Quivira National Wildlife Refuge vegetation mapping project 2010-2011

Description

Quivira National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1955, and a detailed vegetation map was not available for management purposes. With the present development of a biological program and Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP), a baseline vegetation map of the refuge was identified as a necessity. Development of the vegetation map and associated report was a multi-step process. Aerial photography (NAIP, 2008) was used with eCognition to create polygons of different plant communities based on the likeness of surrounding pixels in the area. Prior to ground-truthing, the following activities were accomplished: training on vegetation mapping using GIS (previous experience and National Conservation Training Center course), creation of an vegetation association and alliance dichotomous key, development of a refuge plant key and identification skills, and preparation of maps for ground truthing. Once out in the field dominant plants were identified for appropriate vegetation alliance and association classification, plant specimens were collected for the refuge herbarium as necessary and additional observations and photos were gathered for the report. Over the course of the project, classification data was entered into a GIS and polygons were appropriately modified to create the final map. At Quivira, results found a total of 42 alliances and 43 associations.The most dominant plants throughout the refuge in 2008 based on canopy cover were saltgrass, plum, little bluestem and cottonwood. The number of alliances and associations found on the refuge show high species diversity.

Resources

Name Format Description Link
0 SBN file https://iris.fws.gov/APPS/ServCat/DownloadFile/199914?Reference=55323
0 CPG file https://iris.fws.gov/APPS/ServCat/DownloadFile/199910?Reference=55323
0 LYRX file https://iris.fws.gov/APPS/ServCat/DownloadFile/199912?Reference=55323
0 PRJ file https://iris.fws.gov/APPS/ServCat/DownloadFile/199913?Reference=55323
0 SHX File https://iris.fws.gov/APPS/ServCat/DownloadFile/199918?Reference=55323
55 XML document https://iris.fws.gov/APPS/ServCat/DownloadFile/199917?Reference=55323
0 SBX file https://iris.fws.gov/APPS/ServCat/DownloadFile/199915?Reference=55323
61 SHP file https://iris.fws.gov/APPS/ServCat/DownloadFile/199916?Reference=55323
0 DBF file https://iris.fws.gov/APPS/ServCat/DownloadFile/199911?Reference=55323

Tags

  • habitat-management
  • schizachyrium-scoparium
  • land-use
  • yellow-indian-grass
  • switchgrass
  • indiangrass
  • old-switch-panic-grass
  • andropogon-gerardi
  • quackgrass
  • vegetation-community-boundaries
  • vegetation
  • sorghastrum-nutans
  • monitoring
  • elymus-canadensis
  • inventory
  • vegetation-survey
  • little-bluestem
  • panicum-virgatum
  • im
  • canada-wildrye
  • elymus-repens

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