Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, Field Plots Data Base for Vegetation Mapping

Vegetation field plots at Agate Fossil Beds NM were visited, described, and
documented in a digital database. The database consists of 2 parts - (1)
Physical Descriptive Data, and (2) Species Listings.

The purpose of the field plots was to provide National Parks with the necessary
tools to effectively manage their natural resources. Plot data is collected and
analyzed to develop a classification (using the Standardized National
Vegetation Classification System) and description of vegetation types in
preparation for photointerpretation and mapping of the monument's vegetation
types.

The field plotting took place in the Agate Fossil Beds National Monument and a
400 meter buffer.

Field sampling was done using releve plots. The descriptive plot data were
collected for 39 sites whose vegetation represents a full spectrum of alliance
types present within Agate Fossil Beds National Monument and its immediate
surroundings. Physical description - Attributes collected for each site
include: a plot number, a unique plot identification code, community name,
field name, state, park name, quad name, map projection, datum, GPS file name,
raw UTM coordinates, differentially corrected UTM coordinates, plot survey
date, name(s) of surveyors, length, width, photo type, elevation, slope,
aspect, topographic position, landform, surface geology, Cowardin System
category, hydrology, surface material description, soil texture, soil drainage,
leaf phenology, leaf type, and physiognomy. Species - Individual species
described at each of 39 plots is listed, one line per species, with the
following information: Plot Identification Code, Numeric Species Code, Species
Name, Species Cover (0=trace, 1=< 1%, 2=1-5%, 3=5-25%, 4=25-50%, 5=50-75%,
6=75-100%), Plantcode, and Strata Code (T1=emergent, T2=canopy, T3=sub-canopy,
S1=tall shrub, S2=short shrub, H=herbaceous, N=non-vascular, V=vinae/liana,
E=epiphyte).

Information for this metadata was taken from
"http://biology.usgs.gov/npsveg/agfo/metaagfofield.html".