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CCL01 Anthromorphic Vegetation Cultural Class
Type Concept Sentence: Vegetation of agricultural lands, including row crops, intensive pastures, orchards, vineyards, plowed or harvested fallow fields, rice paddies, and farm ponds, and vegetation of developed lands, including urban, suburban and rural cities and villages, typically lawns, parks, horticultural gardens, golf courses, and urban ponds.
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Anthromorphic Vegetation Cultural Class
Colloquial Name: Agricultural & Developed Vegetation
Hierarchy Level: Cultural Class
Type Concept: The vegetation is broadly characterized as agricultural and developed vegetation. Agricultural vegetation includes a wide variety of growth forms, often with distinctive cultural forms (e.g., orchards, vineyards, row crops, rice paddies) or structure (e.g., linear spacing, regular mowing, plowing), often to facilitate harvesting. "Agro-mesomorphic" tree, shrub, and herb growth forms are most typical. Structure is often very regular, with open to closed horizontal spacing. There is typically regular human management, such as plowing, mowing, or pruning that determines the structure and growth forms that are present. Climates vary, but this type is typically absent from polar or arid climates, where agricultural growth forms cannot grow and practices are not feasible, unless substantial irrigated water is provided (e.g., northern Africa and the Middle East). Substrates are dry to wet, including aquatic.
Developed vegetation is the vegetation of urban, suburban and rural cities and villages, typically lawns, parks, gardens, and urban ponds. A wide variety of growth forms dominate, but low, regularly mowed mesomorphic graminoid (lawn) growth forms often predominate, with or without tree cover. Growth forms may be atypical of the climate or substrate because of human activities that allow them to persist (winter protection, watering, etc.). The vegetation varies from highly regular to irregular horizontal spacing. There may be frequent, repeated disturbances, typically mowing, clipping, herbiciding, and watering. Climates are various, but this type is typically absent from polar or dry climates. Substrates are dry to wet, including urban aquatic ponds.
Developed vegetation is the vegetation of urban, suburban and rural cities and villages, typically lawns, parks, gardens, and urban ponds. A wide variety of growth forms dominate, but low, regularly mowed mesomorphic graminoid (lawn) growth forms often predominate, with or without tree cover. Growth forms may be atypical of the climate or substrate because of human activities that allow them to persist (winter protection, watering, etc.). The vegetation varies from highly regular to irregular horizontal spacing. There may be frequent, repeated disturbances, typically mowing, clipping, herbiciding, and watering. Climates are various, but this type is typically absent from polar or dry climates. Substrates are dry to wet, including urban aquatic ponds.
Diagnostic Characteristics: Agricultural vegetation often has a very regularly horizontally spaced tree, shrub or herb canopy, with the ground layer subject to annual plowing, planting, pruning, haying, sometimes coupled with flooding (e.g., rice paddies). Developed vegetation may have a regular or irregularly spaced canopy layer, but always has a highly regular ground layer, typically caused by annual, often frequent, mowing or clipping, or essentially absent and replaced by pavement.
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: Although this is a somewhat "bulky" class in terms of structural variation (including tree, shrub and herbaceous stands), they largely intergrade based on human manipulation, and the subclasses jointly cross ecological gradients. Thus, ecologically, it appears most helpful to group them initially into a single class. It is important to conceptually separate this class of planted and cultivated vegetation (such as intensive short-rotation pine plantations) from natural/semi-natural vegetation (such as successional and natural pine communities, or restoration pine plantings or long-rotation pine plantations where the understory is largely controlled by natural processes) because of the distinctive growth forms, species, ecology, biogeographic patterns (or lack thereof) and degree of human manipulation; this is best done by explicitly accounting for this distinctive vegetation in this class.
If mesomorphic tree growth forms are >10% in canopy and at least of minor importance in the regeneration layer, stands may better fit 1. ~Forest & Woodland Class (C01)$$, whereas, if the forests may have an irregular tree canopy but a highly regular or mowed understory, such as in urban parks and lawns, they better fit with developed vegetation.
Agricultural orchards have a very regularly spaced tree canopy (often pruned or trained), with a plowed, mowed, or hayed ground layer.
Urban and agricultural ponds typically have a highly managed growth form composition, regulated water levels, and hardened, human-created shorelines.
Separation of agricultural and developed vegetation based on anthropogenic processes from vegetation formed under natural processes is parallel to that proposed in soil taxonomy, where the need for separation of soils altered by humans over centuries has been proposed (Bryant and Galbraith 2003). Several national soil systems, such as that for China (Zi-tong et al. 2003), and international systems, such as the FAO (1988, in Di Gregorio 2005), already recognize a new soil order, Anthrosols, and Bryant and Galbraith (2003) suggest that the U.S. system should do the same.
If mesomorphic tree growth forms are >10% in canopy and at least of minor importance in the regeneration layer, stands may better fit 1. ~Forest & Woodland Class (C01)$$, whereas, if the forests may have an irregular tree canopy but a highly regular or mowed understory, such as in urban parks and lawns, they better fit with developed vegetation.
Agricultural orchards have a very regularly spaced tree canopy (often pruned or trained), with a plowed, mowed, or hayed ground layer.
Urban and agricultural ponds typically have a highly managed growth form composition, regulated water levels, and hardened, human-created shorelines.
Separation of agricultural and developed vegetation based on anthropogenic processes from vegetation formed under natural processes is parallel to that proposed in soil taxonomy, where the need for separation of soils altered by humans over centuries has been proposed (Bryant and Galbraith 2003). Several national soil systems, such as that for China (Zi-tong et al. 2003), and international systems, such as the FAO (1988, in Di Gregorio 2005), already recognize a new soil order, Anthrosols, and Bryant and Galbraith (2003) suggest that the U.S. system should do the same.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: Growth Forms: Agricultural stands are dominated by tree, shrub, and herb growth forms, sometimes with distinctive cultural forms (vineyards, orchard trees, rice paddies). No growth forms per se have been described that are specific to agricultural vegetation. Developed stands are dominated by a wide variety of growth forms, but herb and shrub growth forms are often most characteristic, used to create lawns and gardens, with annuals, bulbs, or perennial rooted plants. FGDC (2008) does not provide guidance on cultural growth forms.
Structure: Agricultural vegetation structure is very open to closed, typically with very regular horizontal spacing and regularly manipulated heights; with some or all of the plant parts being harvested, often on an annual or more frequent basis. A tree sapling or seedling layer is typically absent under the canopy (e.g., vineyards, orchards). Vegetation typically has >10% cover, but completely bare or flooded surfaces are possible for short durations (e.g., plowed fields, rice paddies). Developed vegetation is typically closed, with regular or irregular horizontal spacing and height, often closely mown on a regular basis (resulting in uniform, short heights (<0.1 m), or the vegetation pattern is irregular, but highly regulated (e.g., flower gardens). Vegetation cover typically is >10%, but completely bare surfaces are possible for short durations.
Structure: Agricultural vegetation structure is very open to closed, typically with very regular horizontal spacing and regularly manipulated heights; with some or all of the plant parts being harvested, often on an annual or more frequent basis. A tree sapling or seedling layer is typically absent under the canopy (e.g., vineyards, orchards). Vegetation typically has >10% cover, but completely bare or flooded surfaces are possible for short durations (e.g., plowed fields, rice paddies). Developed vegetation is typically closed, with regular or irregular horizontal spacing and height, often closely mown on a regular basis (resulting in uniform, short heights (<0.1 m), or the vegetation pattern is irregular, but highly regulated (e.g., flower gardens). Vegetation cover typically is >10%, but completely bare surfaces are possible for short durations.
Floristics: No Data Available
Dynamics: Plowing, mowing, intensive grazing, clipping, pruning, harvesting, flooding.
Environmental Description: Climate: Found in all climatic domains, most common in non-arid climates.
Geographic Range: Widely distributed across the globe, except in very dry or very cold regions.
Nations: No Data Available
States/Provinces: No Data Available
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.860215
Confidence Level: Low
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GNA
Greasons: No Data Available
| Type | Name | Database Code | Classification Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cultural Class | CCL01 Anthromorphic Vegetation Cultural Class | CCL01 | 7 |
| Cultural Subclass | CSC01 Woody Agricultural Vegetation Cultural Subclass | CSC01 | 7.A |
| Cultural Subclass | CSC02 Herbaceous Agricultural Vegetation Cultural Subclass | CSC02 | 7.B |
| Cultural Subclass | CSC03 Herbaceous & Woody Developed Vegetation Cultural Subclass | CSC03 | 7.C |
| Cultural Subclass | CSC04 Agricultural & Developed Aquatic Vegetation Cultural Subclass | CSC04 | 7.D |
Concept Lineage: C08 merged into C07.
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: < Agricultural Land (Anderson et al. 1976)
>< Cultivated Aquatic or Regularly Flooded Areas (Di Gregorio 2005) [This type is restricted to only wetland vegetation, but includes both agricultural and developed vegetation.]
>< Cultivated and Managed Terrestrial Areas (Di Gregorio 2005) [This type is restricted to only upland vegetation, but includes both agricultural and developed vegetation.]
>< Urban or Built-up Land (17. Other Urban or Build Up Land) (Anderson et al. 1976) [Anderson includes both non-vegetated and vegetated urban lands in this class, but subclass 17 covers the more extensive developed vegetation types.]
>< Cultivated Aquatic or Regularly Flooded Areas (Di Gregorio 2005) [This type is restricted to only wetland vegetation, but includes both agricultural and developed vegetation.]
>< Cultivated and Managed Terrestrial Areas (Di Gregorio 2005) [This type is restricted to only upland vegetation, but includes both agricultural and developed vegetation.]
>< Urban or Built-up Land (17. Other Urban or Build Up Land) (Anderson et al. 1976) [Anderson includes both non-vegetated and vegetated urban lands in this class, but subclass 17 covers the more extensive developed vegetation types.]
- Anderson, J. R., E. E. Hardy, J. T. Roach, and R. E. Witmer. 1976. A land use and land cover classification system for use with remote sensor data. USDI, Geological Survey Professional Paper No. 964. Washington, DC. 26 pp.
- Bailey, R. G. 1989. Explanatory supplement to ecoregions map of the continents. Environmental Conservation 16:307-309 with separate map at 1:30,000,000. USDA Forest Service, Washington, DC.
- Bryant, R. B., and J. M. Galbraith. 2003. Incorporating anthropogenic processes in soil classification. Pages 57-66 in: H. Eswaran, T. Rice, R. Ahrens, and B. A. Steward. Soil classification: A global desk reference. CRC Press, New York.
- Di Gregorio, A. 2005. Land Cover Classification System (LCCS), version 2: Classification concepts and user manual. FAO Environment and Natural Resources Service Series, No.8. Food and Agriculture Organization, Rome.
- FAO [Food and Agriculture Organization]. 1988. FAO-UNESCO soil map of the world. Revised legend. FAO/UNESCO/ISRIC World Soil Resources Reports. No. 60. Reprinted in 1990. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome.
- Faber-Langendoen, D., T. Keeler-Wolf, D. Meidinger, C. Josse, A. Weakley, D. Tart, G. Navarro, B. Hoagland, S. Ponomarenko, J.-P. Saucier, G. Fults, and E. Helmer. 2015c. Classification and description of world formation types. General Technical Report RMRS-GTR-000. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fort Collins, CO.
- Zi-tong, G., G. Ghang, and Z. Chen. 2003. Development of soil classification in China. Pages 101-126 in: H. Eswaran, T. Rice, R. Ahrens, and B. A. Steward. Soil classification: A global desk reference. CRC Press, New York.