Dataset Identification:
Resource Abstract:
- description: This dataset combines the work of several different projects to create a seamless data set for the contiguous
United States. Data from four regional Gap Analysis Projects and the LANDFIRE project were combined to make this dataset.
In the northwestern United States (Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Washington and Wyoming) data in this map came from the Northwest
Gap Analysis Project. In the southwestern United States (Colorado, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah) data used in this
map came from the Southwest Gap Analysis Project. The data for Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South
Carolina, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Virginia came from the Southeast Gap Analysis Project and the California data was generated
by the updated California Gap land cover project. The Hawaii Gap Analysis project provided the data for Hawaii. In areas of
the county (central U.S., Northeast, Alaska) that have not yet been covered by a regional Gap Analysis Project, data from
the Landfire project was used. Similarities in the methods used by these projects made possible the combining of the data
they derived into one seamless coverage. They all used multi-season satellite imagery (Landsat ETM+) from 1999-2001 in conjunction
with digital elevation model (DEM) derived datasets (e.g. elevation, landform) to model natural and semi-natural vegetation.
Vegetation classes were drawn from NatureServe's Ecological System Classification (Comer et al. 2003) or classes developed
by the Hawaii Gap project. Additionally, all of the projects included land use classes that were employed to describe areas
where natural vegetation has been altered. In many areas of the country these classes were derived from the National Land
Cover Dataset (NLCD). For the majority of classes and, in most areas of the country, a decision tree classifier was used to
discriminate ecological system types. In some areas of the country, more manual techniques were used to discriminate small
patch systems and systems not distinguishable through topography. The data contains multiple levels of thematic detail. At
the most detailed level natural vegetation is represented by NatureServe's Ecological System classification (or in Hawaii
the Hawaii GAP classification). These most detailed classifications have been crosswalked to the five highest levels of the
National Vegetation Classification (NVC), Class, Subclass, Formation, Division and Macrogroup. This crosswalk allows users
to display and analyze the data at different levels of thematic resolution. Developed areas, or areas dominated by introduced
species, timber harvest, or water are represented by other classes, collectively refered to as land use classes; these land
use classes occur at each of the thematic levels. Raster data in both ArcGIS Grid and ERDAS Imagine format is available for
download at http://gis1.usgs.gov/csas/gap/viewer/land_cover/Map.aspx Six layer files are included in the download packages
to assist the user in displaying the data at each of the Thematic levels in ArcGIS. In adition to the raster datasets the
data is available in Web Mapping Services (WMS) format for each of the six NVC classification levels (Class, Subclass, Formation,
Division, Macrogroup, Ecological System) at the following links. http://gis1.usgs.gov/arcgis/rest/services/gap/GAP_Land_Cover_NVC_Class_Landuse/MapServer
http://gis1.usgs.gov/arcgis/rest/services/gap/GAP_Land_Cover_NVC_Subclass_Landuse/MapServer http://gis1.usgs.gov/arcgis/rest/services/gap/GAP_Land_Cover_NVC_Formation_Landuse/MapServer
http://gis1.usgs.gov/arcgis/rest/services/gap/GAP_Land_Cover_NVC_Division_Landuse/MapServer http://gis1.usgs.gov/arcgis/rest/services/gap/GAP_Land_Cover_NVC_Macrogroup_Landuse/MapServer
http://gis1.usgs.gov/arcgis/rest/services/gap/GAP_Land_Cover_Ecological_Systems_Landuse/MapServer; abstract: This dataset
combines the work of several different projects to create a seamless data set for the contiguous United States. Data from
four regional Gap Analysis Projects and the LANDFIRE project were combined to make this dataset. In the northwestern United
States (Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Washington and Wyoming) data in this map came from the Northwest Gap Analysis Project. In
the southwestern United States (Colorado, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah) data used in this map came from the Southwest
Gap Analysis Project. The data for Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Mississippi, Tennessee,
and Virginia came from the Southeast Gap Analysis Project and the California data was generated by the updated California
Gap land cover project. The Hawaii Gap Analysis project provided the data for Hawaii. In areas of the county (central U.S.,
Northeast, Alaska) that have not yet been covered by a regional Gap Analysis Project, data from the Landfire project was used.
Similarities in the methods used by these projects made possible the combining of the data they derived into one seamless
coverage. They all used multi-season satellite imagery (Landsat ETM+) from 1999-2001 in conjunction with digital elevation
model (DEM) derived datasets (e.g. elevation, landform) to model natural and semi-natural vegetation. Vegetation classes were
drawn from NatureServe's Ecological System Classification (Comer et al. 2003) or classes developed by the Hawaii Gap
project. Additionally, all of the projects included land use classes that were employed to describe areas where natural vegetation
has been altered. In many areas of the country these classes were derived from the National Land Cover Dataset (NLCD). For
the majority of classes and, in most areas of the country, a decision tree classifier was used to discriminate ecological
system types. In some areas of the country, more manual techniques were used to discriminate small patch systems and systems
not distinguishable through topography. The data contains multiple levels of thematic detail. At the most detailed level natural
vegetation is represented by NatureServe's Ecological System classification (or in Hawaii the Hawaii GAP classification).
These most detailed classifications have been crosswalked to the five highest levels of the National Vegetation Classification
(NVC), Class, Subclass, Formation, Division and Macrogroup. This crosswalk allows users to display and analyze the data at
different levels of thematic resolution. Developed areas, or areas dominated by introduced species, timber harvest, or water
are represented by other classes, collectively refered to as land use classes; these land use classes occur at each of the
thematic levels. Raster data in both ArcGIS Grid and ERDAS Imagine format is available for download at http://gis1.usgs.gov/csas/gap/viewer/land_cover/Map.aspx
Six layer files are included in the download packages to assist the user in displaying the data at each of the Thematic levels
in ArcGIS. In adition to the raster datasets the data is available in Web Mapping Services (WMS) format for each of the six
NVC classification levels (Class, Subclass, Formation, Division, Macrogroup, Ecological System) at the following links. http://gis1.usgs.gov/arcgis/rest/services/gap/GAP_Land_Cover_NVC_Class_Landuse/MapServer
http://gis1.usgs.gov/arcgis/rest/services/gap/GAP_Land_Cover_NVC_Subclass_Landuse/MapServer http://gis1.usgs.gov/arcgis/rest/services/gap/GAP_Land_Cover_NVC_Formation_Landuse/MapServer
http://gis1.usgs.gov/arcgis/rest/services/gap/GAP_Land_Cover_NVC_Division_Landuse/MapServer http://gis1.usgs.gov/arcgis/rest/services/gap/GAP_Land_Cover_NVC_Macrogroup_Landuse/MapServer
http://gis1.usgs.gov/arcgis/rest/services/gap/GAP_Land_Cover_Ecological_Systems_Landuse/MapServer
Citation
- Title U.S. Geological Survey Gap Analysis Program- Land Cover Data v2.2.
-
- creation Date
2018-05-21T11:39:05.445424
Resource language:
Processing environment:
Back to top:
Metadata data stamp:
2018-08-06T21:07:15Z
Resource Maintenance Information
- maintenance or update frequency:
- notes: This metadata record was generated by an xslt transformation from a dc metadata record; Transform by Stephen M. Richard, based
on a transform by Damian Ulbricht. Run on 2018-08-06T21:07:15Z
Metadata contact
-
pointOfContact
- organisation Name
CINERGI Metadata catalog
-
- Contact information
-
-
- Address
-
- electronic Mail Address cinergi@sdsc.edu
Metadata language
eng
Metadata character set encoding:
utf8
Metadata standard for this record:
ISO 19139 Geographic Information - Metadata - Implementation Specification
standard version:
2007
Metadata record identifier:
urn:dciso:metadataabout:7ac02924-3166-40a3-8c07-160db5f0de46
Metadata record format is ISO19139 XML (MD_Metadata)