U.S. Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, 2630 Fanta Reed Road, La Crosse, Wisconsin 54603 201006 vector digital data NPS Vegetation Inventory Program Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Vegetation Mapping Project Fort Collins, Colorado NPS Natural Resource Inventory & Monitoring Program A detailed report on how this data set was created is available to download from the program's web site. The report discusses methods and results, and includes descriptions and dichotomous keys to vegetation types, map classification and descriptions, and accuracy assessment (AA) contingency tables. It also provides information on the aerial photographs and how they were interpreted. Detailed background information for each map class and attribute code contained in this data set is provided in the project report. http://www1.usgs.gov/vip/apis/apisgeodata.zip https://irma.nps.gov/App/Reference/Search doi:10.5066/F7BR8Q4T The vegetation point data for Apostle Islands National Lakeshore (APIS) was developed to support two efforts associated with the 2004 APIS vegetation map; the collection of detailed vegetation plot data and the vegetation map's AA. Vegetation plot sampling was conducted to describe vegetation types and to develop the map classification scheme. A total of 153 vegetation plots were sampled at APIS. A detailed vegetation analysis of these data along with information collected from previous classification projects were used to develop the map classification scheme, in accordance with the National Vegetation Classification (NVC) Standard (Vr 2). The accuracy assessment project was conducted to locate and document potential thematic errors (i.e., the assignment of an incorrect map class), specifically users' accuracy (suitability for a particular application) and producers' accuracy (conformance to production standards). The AA was performed only on map classes representing NVC natural/semi-natural vegetation types. A total of 687 AA observation sites were collected for analysis. The APIS vegetation map was determined to have an overall AA of 87.7% (Kappa index of 87.2%). More detailed results are presented in the APIS project report via a contingency table available on the program's website. The GIS data set contains point data features, projected to Universal Transverse Mercator zone 15 mapping coordinates, North American Datum 1983. The NPS Vegetation Inventory Program (VIP) is an effort to classify, describe, and map existing vegetation of national park units. Managed by the NPS Biological Resources Management Division, the NPS VIP provides baseline vegetation information for the NPS Natural Resource I&M Program. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Vegetation Characterization Program lends a cooperative role in the NPS VIP. Vegetation layers and associated information support a wide variety of resource assessment, park management, and planning needs. They also provide structure for framing and answering critical scientific questions about vegetation communities and their relation to environmental processes across the landscape. 20050501 20051031 ground condition Complete None planned Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and environs -91.056778 -90.394335 47.088714 46.694472 none vegetation plot accuracy assessment NPS Vegetation Inventory Program Apostle Islands National Lakeshore National Vegetation Classification Standard NVCS NVC APIS National Park Service Theme Category Thesaurus Land Use / Cover Monitoring Remote Sensing ISO 19115 Topic Category biota none Apostle Islands National Lakeshore United States of America Wisconsin Bayfield County Ashland County APIS National Park System Unit Name Thesaurus Apostle Islands National Lakeshore National Park System Unit Code Thesaurus APIS None Standardized National Vegetation Classification System vegetation classification alliance community association Kingdom Plantae A computer software program capable of reading and displaying data stored as an ESRI format file geodatabase is required. 1) Those using the spatial database should understand the data and determine for themselves the fitness of the data prior to use. 2) For publication and dissemination, citations or credit should be given to the U.S. Geological Survey Center for Biological Informatics, the National Park Service Biological Resources Management Division, the U.S. Geological Survey Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, the National Park Service Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, and NatureServe. 3) Mention of trade names or commercial products in this metadata report does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use by the U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey. USGS Biological Resources Division, Center for Biological USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping Program Coordinator mailing and physical address

USGS

Biological Resources Division, CBI

Building 810, Room 8000

PO BOX 25046, DFC, MS302

Denver Colorado 80225-0046 United States of America (303) 202-4220 303-202-4229 gs-b-npsveg@usgs.gov Microsoft Windows 2000 Version 5.2 (Build 3790) Service Pack 2; ESRI ArcCatalog 9.3.1.3500 Several accuracy checks were made against the automated data and the original reports or data sheets, during and after data entry. Each vegetation plot or accuracy assessment site was estimated using a global positioning system (GPS) receiver. The mapping coordinates were recorded on data sheets, which were later entered into a digital database. The database was converted into a geographic information system (GIS) data set, containing point features. Data forms were filled out for each vegetation plot and accuracy assessment site. Each set of data sheets had a data record recorded for that site in the GIS data set. The locations of the vegetation plots and accuracy assessment sites were recorded using global positioning system (GPS) receivers. National Park Service Vegetation Inventory Program Unknown imagery 12000 digital raster 20041009 ground condition Aerial photography The field crew used aerial photography for location and other information. National Parks Service Unknown maps paper unknown publication date NPS Maps Existing park maps were obtained from the parks and used by the field crews as needed. Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center Unpublished Material raster digital data 12000 digital photo mosaic 20041009 ground condition CIR Aerial Photo Mosaic Mosaic used by field crews as backdrop for AA points Vegetation Plots: Field sampling methodology was adapted from the NPS Vegetation Inventory Program standards (NatureServe 2004). Field crews sampled 148 plots during the summers of 2005 and 2006, and sampled another 5 during the summer of 2007. Aerial Photography National Park Service Maps 20050601 Vegetation Plots: All field data were entered into PLOTS2, an MS Access database designed for this vegetation mapping program (NatureServe 2005b). These plots were analyzed using ordination (non-metric multidimensional scaling or NMS) and clustering techniques (Flexible Beta) with PC-Ord 5.0 (McCune and Mefford 1999). Data were then converted to a point shapefile in ArcGIS 9.2. 20051201 Accuracy Assessment: Field crews were provided with listings of GPS coordinates of their (AA sites along with field maps. During the summer of 2008, field crews navigated to their sampling sites, then established AA observation plots within the minimum mapping unit (MMU) area. A number of physical characteristics were recorded for each site (e.g., location, slope, aspect, elevation) along with land cover information (e.g., dominant and subdominant vegetation, percent cover). Detailed descriptions on how these plots were established and sampled are available in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore vegetation mapping project report, available online. CIR Mosaic 20080101 Accuracy Assessment: All field data were entered into PLOTS2, an MS Access database designed for this vegetation mapping program (NatureServe 2005b). 20080401 Accuracy Assessment: The field data were then automated, and brought into the software programs ArcView GIS version 3.3 and ArcGIS version 9.2. Information collected in the field was compared to those developed by the photo interpreters (digital data and photo overlays). Results were used to determine; spatial GPS coordinate errors, map automation errors, Unclassified vegetation type on field data sheet errors, incomplete crosswalk between map classes and vegetation type errors, questionable field calls, and inclusion errors (areas missed as they were below the minimum mapping unit). Results of this analysis are available in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore mapping project report, available on the program's web site. 20080501 Vegetation Points: The Vegetation Plots and Accuracy Assessment Sites shapefiles were then imported and joined as a feature class in a geodatabase. 20080801 Metadata imported. 20100201 14210500 Vector Entity point 911 Universal Transverse Mercator 15 0.999600 -93.000000 0.000000 500000.000000 0.000000 coordinate pair 0.000100 0.000100 meters North American Datum of 1983 Geodetic Reference System 80 6378137.000000 298.257222 apis_vegpt The apis_vegpt attribute table contains the attribute information directly associated with the vegetation point data set. If this data set were to be exported out of the file geodatabase and saved as a shapefile, the information contained within fcl_apis_vegpt are the attributes which would carry through to the new shapefile. The other attribute/lookup tables (tbl_vegpt_vp_clsf, tbl_vegpt_vp_location, ...) contain additional information that can be associated with the dataset's attributes, through a series of geodatabase relationship classes (rc_vegpt_vp_clsf, rc_vegpt_vp_location, ...). NPS Vegetation Inventory Program OBJECTID Internal feature number. ESRI Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated. Shape Feature geometry. ESRI Coordinates defining the features. Veg_Point Uniquie Code Used to Identify Plots and Accuracy Assessment Points. NPS Vegetation Inventory Program Unique plot and AA numbers. Point_Type Point type (accuracy assessment point, and plot point) NPS Vegetation Inventory Program Accuracy Assessment Site Accuracy Assessment Site NPS Vegetation Inventory Program Vegetation Plot Vegetation Plot NPS Vegetation Inventory Program X_Easting UTM X Easting Value. NPS Vegetation Inventory Program Easting coordinates. Y_Northing UTM X Northing Value. NPS Vegetation Inventory Program Northing coordinates. vegpt_vp_vegdesc Vegetation description of vegetation plots NPS Vegetation Inventory Program vegpt_vp_spp Species data of vegetation plots NPS Vegetation Inventory Program vegpt_aa_location Physical location of accuracy assessment sites NPS Vegetation Inventory Program vegpt_aa_enviro Environmental description of accuracy assessment sites NPS Vegetation Inventory Program vegpt_aa_photo Ground photos of accuracy assessment sites NPS Vegetation Inventory Program vegpt_vp_clsf Classification of vegetation plots NPS Vegetation Inventory Program vegpt_vp_photo Ground photos of vegetation plots NPS Vegetation Inventory Program vegpt_vp_info General information of vegetation plots NPS Vegetation Inventory Program vegpt_vp_enviro Environmental description of vegetation plots NPS Vegetation Inventory Program vegpt_aa_clsf Classification of accuracy assessment sites NPS Vegetation Inventory Program vegpt_aa_spp Species data of accuracy assessment sites NPS Vegetation Inventory Program vegpt_aa_info General information of accuracy assessment sites NPS Vegetation Inventory Program vegpt_vp_location Physical location of vegetation plots NPS Vegetation Inventory Program vegpt_aa_vegdesc Vegetation description of accuracy assessment sites NPS Vegetation Inventory Program For feature class and relationship table field information, see vegpt_scheme within the geodatabase. Within the vegpt_scheme table, items listed in parenthesis are the original item names within the project's vegetation database (mdb). Detailed descriptions of these items are provided within the vegetation database. Unknown USGS/CSS/Core Science Analytics and Synthesis USGS-NPS Vegetation Characterization Program Coordinator mailing and physical address

Denver Federal Center, Building 810, MS 302

Denver Colorado 80225 (303) 202-4220 303-202-4219 gs-b-npsveg@usgs.gov Downloadable Data The U.S. Geological Survey and the National Park Service shall not be held liable for improper or incorrect use of the data described and/or contained herein. These data and related graphics (if available) are not legal documents and are not intended to be used as such. The information contained in these data is dynamic and may change over time. The data are not better than the original sources from which they were derived. It is the responsibility of the data user to use the data appropriately and consistent within the limitations of geospatial data in general and these data in particular. Any related graphics (if available) are intended to aid the data user in acquiring relevant data; it is not approriate to use the related graphics as data. The U.S. Geological Survey and the National Park Service gives no warranty, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of these data. It is strongly recommended that these data are directly acquired from an U.S. Geological Survey and National Park Service servers and not indirectly through other sources which may have changed the data in some way. Although these data have been processed successfully on a computer system at the U.S. Geological Survey, no warranty expressed or implied is made regarding the utility of the data on another system or for general or scientific purposes, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty. This disclaimer applies both to individual use of the data and aggregate use with other data. It is also strongly recommended that careful attention be paid to the contents of the metadata file associated with these data. Mention of trade names or commercial products in this metadata report does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use by the U. S. Department of the Interior, U. S. Geological Survey and National Park Service. HTML http://www.usgs.gov/core_science_systems/csas/vip/parks/apis.html Internet Access None 20100625 20100806 USGS/CSS/Core Science Analytics and Synthesis USGS-NPS Vegetation Characterization Program Coordinator mailing and physical address

Denver Federal Center, Building 810, MS 302

Denver Colorado 80225 (303) 202-4220 303-202-4219 gs-b-npsveg@usgs.gov FGDC Biological Data Profile of the Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata FGDC-STD-001.1-1999 http://www.usgs.gov/core_science_systems/csas/metadata/index.html