Chris Lea, National Park Service, Natural Resource Information Division, Vegetation Mapping Program, Denver, CO USGS/CSS/Core Science Analytics and Synthesis 2011 vector digital data http://www1.usgs.gov/vip/thst/thstgeodata.zip doi:10.5066/F78C9T8T A vegetation map of Thomas Stone National Historic Site based on field surveys conducted in 2001, interpretation of aerial photography acquired in 2002, and accuracy assessment field surveys completed in 2003 and 2004. This vegetation dataset includes twelve associations (seven semi-natural types and four types of recent anthropogenic origin), as well as two modified Anderson level II categories. The purpose of this study is to classify and describe vegetation at Thomas Stone National Historic Site within the framework of the U.S. National Vegetation Classification System (USNVCS). The vegetation map is one of the minimal data sets of an essential resource inventory for managing more than 250 units of the National Park System with significant natural resources. The Shapefile was imported to a file geodatabase by the USGS/CSS/Core Science Analytics and Synthesis. 2001 2004 ground condition Complete None planned Thomas Stone National Historic Site and environs -77.051749 -77.025504 38.544443 38.518288 National Park Service Theme Category Thesaurus Vegetation Biology ISO 19115 Topic Category biota None vegetation vegetation map vegetation association National Park Service vegetation classification vegetation alliance vegetation formation National Park System Unit Name Thesaurus Thomas Stone National Historic Site National Park System Unit Code Thesaurus THST None Port Tobacco Village, Maryland Charles County None Standardized National Vegetation Classification System vegetation classification alliance community association Kingdom Plantae none none Dennis Skidds Northeast Coastal and Barrier Network mailing and physical

University of Rhode Island, room 105, 1 Greenhouse Road

Kingston RI 02881 401-874-4305 401-874-4561 Dennis_Skidds@nps.gov http://www1.usgs.gov/vip/thst/thstvegmap.pdf Vegetation map; low resolution for web browsing. PDF Microsoft Windows XP Version 5.1 (Build 2600) Service Pack 3; ESRI ArcCatalog 9.3.1.3000 Chris Lea, National Park Service, Natural Resource Information Division, Vegetation Mapping Program, Denver,CO; Lesley A. Sneddon, NatureServe, Boston, MA; Elizabeth Eastman, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 201102 Technical Report NPS/NER/NRTR Philadelphia, PA U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Northeast Region Overall accuracy for the vegetation map (all accuracy assessment points pooled) was 82.8%, with a 90% confidence interval of 71.0 to 94.7%, and a Kappa statistic accuracy of 79.7%. If the user's accuracy rates for each class are weighted by the class areas in the map (excluding the two classes for which accuracy assessment data were not collected), then the overall map accuracy weighted by class area is 82.2%. 82.8% Thematic accuracy assessment that was conducted on the vegetation association map largely followed the protocols of the USGS/NPS Vegetation Mapping Program. (For complete details, see the technical report cross-referenced at the end of the Identifcation Information section above.) A dichotomous key to the associations was developed, and, with the local descriptions of associations, was provided to researchers conducting the accuracy assessment. Accuracy assessment was conducted during the week of October 6-10, 2003, when most of the points were visited. On November 7, 2003, points in cultural (managed) vegetation, the map class representing storm residue (blowdowns from the 2002 tornado), and remaining natural accuracy assessment points were sampled. Following analysis of the results, it was determined that several situations contributed to high error rates between some similar classes. The observers had not had adequate practice with the key or the concepts in the descriptions, nor had the key itself been tested on observers in representative vegetation in order to correct key errors. As a result, it was decided to treat the initial accuracy assessment effort as a map validation to improve the classification, the map, and the key. Modifications were made to the classification scheme, the descriptions, and key for most of the map classes/associations representing natural vegetation. Because these modifications were made from information gained by the validation, a subsequent, independent accuracy assessment was conducted in June 2004 for each map class/association that was modified. Accuracy assessment data collected in 2003 for classes/associations not modified were retained. The data set contains non-overlapping polygons with no gaps or geometry errors. Polygons cover the entire park area. A preliminary vegetation dataset for Thomas Stone National Historic Site was created by interpreting digital orthophotomosaics to delineate polygons at a more general level than that of the association, related in part to the formation level defined in the U.S. National Vegetation Classification System. In accordance with USGS/NPS VMP protocols (USGS 1994), the Level II land use and land cover classification system developed by Anderson, et al. (1976) was used to attribute heavily modified vegetation or non-vegetated polygons. To create the "formation-level" vegetation data set, a photointerpreter, viewing leaf-off and leaf-on photomosaics in two dimensions, delineated visible areas of homogeneous vegetation, land cover, and land use using onscreen digitizing tools of ArcView version 9.1. The minimum mapping unit was 0.5 hectares (1.25 acres); however, the photointerpreter was able to delineate polygons as small as 0.2 hectares (0.5 acres). After polygons were delineated for the entire park area, the photointerpreter created and populated three fields in the attribute table, entering a unique polygon identification number, the formation-level vegetation class or other land use/land cover code, and notes if the interpreter was unsure of the appropriate code or could not assign a code. Next, the photointerpreter examined each formation-level vegetation polygon in three dimensions using ERDAS Imagine's Stereo Analyst software version 8.6, checked the vegetation class code entered in the attribute table, and entered a corrected formation or land use code if appropriate. Following the vegetation data analysis, the formation-level vegetation map was further edited and refined to develop an association-level vegetation map. All classified plot and observation point locations for Thomas Stone National Historic Site were transferred to a project base map, where they facilitated interpretation of photomosaic images and/or aerial photographs during the mapping phase of this project. Observation points were retrospectively assigned by subjective assignment to the USNVC associations identified during data analysis, or to the additional two small-patch USNVC associations newly classified in this study. For the most part, polygon boundaries were unchanged, but where distinctions noted in the field were not evident on either set of aerial photography, revisions to existing polygons were made based on GPS readings of the observation points. Each polygon containing a plot or observation point was attributed with the name of an association based on classification results. The remaining polygons were assigned to associations based on the previously assigned formation (land use polygons were not altered), as well as soil map, topographic map, and finer signature distinctions detected on the aerial photography, such as crown shape. 2004 Chris Lea National Park Service, Natural Resource Information Division, Vegetation Mapping Program, Denver, CO Unkown mailing and physical address

P.O. Box 25287

Denver CO 80228-0287 303-969-2807 Unknown Unknown The shapefile was imported into a geodatabase by the USGS/CSS/Core Science Analytics and Synthesis. 201206 Metadata imported. 201206 Vector G-polygon 125 Universal Transverse Mercator 18 0.999600 -75.000000 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 THST_VegPolys Feature class attribute table National Park Service OBJECTID Internal feature number. ESRI Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated. Shape Feature geometry. ESRI Coordinates defining the features. Poly_ID Unique identifier for each polygon NPS Unique plot code. MapUnit_ID Code used to represent the Map Unit NPS Map unit code. MapUnit_Name Full Map Unit name NPS Map unit association common name. X_Centroid X Coordinate (UTM Easting) of the centroid of the polygon ESRI Easting coordinate. Y_Centroid Y Coordinate (UTM Northing) of the centroid of the polygon ESRI Northing coordinate. Acres Area (squared units) ESRI Positive real numbers that are automatically generated. Hectares Perimeter (unknown units) ESRI Positive real numbers that are automatically generated. Shape_Length Length of feature in internal units. ESRI Positive real numbers that are automatically generated. SHAPE_Area Area of feature in internal units squared. ESRI Positive real numbers that are automatically generated.. rc_VegPolys_tVegMapInfo Defines relationship between Veg polygons and basic vegetation attributes National Park Service 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/thst.html Internet Access None 20110516 20120617 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