Guidelines on Vegetation Mapping
Management usually assumes that wildlife species and populations will be distributed in relationship to the vegetation communities for which they show preferences. Vegetation integrates soil, water, topography, climate, and disturbance conditions and can often serve as a shorthand description of an area. When wildlife habitat is described, vegetation is a major element, and one component necessary for diverse wildlife populations is an appropriate and diverse vegetation community.
A vegetation map was historically a representation on paper or Mylar of plant species and communities on a site, along with selected features such as topography, streams, and roads. The one or two copies produced were either kept in the office because they were too good to use, or they were taken to the field and kept in a plastic sheet so they wouldn’t get muddy. They were copied in black and white (repeatedly), subjected to spills of hot and cold beverages (repeatedly), and soon became illegible.
The growth of digital capabilities in the last several years has transformed this static and labor-intensive product into a stack of overlapping digital data files that can store and display a large array of individual characteristics. Advances in remote sensing, analysis and modeling, and sampling theory provide tremendous sophistication in producing and understanding the mapped data. The quality, information content, and flexibility of maps have risen dramatically. Information is no longer available to just a few, but can be shared, manipulated, and presented to serve many different clients. We can have multiple copies to take to the field! At varying scales. And even in color.
Using hierarchical classifications of vegetation and advanced imagery, we have the ability to view our land and water resources in a new light. We can now describe the context of our site, run simulations of changes before fielding them, and perform the quantitative evaluations required in today’s funding climate.
Recognizing the importance, utility, and complexity of maps, the U.S. Army Environmental Center (AEC) sponsored the development of "Guidelines for Mapping Vegetation on Army Installations." The guidelines were prepared using expertise from a variety of organizations and sources, mainly at four of the laboratories in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Research and Development Center. Copies of the Guidelines in CD format can be obtained by contacting the AEC Hotline at 1-800-872-3845. The entire document is also on-line and either be viewed or downloaded. Go to http://el.erdc.usace.army.mil/elpubs/genrep.html then page down in the 2000 publications. A direct link is http://el.erdc.usace.army.mil/elpubs/pdf/tr00-8/use.pdf.
Recognizing that vegetation is normally not aware of whether it is on military or Civil Works property, we have included chapter 2 of the Guidelines here. Chapter 2 describes preparation for a mapping project, i.e., a decision framework The full document can be reached here.
The vegetation mapping process is discussed in six steps:
The guidelines provide an organized approach to mapping vegetation and were developed for the advanced as well as the inexperienced user. Following the introduction and suggestions on how to use the document, the second chapter contains a decision framework for the steps involved in mapping, establishing objectives, identifying available resources, and determining specifications and costs. The decision framework refers to choices on the appropriate approach and methods, and whether to conduct a project using in-house staff, a contractor, or a combination of both. The third chapter contains reference material pertinent to the mapping process ranging from regulatory requirements to field data collection to determining map accuracy. The fourth chapter includes project and contract management topics such as a detailed outline of a statement of work that can be modified for any mapping objective. Appendices include additional reference material, templates for use in planning and conducting a mapping project, and results of six case studies. The on-line document is bookmarked for ease of use.