: vector digital data
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Newtown Square, PA
Publisher: USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station
Online_Linkage: https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0006
Description:
Abstract:
Historical woodland density of the conterminous United States, 1873 is a digital representation of William H. Brewer's 1873 "Map showing five degrees of density. The distribution of woodland within the territory of the United States." This map was included in the statistical atlas of the United States based on the results of the ninth census 1870 (Walker 1874).
Purpose:
The dataset is designed for conducting geospatial analyses and for producing cartographic products over regional to national geographic extents. Historical forestry maps can be used to determine past spatial patterns in order to draw comparisons to current conditions. Refer to Liknes et al. in the Cross-Reference section of this metadata for an example of how the historical woodland density information has been used to evaluate long-term change to forest resources.
Supplemental_Information:
Original metadata date 04/25/2013. Minor metadata updates on 12/14/2016.
Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: 1873
Currentness_Reference:
publication date
Status:
Progress: Complete
Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: None planned
Spatial_Domain:
Description_of_Geographic_Extent:
conterminous United States
Bounding_Coordinates:
West_Bounding_Coordinate: -124.732770
East_Bounding_Coordinate: -66.969271
North_Bounding_Coordinate: 49.371730
South_Bounding_Coordinate: 25.130501
Keywords:
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Theme_Keyword: woodland density
Theme_Keyword: William Brewer
Theme_Keyword: historical map
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: ISO 19115 Topic Category
Theme_Keyword: imageryBaseMapsEarthCover
Theme_Keyword: environment
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: National Research & Development Taxonomy
Theme_Keyword: Ecology, Ecosystems, & Environment
Theme_Keyword: Geography
Theme_Keyword: Inventory, Monitoring, & Analysis
Theme_Keyword: Resource inventory
Place:
Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Place_Keyword: conterminous United States
Place_Keyword: CONUS
Access_Constraints: None
Use_Constraints:
Appropriate use includes coarse-scale assessment of forestry trends or historical forest conditions.

Disclaimer Regarding the Use of USDA Forest Service Data:
The USDA Forest Service manages resource information and derived data as a service to Forest Service users of digital geographic data. The Forest Service is in no way condoning or endorsing the application of these data for any given purpose. It is the sole responsibility of the user to determine whether or not the data are suitable for the intended purpose. It is also the obligation of the user to apply those data in an appropriate and conscientious manner. The Forest Service provides no warranty, nor accepts any liability occurring from any incorrect, incomplete, or misleading data, or from any incorrect, incomplete, or misleading use of these data. Much of the Forest Service data are compiled, processed, and maintained with ArcGIS software developed by the Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI). Much of the information presented uses conventions and terms popularized by ArcGIS and its user community. The mention of commercial firms or products is for clarity and identification of procedures and methods only, and no endorsements are implied by the Forest Service.

These data were collected using funding from the U.S. Government and can be used without additional permissions or fees. If you use these data in a publication, presentation, or other research product please use the following citation:

Liknes, Greg C.; Nelson, Mark D.; Kaisershot, Daniel J. 2013. Historical woodland density of the conterminous United States, 1873. Newtown Square, PA. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0006
Point_of_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Person_Primary:
Contact_Person: Greg Liknes
Contact_Organization: USDA Forest Service
Contact_Position: Research Physical Scientist
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical
Address: 1992 Folwell Ave
City: St. Paul
State_or_Province: MN
Postal_Code: 55108
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 651-649-5192
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 651-649-5140
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: gliknes@fs.fed.us
Contact Instructions: Prefer email contact.
Native_Data_Set_Environment:
Microsoft Windows XP Version 2002 Service Pack 3; ESRI ArcMap 9.3.1
Cross_Reference:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Walker, Francis A.
Publication_Date: 1874
Title:
Statistical atlas of the United States based on the results of the ninth census, 1870, with contributions from many eminent men of science and several departments of the [federal] government
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: atlas
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: New York
Publisher: Julius Bien
Online_Linkage: https://memory.loc.gov/
Cross_Reference:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Liknes, G.C.
Originator: Nelson, M.D.
Originator: Kaisershot, D.J.
Publication_Date: Unpublished material
Title:
Net Change in Forest Density, 1873-2001: Using Historical Maps to Monitor Long-term Forest Trends
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: map
Series_Information:
Series_Name: Research Map
Issue_Identification: NRS-XX
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station
Publisher: Newtown Square, PA
Other_Citation_Details:
in press
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Data_Quality_Information:
Attribute_Accuracy:
Attribute_Accuracy_Report:
Data sources for validating the accuracy of an 1873 map are relatively scarce. As a result, we do not provide attribute accuracy information regarding the density categories of the original map.
Logical_Consistency_Report:
not applicable
Completeness_Report:
Land areas within the conterminous United States (CONUS) that do not appear in the dataset were categorized in the original map as having less than 40 acres of woodland per square mile.
Positional_Accuracy:
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy:
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Report:
Horizontal accuracy reported are Root Mean Square (RMS) errors (in meters) resulting from the georeferencing process.
Quantitative_Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Assessment:
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Value: 4263.
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Explanation:
Reported RMS error for the georeferencing of the western portion of the United States. Method involved a series of tie points placed along state boundaries and coastline features. Georeferencing was performed with ERDAS Imagine v. 9.3 using the Image Geometric Correction tool with a third-order polynomial model.
Quantitative_Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Assessment:
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Value: 0.
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Explanation:
Reported RMS error for the georeferencing of the central portion of the United States. Method involved a series of tie points placed along graticule intersections. Georeferencing was performed with ERDAS Imagine v. 9.3 using the Image Geometric Correction tool with a rubber sheeting model. A zero RMS value from a rubber sheeting model does not necessarily indicate perfect georeferencing.
Quantitative_Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Assessment:
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Value: 7071.
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Explanation:
Reported RMS error for the georeferencing of the eastern portion of the United States. Method involved a series of tie points placed along state boundaries and coastline features. Georeferencing was performed with ERDAS Imagine v. 9.3 using the Image Geometric Correction tool with a third-order polynomial model.
Lineage:
Source_Information:
Source_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Brewer, William H.
Publication_Date: 1873
Title:
Distribution of woodland within the territory of the U.S.
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: map
Larger_Work_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Walker, Francis A.
Publication_Date: 1874
Title:
Statistical atlas of the United States based on the results of the ninth census, 1870, with contributions from many eminent men of science and several departments of the [federal] government
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: atlas
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: New York
Publisher: Julius Bien
Online_Linkage: https://memory.loc.gov/
Type_of_Source_Media: online
Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: 1873
Source_Currentness_Reference:
publication date
Source_Citation_Abbreviation:
LOC
Source_Contribution:
William H. Brewer's map was produced for the first atlas of the United States (Walker 1874). A scanned copy of the map was obtained from the U.S. Library of Congress (https://memory.loc.gov) in JPEG2000 format.
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
A scanned copy of the 1873 map was obtained from the U.S. Library of Congress (https://memory.loc.gov) in JPEG2000 format. The map originally appeared in the first atlas of the United States.
Process_Date: Unknown
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
The digital image file was divided into three pieces: one for the western United States, one for the central United States : a north-south swath of sparse woodland that also contained a seam from the book binding, and one for the eastern United States. Woodland delineations in Brewer's map were constrained to CONUS, but portions of adjacent Canada and Mexico were displayed for reference. While subsetting the image into three pieces, we retained the smallest rectangular subsets that completely encompassed CONUS portions of each subset, while eliminating extraneous map area in Mexico, Canada, and oceans. This step was performed in order to facilitate better georeferencing.
Process_Date: Unknown
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
The western U.S. image was georeferenced using points along state boundaries and coastal features as tie points. A third-order polynomial model was applied. Georeferencing was performed using the Image Geometric Correction tool ERDAS Imagine v.9.3.
Process_Date: Unknown
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
The central U.S. image was georeferenced using points at graticule intersections as tie points. A rubber sheeting model was applied. Georeferencing was performed using the Image Geometric Correction tool ERDAS Imagine v.9.3.
Process_Date: Unknown
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
The eastern U.S. image was georegestered using points along state boundaries and coastal features as tie points. A third-order polynomial model was applied. Georeferencing was performed using ERDAS Imagine v.9.3.
Process_Date: Unknown
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
The three images were brought into ESRI's ArcMap software (v. 9.3.1) along with a state boundary polygon shapefile (ESRI Data and Maps). The state polygons were then subdivided by tracing the density category boundaries from the three images with the Cut Polygons tool. Newly created polygons were then attributed with a density category (1-5) using the Attributes tool on the Editor toolbar.
Process_Date: Unknown
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
Areas shown on the original Brewer map with 40 or fewer woodland acres per square mile were removed from the dataset.
Process_Date: Unknown
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
A dissolve operation was executed using the density category as the dissolve value in order to remove the remaining state boundaries.
Process_Date: Unknown
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Spatial_Data_Organization_Information:
Direct_Spatial_Reference_Method: Vector
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Spatial_Reference_Information:
Horizontal_Coordinate_System_Definition:
Planar:
Map_Projection:
Map_Projection_Name: Albers Conical Equal Area
Albers_Conical_Equal_Area:
Standard_Parallel: 29.50000
Standard_Parallel: 45.500000
Longitude_of_Central_Meridian: -96.00000
Latitude_of_Projection_Origin: 23.00000
False_Easting: 0
False_Northing: 0
Planar_Coordinate_Information:
Planar_Coordinate_Encoding_Method:
Planar_Distance_Units:
Geodetic_Model:
Horizontal_Datum_Name: North American Datum of 1983
Ellipsoid_Name: Geodetic Reference System 80
Semi-major_Axis: 6378137
Denominator_of_Flattening_Ratio: 298.25722210088
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Entity_and_Attribute_Information:
Detailed_Description:
Entity_Type:
Entity_Type_Label: woodland density
Entity_Type_Definition:
map theme
Entity_Type_Definition_Source:
source map legend
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: density category
Attribute_Definition:
A category indicating the number of 40 acre blocks per square mile that are wooded. Name is shortened to "density" in the shapefile attribute table.
Attribute_Definition_Source:
source map legend
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Enumerated_Domain:
Enumerated_Domain_Value: 1
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:
40-120 acres per square mile
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source:
source map legend
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Enumerated_Domain:
Enumerated_Domain_Value: 2
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:
120-240 acres per square mile
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source:
source map legend
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Enumerated_Domain:
Enumerated_Domain_Value: 3
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:
240-360 acres per square mile
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source:
source map legend
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Enumerated_Domain:
Enumerated_Domain_Value: 4
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:
360-560 acres per square mile
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source:
source map legend
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Enumerated_Domain:
Enumerated_Domain_Value: 5
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:
560-640 acres per square mile
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source:
source map legend
Overview_Description:
Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:
Density categories in the dataset relate to a range of wooded acres per square mile.
Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation:
none provided
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Distribution_Information:
Distributor:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization: USDA Forest Service, Research and Development
Contact_Position: Research Data Archivist
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical
Address: 240 West Prospect Road
City: Fort Collins
State_or_Province: CO
Postal_Code: 80526
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: see Contact Instructions
Contact Instructions: This contact information was current as of December 2016. For current information see Contact Us page on: https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS.
Resource_Description: RDS-2013-0006
Distribution_Liability:
Metadata documents have been reviewed for accuracy and completeness. Unless otherwise stated, all data and related materials are considered to satisfy the quality standards relative to the purpose for which the data were collected. However, neither the author, the Archive, nor any part of the federal government can assure the reliability or suitability of these data for a particular purpose. The act of distribution shall not constitute any such warranty, and no responsibility is assumed for a user's application of these data or related materials.

The metadata, data, or related materials may be updated without notification. If a user believes errors are present in the metadata, data or related materials, please use the information in (1) Identification Information: Point of Contact, (2) Metadata Reference: Metadata Contact, or (3) Distribution Information: Distributor to notify the author or the Archive of the issues.
Standard_Order_Process:
Digital_Form:
Digital_Transfer_Information:
Format_Name: SHP
Format_Version_Number: See format specification
Format_Specification:
ESRI ArcGIS Shapefile
File_Decompression_Technique: Files zipped with Winzip 14.0
Digital_Transfer_Option:
Online_Option:
Computer_Contact_Information:
Network_Address:
Network_Resource_Name: https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0006
Fees: none
Technical_Prerequisites:
software for viewing the ESRI shapefile format
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Metadata_Reference_Information:
Metadata_Date: 20161214
Metadata_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Person_Primary:
Contact_Person: Greg Liknes
Contact_Organization: USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station, Forest Inventory and Analysis
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical
Address: 1992 Folwell Ave
City: St. Paul
State_or_Province: MN
Postal_Code: 55108
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 651-649-5192
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 651-649-5140
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: gliknes@fs.fed.us
Contact Instructions: prefer email contact
Metadata_Standard_Name: FGDC Biological Data Profile of the Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata
Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001.1-1999
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