Standardized vegetation cover data from mature forests on federal lands of Washington, Oregon, and California

Metadata:

Identification_Information:
Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Hochhalter, Patricia A.
Originator: Simpson, Michael
Publication_Date: 2024
Title:
Standardized vegetation cover data from mature forests on federal lands of Washington, Oregon, and California
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: tabular digital data
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Fort Collins, CO
Publisher: Forest Service Research Data Archive
Online_Linkage: https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2024-0035
Description:
Abstract:
This data publication contains tabular data of overstory and understory vegetation composition collected from the mid-1950s to early 2000s in relatively undisturbed, mostly mature stands across forested federal lands of Oregon, Washington, and California. Most plots are on National Forest System lands, with some on Bureau of Land Management or Tribal land. Plots were distributed to represent the diversity of vegetation types across each National Forest or other management unit. These Ecology plots are not, and were never intended to be, permanent plots. Data include vegetation cover data such as lifeform, scientific name, and species cover for 38,560 plots. The longitude, latitude, and Regional ID number are also provided for each plot, with a supplemental file relating Regional IDs to land management units.
Purpose:
These data were used to create typologies of potential vegetation ("Plant Associations") or ecological types (plant communities) that would allow forest managers to infer site conditions (topographic, climatic, edaphic, etc.) from the existing overstory and understory composition. Plant Association or Ecological Type (Plant Community) Guides were developed for groups of National Forests and adjacent lands across Forest Service Regions 5 and 6. Supplemental information includes a list of citations of these Plant Association and Ecological Type Guides, most of which were developed based on these plot data.
Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Range_of_Dates/Times:
Beginning_Date: 1950
Ending_Date: 2010
Currentness_Reference:
Ground condition
Status:
Progress: Complete
Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: None planned
Spatial_Domain:
Description_of_Geographic_Extent:
Data were collected on federal, primarily National Forest System, lands within the states of Oregon, Washington, and California.
Bounding_Coordinates:
West_Bounding_Coordinate: -126.98134
East_Bounding_Coordinate: -113.59471
North_Bounding_Coordinate: 49.78120
South_Bounding_Coordinate: 35.13476
Bounding_Altitudes:
Altitude_Minimum: 2
Altitude_Maximum: 3600
Altitude_Distance_Units: meters
Keywords:
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: ISO 19115 Topic Category
Theme_Keyword: biota
Theme_Keyword: environment
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: National Research & Development Taxonomy
Theme_Keyword: Ecology, Ecosystems, & Environment
Theme_Keyword: Inventory, Monitoring, & Analysis
Theme_Keyword: Resource inventory
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Theme_Keyword: vegetation
Theme_Keyword: plot data
Theme_Keyword: understory
Theme_Keyword: mature forest
Place:
Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Place_Keyword: Washington
Place_Keyword: Oregon
Place_Keyword: California
Place_Keyword: national forest
Place_Keyword: Pacific Northwest
Place_Keyword: Pacific Southwest
Taxonomy:
Keywords/Taxon:
Taxonomic_Keyword_Thesaurus:
None
Taxonomic_Keywords: multiple species
Taxonomic_Keywords: plants
Taxonomic_System:
Classification_System/Authority:
Classification_System_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: USDA, National Resources Conservation Service
Publication_Date: 2023
Title:
The PLANTS Database
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: on-line database
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Greensboro, NC, USA
Publisher: National Plant Data Team
Online_Linkage: https://plants.usda.gov
Taxonomic_Procedures:
Access_Constraints: None
Use_Constraints:
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:

Hochhalter, Patricia A.; Simpson, Michael. 2024. Standardized vegetation cover data from mature forests on federal lands of Washington, Oregon, and California. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2024-0035
Point_of_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization: USDA Forest Service, National Forest System, Pacific Northwest Region
Contact_Person: Tom DeMeo
Contact_Position: Regional Ecologist
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical
Address: 1220 SW 3rd Ave.
City: Portland
State_or_Province: OR
Postal_Code: 97204
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 503-808-2963
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: Thomas.DeMeo@usda.gov
Contact Instructions: This contact information was current as of original publication date. For current information see Contact Us page on: https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS.
Data_Set_Credit:
These data were funded by the USDA Forest Service, National Forest System, Regions 5 and 6 (Pacific Southwest and Pacific Northwest Regions).


Author Information:

Patricia A. Hochhalter
USDA Forest Service, National Forest System, Pacific Northwest Region
https://orcid.org/0009-0007-4819-6873

Michael Simpson
USDA Forest Service, National Forest System, Pacific Northwest Region (retired)
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4054-0955
Cross_Reference:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Simpson, Michael
Originator: Kertis, Jane
Originator: Acker, Steven A.
Originator: Hochhalter, Patricia
Originator: Bell, David M.
Originator: Gregory, Matthew J.
Originator: Nathanson, Amy
Originator: DeMeo, Tom
Publication_Date: Unknown
Title:
Potential natural vegetation classification and mapping for Washington, Oregon, and California using gradient nearest neighbor imputation
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: document
Series_Information:
Series_Name: General Technical Report
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Portland, OR
Publisher: U.S. Department of Agriculture, USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station
Other_Citation_Details:
[In review]
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Data_Quality_Information:
Attribute_Accuracy:
Attribute_Accuracy_Report:
Most of these data were collected prior to widespread availability of precise Global Positioning System (GPS) (pin pricks on an aerial photos, ‘dots’ on maps, eventually digitized), so locations may not be close enough to accurately re-locate the plot on the ground. Accordingly, environmental attributes extracted from rasters using the point locations may be inaccurate. This is a subset of a much larger, broader database that was not included in its entirety because location accuracy was deemed too low for the remaining, unused plots.
Logical_Consistency_Report:
Data were collated from separate Ecology Areas' vegetation databases into one combined database. All species codes were checked, to ensure consistency throughout the entire dataset, using the USDA PLANTS codes (2014 - 2018). Only plants identified to species are included in this database; subspecies were grouped into species and records only identified to genus were removed from this data publication.
Completeness_Report:
This data publication contains only vegetation cover data and coordinates for each of the plots with the best-known location data. Data from plots without, or with known inaccurate GPS locations, were excluded.
Lineage:
Methodology:
Methodology_Type: Field
Methodology_Description:
The Ecology plots were not gridded or randomized but placed with as little pre-conceived bias as possible within relatively undisturbed, mature stands. Within each approximately 1/10 to 1/5-acre plot, some variable, some fixed-radius (depending on what area the data were collected in), the goal was to have vegetation composition, elevation, aspect, slope, as well as position on the slope, be consistent. Ecotones or other variations in the landscape were avoided if possible. Plot locations were selected to avoid disturbance, and tended toward fully stocked, mature to older stands. All vascular plant species (trees, shrubs, herbs, and grasses), as well as cover, were surveyed and documented over the entire plot, with percent cover estimated visually. Each Ecology Area (set of management units) devised its own protocols, and precise methods of data collection may vary across the study area. Cover may have been estimated for both overstory and understory, resulting in values greater than 100% for a single species per plot. For detailed plot data collection information, see the Methods Section in each individual Plant Association Guide (\Supplements\Citations_for_PlantAssociation_Guides.pdf, which includes complete citation information) related to the land management units of interest.

For more information, see Simpson et al. (in review).
Methodology_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Simpson, Michael
Originator: Kertis, Jane
Originator: Acker, Steven A.
Originator: Hochhalter, Patricia
Originator: Bell, David M.
Originator: Gregory, Matthew J.
Originator: Nathanson, Amy
Originator: DeMeo, Tom
Publication_Date: Unknown
Title:
Potential natural vegetation classification and mapping for Washington, Oregon, and California using gradient nearest neighbor imputation
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: document
Series_Information:
Series_Name: General Technical Report
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Portland, OR
Publisher: U.S. Department of Agriculture, USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station
Other_Citation_Details:
[In review]
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
Data were input at the time of entry into individual databases for the formulation of the area Plant Association or Ecological Community Guides in the 1970s (maybe as far back as 1950) through the 1990s. A list of the Guides is included as a supplemental file to this data publication. The standardized data presented here were compiled from multiple individual databases, which may have used slightly different data collection protocols. Species names were standardized and checked for synonyms using the USDA Plants database (dates of last access 2014 - 2018). Only plots that were assessed to have suitably accurate GPS locations were included in these data. Each plot was assigned a unique Regional ID (Region, National Forest or other management unit, and plot number).


USDA, National Resources Conservation Service. 2023. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC USA. https://plants.usda.gov
Process_Date: Unknown
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Spatial_Reference_Information:
Horizontal_Coordinate_System_Definition:
Geographic:
Latitude_Resolution: 0.00000001
Longitude_Resolution: 0.00000001
Geographic_Coordinate_Units: Decimal Degrees
Geodetic_Model:
Horizontal_Datum_Name: World Geodetic System of 1984
Ellipsoid_Name: World Geodetic System of 1984
Semi-major_Axis: 6378137.0000
Denominator_of_Flattening_Ratio: 298.25722210
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Entity_and_Attribute_Information:
Overview_Description:
Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:
Below you will find a list and description of the files included in this data publication.


VARIABLE DESCRIPTION FILE (1)

1. _variable_descriptions.csv: Comma-separated values (CSV) file containing a list and description of variables found in all data and supplemental files. (A description of these variables is also provided in the metadata below.)

Columns include:

Filename = Name and path of file
Variable = Name of variable
Units = Units (if applicable)
Precision = Precision (if applicable)
Description = Description of variable


DATA FILES (3)
Data are provided in two formats: Microsoft Access Database (ACCDB) file and comma-separated values (CSV) files.

1. \Data\ACCDB\R5R6_VegCoverPlotData.accdb: ACCDB file containing two tables: PlotCoordinates, which contains location data for each plot; and VegCover, which contains vegetation cover data.

2. \Data\CSV\PlotCoordinates.csv: CSV file containing location data for each plot.

3. \Data\CSV\VegCover.csv: CSV file containing vegetation cover data.


Variables for PlotCoordinates data include:

REGIONALID = Regional ID number (8 digits in length and first three digits indicate location [Forest, BLM District, etc.] - for complete list see \Supplements\Prefixes_for_LandMgmtUnits.csv)

LAT = Latitude in WGS 1984 GCS (decimal degrees). Data collected prior to GPS; coordinates are best estimates exported from a GIS but may be off by tens of meters.

LON = Longitude in WGS 1984 GCS (decimal degrees). Data collected prior to GPS; coordinates are best estimates exported from a GIS but may be off by tens of meters.


Variables for VegCover data include:

REGIONALID = Regional ID number (8 digits in length and first three digits indicate location [Forest, BLM District, etc.] - for complete list see \Supplements\Prefixes_for_LandMgmtUnits.csv)

LFCODE = Lifeform: F = Forb, G = Graminoid, S = Shrub, T = Tree

SPPCODE = USDA NRCS PLANTS Database code (2014 - 2018) (identified to species)

SCIENTIFIC_NAME = USDA Plants Scientific Name tied to SPPCODE (2014 - 2018) (identified to species) (The PLANTS Database 2023)

COVER = Cover by species (typically recorded to the nearest 1%, or 0.5% for trace amounts; accurate to nearest 5%). Cover values may exceed 100% if the same species was present in both understory and overstory layers.



SUPPLEMENTAL FILES (2)

1. \Supplements\Citations_for_PlantAssociation_Guides.pdf: Portable Document Format (PDF) file containing citations for all of the Plant Association Guides, most of which use the data in this publication.


2. \Supplements\Prefixes_for_LandMgmtUnits.csv: CSV file containing three-digit numbers unique to location in Regional ID and the name of the related land management unit.

Variables for Prefixes_for_LandMgmtUnits include:

PREFIX = Three-digit number unique to location in Regional ID

UNIT_NAME = Name of National Forest, Bureau of Land Management district, or other ownership
Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation:
Simpson, Michael; Kertis, Jane; Acker, Steven A.; Hochhalter, Patricia; Bell, David M.; Gregory, Matthew J.; Nathanson, Amy; DeMeo, Tom. [In review]. Potential natural vegetation classification and mapping for Washington, Oregon, and California using gradient nearest neighbor imputation. General Technical Report. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station.

USDA, National Resources Conservation Service. 2023. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC USA. https://plants.usda.gov
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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 May 2024. For current information see Contact Us page on: https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS.
Resource_Description: RDS-2024-0035
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: ACCDB
Format_Version_Number: see Format Specification
Format_Specification:
Microsoft Access Database file
Digital_Transfer_Option:
Online_Option:
Computer_Contact_Information:
Network_Address:
Network_Resource_Name: https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2024-0035
Digital_Form:
Digital_Transfer_Information:
Format_Name: CSV
Format_Version_Number: see Format Specification
Format_Specification:
Comma-separated values file
Digital_Transfer_Option:
Online_Option:
Computer_Contact_Information:
Network_Address:
Network_Resource_Name: https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2024-0035
Digital_Form:
Digital_Transfer_Information:
Format_Name: PDF
Format_Version_Number: see Format Specification
Format_Specification:
Portable Document Format file
Digital_Transfer_Option:
Online_Option:
Computer_Contact_Information:
Network_Address:
Network_Resource_Name: https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2024-0035
Fees: None
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Metadata_Reference_Information:
Metadata_Date: 20240503
Metadata_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization: USDA Forest Service, National Forest System, Pacific Northwest Region
Contact_Person: Tom DeMeo
Contact_Position: Regional Ecologist
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical
Address: 1220 SW 3rd Ave.
City: Portland
State_or_Province: OR
Postal_Code: 97204
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 503-808-2963
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: Thomas.DeMeo@usda.gov
Contact Instructions: This contact information was current as of original publication date. For current information see Contact Us page on: https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS.
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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