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Virginia Forest Cover Map 2005: Level 2 Classification

Frequently-anticipated questions:

Metadata:

Identification_Information:
Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator:
Virginia Department of Forestry, Division of Resource Information
Publication_Date: Unknown
Title: Virginia Forest Cover Map 2005: Level 2 Classification
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: raster digital data
Publication_Information:
Publisher:
Virginia Department of Forestry, Division of Resource Information
Online_Linkage: \\DN9RS81\C$\vfcm\delivery\vfcm05_level2
Description:
Abstract:
The 2005 edition of the Virginia Forest Cover Map (VFCM 2005) was developed to identify forest in Virginia as defined by the United States Forest Service (USFS) Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Program. FIA forest has or formerly had at least a 10% stocking of live forest trees of any size and is not currently developed for non-forest use. The minimum area for classification as forest is 1 acre with a minimum width of 120 feet stem-to-stem. Forested strips must be at least 120 feet wide for a continuous length of at least 363 feet in order to meet the 1 acre minimum. Unimproved roads, trails, and other clearings in forest areas are classified as forest if less than 120 feet wide or smaller than 1 acre.

VFCM 2005 was developed through segment based classification of Landsat satellite imagery acquired from 03/10/2002 to 05/08/2005. In this process, the state was divided into eight mapping zones developed from supplementary data and Landsat imagery was subset to these zones. E-cognition 3.0 software was then used to partition the image subsets based on similar characteristics of reflectance, contrast, texture and shape, and identify groups of pixels - called segments - as vector polygon features. Representative segments for appropriate landcover classes were then selected manually in reference to 2002 Virginia Base Mapping Photography and used as signatures in a nearest neighbor classification in which all pixels within each segment were classified as a single unit. Signature edits were then performed based on evaluation of proportion of segments classified correctly in relation to FIA Phase 1 (P1) sample points. Rule based edits based on value thresholds selected from the six Landsat spectral bands and a series of vegetation indices were used to correct some remaining misclassified segments and manual edits were applied to some classifications.

A level 1 (Water, Forest, Nonforest) classification accuracy assessment conducted using over 120,000 FIA P1 points resulted in an overall accuracy of 88.24%.

Purpose:
VFCM 2005 was developed to provide an estimation of forest area in the state, to provide baseline data for forest health, disturbance and harvest monitoring, and for examination of forest fragmentation.
Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Multiple_Dates/Times:
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: 05/08/2005
Time_of_Day: 11:40:16 AM
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: 04/28/2004
Time_of_Day: 11:26:54 AM
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: 04/05/2004
Time_of_Day: 11:20:15 AM
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: 11/09/2003
Time_of_Day: 11:43:42 AM
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: 11/02/2003
Time_of_Day: 11:37:13 AM
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: 03/10/2002
Currentness_Reference: ground condition of classification imagery
Status:
Progress: Complete
Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: As needed
Spatial_Domain:
Bounding_Coordinates:
West_Bounding_Coordinate: -83.837527
East_Bounding_Coordinate: -75.083646
North_Bounding_Coordinate: 39.471770
South_Bounding_Coordinate: 36.461954
Keywords:
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Theme_Keyword: Forest
Theme_Keyword: Landcover
Theme_Keyword: Classification
Theme_Keyword: Segment
Place:
Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Place_Keyword: Virginia
Place_Keyword: USA
Access_Constraints: Data are available to all interested parties.
Use_Constraints: Data are only to be redistributed with accompanying metadata.
Point_of_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization:
Division of Resource Information, Virginia Department of Forestry
Contact_Person: Jim Pugh
Contact_Position: GIS/Remote Sensing Analyst
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical address
Address: 900 Natural Resources Drive, Suite 800
City: Charlottesville
State_or_Province: VA
Postal_Code: 22903
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: (434) 220-9062
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: (434) 296-2369
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: Jim Pugh
Hours_of_Service: 8:00 AM - 4:45 PM
Security_Information:
Security_Classification: Unclassified
Native_Data_Set_Environment:
Microsoft Windows XP Version 5.1 (Build 2600) Service Pack 2; ESRI ArcCatalog 9.1.0.722
Data_Quality_Information:
Attribute_Accuracy:
Attribute_Accuracy_Report:
A level 1 (Water, Forest, Nonforest) classification accuracy assessment was conducted using 124,449 Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Phase One (P1) survey points.
Quantitative_Attribute_Accuracy_Assessment:
Attribute_Accuracy_Value: 88.24%
Attribute_Accuracy_Explanation: Level 1 Overall Classification Accuracy
Quantitative_Attribute_Accuracy_Assessment:
Attribute_Accuracy_Value: 0.78
Attribute_Accuracy_Explanation: Overall Kappa Coefficient
Quantitative_Attribute_Accuracy_Assessment:
Attribute_Accuracy_Value: 93.7%
Attribute_Accuracy_Explanation: Producer's Accuracy for Water
Quantitative_Attribute_Accuracy_Assessment:
Attribute_Accuracy_Value: 93.1%
Attribute_Accuracy_Explanation: Producer's Accuracy for Forest
Quantitative_Attribute_Accuracy_Assessment:
Attribute_Accuracy_Value: 78.7%
Attribute_Accuracy_Explanation: Producer's Accuracy for Nonforest
Quantitative_Attribute_Accuracy_Assessment:
Attribute_Accuracy_Value: 96.8%
Attribute_Accuracy_Explanation: User's Accuracy for Water
Quantitative_Attribute_Accuracy_Assessment:
Attribute_Accuracy_Value: 88.1%
Attribute_Accuracy_Explanation: User's Accuracy for Forest
Quantitative_Attribute_Accuracy_Assessment:
Attribute_Accuracy_Value: 86.6%
Attribute_Accuracy_Explanation: User's Accuracy for Nonforest
Logical_Consistency_Report:
A level 1 (Water, Forest, Nonforest) classification accuracy assessment was conducted using 124,449 Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Phase One (P1) survey points.

Landcover class attributes were visually checked to verify that they fell within the acceptable range of domain values.

Consistent pixel alignment was verified during processing through visual overlay with classification imagery.

Completeness_Report:
VFCM 2005 provides a complete, seamless landcover classification for the state of Virginia within the temporal range of the source data.
Positional_Accuracy:
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy:
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Report:
Pixel alignment was confirmed visually and Root Mean Square (RMS) errors for registration of all classification imagery were less than one-half pixel (15 meters).
Quantitative_Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Assessment:
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Value: 8.71
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Explanation: RMS Error for 04/05/2004 Imagery
Quantitative_Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Assessment:
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Value: 9.61
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Explanation: RMS Error for 04/28/2004 Imagery
Quantitative_Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Assessment:
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Value: 9.41
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Explanation: RMS Error for 05/08/2005 Imagery
Quantitative_Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Assessment:
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Value: 9.63
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Explanation: RMS Error for 11/02/2003 Imagery
Quantitative_Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Assessment:
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Value: 8.15
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Explanation: RMS Error for 11/09/2003 Imagery
Quantitative_Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Assessment:
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Value: 11.01
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Explanation: RMS Error for 03/10/2002 Imagery
Lineage:
Source_Information:
Source_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: US Geological Survey (USGS)
Title: Landsat Satellite Imagery
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: remote-sensing image
Publication_Information:
Publisher: US Geological Survey (USGS)
Other_Citation_Details:
Each Landsat image consists of seven spectral bands with a spatial resolution of 30 meters for bands 1-5 and 7. The 120 meter resolution thermal infrared data (band 6) was not used for this project. Each image encompasses approximately 170 x 183 kilometers (106 x 115 miles) and a minimum of 14 overlapping images, designated by vertical path and horizontal row number, are required for complete coverage of VA.
Online_Linkage: <http://landsat.usgs.gov/index.php>
Type_of_Source_Media: CD-ROM
Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Multiple_Dates/Times:
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: 05/08/2005
Time_of_Day: 11:40:16 AM
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: 04/28/2004
Time_of_Day: 11:26:54 AM
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: 04/05/2004
Time_of_Day: 11:20:15 AM
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: 11/09/2003
Time_of_Day: 11:43:42 AM
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: 11/02/2003
Time_of_Day: 11:37:13 AM
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: 03/10/2002
Source_Currentness_Reference: ground condition
Source_Contribution:
Landsat satellite imagery was used as source data for landcover classification.
Source_Information:
Source_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Virginia Geographic Information Network (VGIN)
Publication_Date: 01/22/2005
Title: Virginia Base Mapping Program (VBMP) Digital Orthophotography
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: remote-sensing image
Publication_Information:
Publisher: Virginia Geographic Information Network (VGIN)
Other_Citation_Details:
VBMP digital orthophotograpy was collected by the state in 2002 to establish consistent and accurate statewide spatial information for use by state agencies. VBMP data used for this project consisted of true color digital orthophotos with a one meter pixel resolution.
Online_Linkage: <http://www.vgin.virginia.gov/VBMP/VBMPHandbook_r2.pdf>
Type_of_Source_Media: online
Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: Spring 2002
Source_Currentness_Reference: ground condition
Source_Contribution:
VBMP data was used as a reference data for image registration, signature selection, and development of parameters for rule based edits.
Source_Information:
Source_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: United States Geological Survey (USGS)
Publication_Date: 12/01/2004
Title: National Elevation Dataset (NED)
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: raster digital data
Publication_Information:
Publisher: United States Geological Survey (USGS)
Type_of_Source_Media: online
Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: 12/01/2004
Source_Currentness_Reference: ground condition
Source_Contribution:
The NED for VA was used to define mapping zones for image subset, and to provide slope, aspect, and elevation data for rule based edits.
Source_Information:
Source_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Adapted from U.S. Soil Conservation Service
Publication_Date: 2002
Title: Major Land Resource Areas (MLRA)
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: vector digital data
Publication_Information:
Publisher: US Geological Survey (USGS)
Online_Linkage: <http://water.usgs.gov/GIS/metadata/usgswrd/XML/mlra.xml>
Source_Scale_Denominator: 2,000,000
Type_of_Source_Media: online
Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: 1970
Source_Currentness_Reference: ground condition
Source_Contribution:
MLRA's were used in conjunction with Ecoregions and the NED to define VFCM mapping zones for image subset.
Source_Information:
Source_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: USDA Forest Service
Publication_Date: 02/01/2004
Title: USDA Forest Service Ecoregions
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: vector digital data
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Reston, VA
Publisher: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
Other_Citation_Details:
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service Ecoregions and Subregions of the United States designate geographic areas in which ecology and environmental resources are similar. They are delineated based on climate, physiography, water, soils, air, hydrology, and natural communities.
Online_Linkage: <http://www.fs.fed.us/institute/ftp/maps/eco_us.htm>
Source_Scale_Denominator: 7,500,000
Type_of_Source_Media: online
Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: 02/01/2004
Source_Currentness_Reference: publication date
Source_Contribution:
Ecoregions were used in conjunction with MLRA's and NED to define VFCM mapping zones for image subset.
Source_Information:
Source_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: US Census Bureau
Publication_Date: 01/01/2000
Title: 2000 Census Block Groups
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: vector digital data
Publication_Information:
Publisher: US Census Bureau
Other_Citation_Details:
US Census blocks are subdivisions of census tracts that generally contain between 600 and 3,000 people, with an optimum size of 1,500 people.
Online_Linkage: <http://www.census.gov/geo/www/cob/bg_metadata.html#2000bg_meta>
Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: 01/01/2000
Source_Currentness_Reference: publication date
Source_Contribution:
2000 block level population density data was used for rule-based classification edits.
Source_Information:
Source_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator:
Comprehensive Coastal Inventory, VIMS, College of William and Mary
Publication_Date: 1974-1988
Title: Tidal Marsh Inventory (TMI)
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: vector digital data
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Gloucester Point, VA
Publisher: Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Other_Citation_Details:
The Tidal Marsh Inventory (TMI) data are the digitized record of the VIMS Tidal Marsh Inventories developed by the Wetlands Research Program at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS). Tidal wetlands were inventoried as mandated by Section 62.1-13.4 of the Virginia Wetlands Act of 1972. This effort began in 1972 and continued through the mid 1980's. The conversion to digital format was complete in 1992. No revisions to the data have occurred since the original data collection.
Online_Linkage: <http://ccrm.vims.edu/gis/tmi.html>
Source_Scale_Denominator: 24,000
Type_of_Source_Media: online
Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Range_of_Dates/Times:
Beginning_Date: 1974
Ending_Date: 1988
Source_Currentness_Reference: Publication date of sources
Source_Contribution: TMI data was used for rule based classification edits.
Source_Information:
Source_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator:
Virginia Department of Forestry, Division of Resource Information
Title:
Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Phase One (P1) survey points.
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: vector digital data
Publication_Information:
Publisher:
Virginia Department of Forestry, Division of Resource Information
Other_Citation_Details:
FIA Phase 1 (P1) survey points are systematically located throughout the state to provide a representative sample of landcover. These points have been assigned a level 1 class (forest, nonforest, water) based on visual interpretation of VBMP orthophotography.
Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: Spring 2002
Source_Currentness_Reference: ground condition of source data
Source_Contribution:
P1 points were used for signature evaluation and classification accuracy assessment.
Source_Information:
Source_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Virginia Department of Transportation
Publication_Date: 3/19/2004
Title: Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Road Centerlines
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: vector digital data
Publication_Information:
Publisher: Virginia Department of Transportation
Other_Citation_Details:
VDOT road centerlines consist of polyline data that depicts both VDOT maintained and non-VDOT maintained roads. The centerlines were derived from a variety of sources including road track GPS, local government centerline data and digitizing from 1:1200, 1:2400 and 1:4800 VBMP imagery.
Type_of_Source_Media: online
Source_Contribution:
VDOT road centerlines for the state were buffered based road type, converted to 15 meter raster format and merged with the classified imagery to produce a final statewide classification.
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
Landsat scenes received in NLAPS and Fast-L7A data format were imported using ERDAS Imagine's import utility. For scenes received in GeoTIFF format, individual images for the six selected spectral bands were stacked as a single ERDAS image. Each output consisted of a single 6-band image composed of Landsat bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7.
Process_Date: Various
Process_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization:
Division of Resource Information, Virginia Department of Forestry
Contact_Person: Jim Pugh
Contact_Position: GIS/Remote Sensing Analyst
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical address
Address: 900 Natural Resources Drive, Suite 800
City: Charlottesville
State_or_Province: VA
Postal_Code: 22903
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: (434) 220-9062
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: (434) 296-2369
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: Jim Pugh.
Hours_of_Service: 8:00 AM - 4:45 PM
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
All imported images were registered Lambert Conformal Conic (LCC) projection GRS 80 Datum, and resampled to 30 meter pixel resolution using bilinear interpolation.
Process_Date: Various
Process_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization:
Division of Resource Information, Virginia Department of Forestry
Contact_Person: Jim Pugh
Contact_Position: GIS/Remote Sensing Analyst
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical address
Address: 900 Natural Resources Drive, Suite 800
City: Charlottesville
State_or_Province: VA
Postal_Code: 22903
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: (434) 220-9062
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: (434) 296-2369
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: Jim Pugh.
Hours_of_Service: 8:00 AM - 4:45 PM
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
Eight mapping zones were used to subset imagery for classification. Imagery for each Landsat path was subset to all overlapping zones producing 24 image subsets encompassing all possible overlap between TM image paths and mapping zones.
Process_Date: Various
Process_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization:
Division of Resource Information, Virginia Department of Forestry
Contact_Person: Jim Pugh
Contact_Position: GIS/Remote Sensing Analyst
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical address
Address: 900 Natural Resources Drive, Suite 800
City: Charlottesville
State_or_Province: VA
Postal_Code: 22903
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: (434) 220-9062
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: (434) 296-2369
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: Jim Pugh.
Hours_of_Service: 8:00 AM - 4:45 PM
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
Image segmentation was performed using eCognition 3.0.0 software with scale parameter 5 and all other parameters set to default values. Results were output as ESRI shapefiles with the mean and standard deviation of the pixel values for each of the 6 TM image bands within each segment included as feature attributes. Each of these shapefiles was imported into a separate ArcGIS 9.0 personal geodatabase.
Process_Date: Various
Process_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization:
Division of Resource Information, Virginia Department of Forestry
Contact_Person: Jim Pugh
Contact_Position: GIS/Remote Sensing Analyst
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical address
Address: 900 Natural Resources Drive, Suite 800
City: Charlottesville
State_or_Province: VA
Postal_Code: 22903
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: (434) 220-9062
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: (434) 296-2369
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: Jim Pugh.
Hours_of_Service: 8:00 AM - 4:45 PM
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
Signatures were selected by displaying each of the Landsat image subsets in an ArcMap document at full spatial extent with a shapefile of the VBMP orthophoto grid overlain. Tiles in the orthophoto grid encompassing representative land cover types throughout the image were manually selected based on visual interpretation of the TM imagery. Corresponding images for these tiles were then loaded into the ArcMap view. Signature segments were selected based on visual interpretation of the VBMP orthophotography with a maximum scale constraint of 1:10,000 and verified against the TM imagery to ensure no major land cover change (forest cuts, major construction, etc) had occurred between the differing years of imagery (2002 for VBMP and 2002-2005 for TM).
Process_Date: Various
Process_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization:
Division of Resource Information, Virginia Department of Forestry
Contact_Person: Jim Pugh
Contact_Position: GIS/Remote Sensing Analyst
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical address
Address: 900 Natural Resources Drive, Suite 800
City: Charlottesville
State_or_Province: VA
Postal_Code: 22903
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: (434) 220-9062
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: (434) 296-2369
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: Jim Pugh.
Hours_of_Service: 8:00 AM - 4:45 PM
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
An MS Access query was used to create tables containing unique ID's and mean pixel values for the six TM bands for each segment within each personal geodatabase feature dataset. A similar query was used to extract the ID's and statistics of the signature segments for each feature dataset to a separate table. These tables were exported as comma delimited files (.csv) and input into a nearest neighbor classifier embedded as a VB macro in MS Excel.
Process_Date: Various
Process_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization:
Division of Resource Information, Virginia Department of Forestry
Contact_Person: Jim Pugh
Contact_Position: GIS/Remote Sensing Analyst
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical address
Address: 900 Natural Resources Drive, Suite 800
City: Charlottesville
State_or_Province: VA
Postal_Code: 22903
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: (434) 220-9062
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: (434) 296-2369
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: Jim Pugh.
Hours_of_Service: 8:00 AM - 4:45 PM
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
Signatures were edited based on proportion of correctly classified segments identified by accuracy assessment. An MS Access query was used to extract counts of correctly and incorrectly classified segments for each signature and proportions correct were calculated in MS Excel. Signatures which classified fewer than 75% of segments correctly were removed and a second nearest neighbor classification was performed for each dataset using the edited signature set.
Process_Date: Various
Process_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization:
Division of Resource Information, Virginia Department of Forestry
Contact_Person: Jim Pugh
Contact_Position: GIS/Remote Sensing Analyst
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical address
Address: 900 Natural Resources Drive, Suite 800
City: Charlottesville
State_or_Province: VA
Postal_Code: 22903
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: (434) 220-9062
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: (434) 296-2369
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: Jim Pugh.
Hours_of_Service: 8:00 AM - 4:45 PM
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
Mean pixel values for each Landsat spectral band and a series of vegetation indices and were used for rule based edits to the nearest neighbor classification. Potential rule parameters were identified through examination of histograms for the mean band values and vegetation indices and evaluated visually. Selected parameters were used to calculate new class values for desired features through attribute queries in ArcMap.
Process_Date: Various
Process_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization:
Division of Resource Information, Virginia Department of Forestry
Contact_Person: Jim Pugh
Contact_Position: GIS/Remote Sensing Analyst
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical address
Address: 900 Natural Resources Drive, Suite 800
City: Charlottesville
State_or_Province: VA
Postal_Code: 22903
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: (434) 220-9062
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: (434) 296-2369
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: Jim Pugh.
Hours_of_Service: 8:00 AM - 4:45 PM
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
Classified segment feature datasets were converted to ERDAS Imagine format based on class code values.
Process_Date: Various
Process_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization:
Division of Resource Information, Virginia Department of Forestry
Contact_Person: Jim Pugh
Contact_Position: GIS/Remote Sensing Analyst
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical address
Address: 900 Natural Resources Drive, Suite 800
City: Charlottesville
State_or_Province: VA
Postal_Code: 22903
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: (434) 220-9062
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: (434) 296-2369
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: Jim Pugh.
Hours_of_Service: 8:00 AM - 4:45 PM
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
Classified images were merged in order of descending accuracy using a series of conditional statements in ERDAS Imagine's spatial modeler.
Process_Date: Various
Process_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization:
Division of Resource Information, Virginia Department of Forestry
Contact_Person: Jim Pugh
Contact_Position: GIS/Remote Sensing Analyst
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical address
Address: 900 Natural Resources Drive, Suite 800
City: Charlottesville
State_or_Province: VA
Postal_Code: 22903
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: (434) 220-9062
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: (434) 296-2369
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: Jim Pugh.
Hours_of_Service: 8:00 AM - 4:45 PM
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
To minimize edge effects at the seams between image subsets, linear boundary features for the mapping zones and the TM image paths were buffered by 90 meters. These buffer polygons were converted to ERDAS areas of interest (aoi's) and classified pixels within the aoi's were resampled using a 5x5 majority filter to smooth the transition between images.
Process_Date: Various
Process_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization:
Division of Resource Information, Virginia Department of Forestry
Contact_Person: Jim Pugh
Contact_Position: GIS/Remote Sensing Analyst
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical address
Address: 900 Natural Resources Drive, Suite 800
City: Charlottesville
State_or_Province: VA
Postal_Code: 22903
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: (434) 220-9062
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: (434) 296-2369
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: Jim Pugh.
Hours_of_Service: 8:00 AM - 4:45 PM
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
Road centerlines for the state were buffered based on predetermined distances. These buffer polygons were converted to 15 meter raster format and merged with the classified image using the ERDAS spatial modeler to produce the final statewide classification at 15 meter resolution.
Process_Date: Various
Process_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization:
Division of Resource Information, Virginia Department of Forestry
Contact_Person: Jim Pugh
Contact_Position: GIS/Remote Sensing Analyst
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical address
Address: 900 Natural Resources Drive, Suite 800
City: Charlottesville
State_or_Province: VA
Postal_Code: 22903
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: (434) 220-9062
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: (434) 296-2369
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: Jim Pugh.
Hours_of_Service: 8:00 AM - 4:45 PM
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
Attributes for area in acres and percent area were calculated for each class and the image recoded to level 1 classification for final accuracy assessment. Level 1 and 2 classification images were converted to ESRI grids using ERDAS Imagine's export utility.
Process_Date: Various
Process_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization:
Division of Resource Information, Virginia Department of Forestry
Contact_Person: Jim Pugh
Contact_Position: GIS/Remote Sensing Analyst
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical address
Address: 900 Natural Resources Drive, Suite 800
City: Charlottesville
State_or_Province: VA
Postal_Code: 22903
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: (434) 220-9062
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: (434) 296-2369
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: Jim Pugh.
Hours_of_Service: 8:00 AM - 4:45 PM
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
A level 1 (Water, Forest, Nonforest) classification accuracy assessment was conducted using 124,449 Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Phase One (P1) survey points.
Process_Date: Various
Process_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization:
Division of Resource Information, Virginia Department of Forestry
Contact_Person: Jim Pugh
Contact_Position: GIS/Remote Sensing Analyst
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical address
Address: 900 Natural Resources Drive, Suite 800
City: Charlottesville
State_or_Province: VA
Postal_Code: 22903
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: (434) 220-9062
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: (434) 296-2369
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: Jim Pugh.
Hours_of_Service: 8:00 AM - 4:45 PM
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
FGDC compliant metadata was generated for the final statewide datasets.
Process_Date: Various
Process_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization:
Division of Resource Information, Virginia Department of Forestry
Contact_Person: Jim Pugh
Contact_Position: GIS/Remote Sensing Analyst
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical address
Address: 900 Natural Resources Drive, Suite 800
City: Charlottesville
State_or_Province: VA
Postal_Code: 22903
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: (434) 220-9062
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: (434) 296-2369
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: Jim Pugh.
Hours_of_Service: 8:00 AM - 4:45 PM
Cloud_Cover: 0
Spatial_Data_Organization_Information:
Direct_Spatial_Reference_Method: Raster
Raster_Object_Information:
Raster_Object_Type: Grid Cell
Row_Count: 21688
Column_Count: 50254
Vertical_Count: 1
Spatial_Reference_Information:
Horizontal_Coordinate_System_Definition:
Planar:
Map_Projection:
Map_Projection_Name: Lambert Conformal Conic
Lambert_Conformal_Conic:
Standard_Parallel: 37.000000
Standard_Parallel: 39.500000
Longitude_of_Central_Meridian: -79.500000
Latitude_of_Projection_Origin: 36.000000
False_Easting: 0.000000
False_Northing: 0.000000
Planar_Coordinate_Information:
Planar_Coordinate_Encoding_Method: row and column
Coordinate_Representation:
Abscissa_Resolution: 15.000000
Ordinate_Resolution: 15.000000
Planar_Distance_Units: meters
Geodetic_Model:
Horizontal_Datum_Name: North American Datum of 1983
Ellipsoid_Name: Geodetic Reference System 80
Semi-major_Axis: 6378137.000000
Denominator_of_Flattening_Ratio: 298.257222
Entity_and_Attribute_Information:
Detailed_Description:
Entity_Type:
Entity_Type_Label: Virginia Forest Cover Map 2005: Level 2 Classification
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: ObjectID
Attribute_Definition: Internal feature number.
Attribute_Definition_Source: ESRI
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Unrepresentable_Domain:
Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: Value
Attribute_Definition: 4-bit pixel value
Attribute_Definition_Source: ERDAS
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Range_Domain:
Range_Domain_Minimum: 0
Range_Domain_Maximum: 16
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: Count
Attribute_Definition: Pixel Count
Attribute_Definition_Source: ERDAS
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: Red
Attribute_Definition: Red Color Value
Attribute_Definition_Source: ERDAS
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Range_Domain:
Range_Domain_Minimum: 0
Range_Domain_Maximum: 256
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: Green
Attribute_Definition: Green Color Value
Attribute_Definition_Source: ERDAS
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Range_Domain:
Range_Domain_Minimum: 0
Range_Domain_Maximum: 256
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: Blue
Attribute_Definition: Blue Color Value
Attribute_Definition_Source: ERDAS
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Range_Domain:
Range_Domain_Minimum: 0
Range_Domain_Maximum: 256
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: Opacity
Attribute_Definition: Pixel Opacity
Attribute_Definition_Source: ERDAS
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Range_Domain:
Range_Domain_Minimum: 0
Range_Domain_Maximum: 1
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: Code
Attribute_Definition: Landcover Class Code
Attribute_Definition_Source: VDOF
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Enumerated_Domain:
Enumerated_Domain_Value: 10
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: Water
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: VDOF
Enumerated_Domain:
Enumerated_Domain_Value: 21
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: Pavement
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: VDOF
Enumerated_Domain:
Enumerated_Domain_Value: 22
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: Rooftop
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: VDOF
Enumerated_Domain:
Enumerated_Domain_Value: 23
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: Residential/Industrial
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: VDOF
Enumerated_Domain:
Enumerated_Domain_Value: 31
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: Natural Barren
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: VDOF
Enumerated_Domain:
Enumerated_Domain_Value: 32
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: Mine/Quarry
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: VDOF
Enumerated_Domain:
Enumerated_Domain_Value: 41
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: Hardwood
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: VDOF
Enumerated_Domain:
Enumerated_Domain_Value: 43
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: Pine
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: VDOF
Enumerated_Domain:
Enumerated_Domain_Value: 45
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: Mixed Forest
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: VDOF
Enumerated_Domain:
Enumerated_Domain_Value: 48
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: Forest Harvest
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: VDOF
Enumerated_Domain:
Enumerated_Domain_Value: 70
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: Grassland
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: VDOF
Enumerated_Domain:
Enumerated_Domain_Value: 81
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: Crop
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: VDOF
Enumerated_Domain:
Enumerated_Domain_Value: 82
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: Bare Soil
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: VDOF
Enumerated_Domain:
Enumerated_Domain_Value: 92
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: Salt Marsh
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: VDOF
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: Class_names
Attribute_Definition: Landcover Class Name
Attribute_Definition_Source: VDOF
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Enumerated_Domain:
Enumerated_Domain_Value: Water
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: All areas of open water
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: VDOF
Enumerated_Domain:
Enumerated_Domain_Value: Pavement
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: >75% asphalt, concrete, buildings, etc
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: VDOF
Enumerated_Domain:
Enumerated_Domain_Value: Rooftop
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: >75% buildings, highly reflective
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: VDOF
Enumerated_Domain:
Enumerated_Domain_Value: Residential/Industrial
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:
Urban residential/Industrial areas 25-75% asphalt, concrete, buildings, etc. with some vegetation
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: VDOF
Enumerated_Domain:
Enumerated_Domain_Value: Natural Barren
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:
Naturally occurring bare rock, gravel, sand, silt, clay, or earthen material
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: VDOF
Enumerated_Domain:
Enumerated_Domain_Value: Mine/Quarry
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:
Strip mines, quarries, and other human induced bare rock, gravel, sand, silt, clay, or earthen material
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: VDOF
Enumerated_Domain:
Enumerated_Domain_Value: Hardwood Forest
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:
Areas dominated by trees where 75 percent or more of the tree species shed foliage simultaneously in response to seasonal change
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: VDOF
Enumerated_Domain:
Enumerated_Domain_Value: Pine Forest
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:
Areas dominated by trees where 75 percent or more of the tree species maintain their leaves all year. Canopy is never without green foliage
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: VDOF
Enumerated_Domain:
Enumerated_Domain_Value: Mixed Forest
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:
Areas dominated by trees where neither deciduous nor evergreen species represent more than 75 percent of the cover present
Enumerated_Domain:
Enumerated_Domain_Value: Forest Harvest
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: Recent timber harvests with little or no regeneration
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: VDOF
Enumerated_Domain:
Enumerated_Domain_Value: Grassland
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:
Upland areas characterized by natural or semi-natural herbaceous vegetation; herbaceous vegetation accounts for 75-100 percent of the cover
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: VDOF
Enumerated_Domain:
Enumerated_Domain_Value: Crop
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:
Areas used for the production of row and cover crops or planted for livestock grazing
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: VDOF
Enumerated_Domain:
Enumerated_Domain_Value: Bare Soil
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:
Areas used for the production of row and cover crops with little or no existing vegetation.
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: VDOF
Enumerated_Domain:
Enumerated_Domain_Value: Salt Marsh
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:
Areas where perennial herbaceous vegetation accounts for 75-100 percent of the cover and the soil or substrate is periodically saturated with or covered with salt or brackish water through tidal action
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: VDOF
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: Acres
Attribute_Definition: Class area in acres
Attribute_Definition_Source: VDOF
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Range_Domain:
Range_Domain_Minimum: 9829.04
Range_Domain_Maximum: 10697833.99
Attribute_Units_of_Measure: Acres
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: %_area
Attribute_Definition: Class area as percentage of total area
Attribute_Definition_Source: VDOF
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Range_Domain:
Range_Domain_Minimum: 0.034
Range_Domain_Maximum: 39.07
Attribute_Units_of_Measure: Percent

Distribution_Information:

Resource_Description: Downloadable Data
Distribution_Liability:
This information is provided with the understanding that it is not guaranteed to be correct or complete and conclusions drawn from such information are the sole responsibility of the user. While The Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF) has attempted to ensure that this documentation is accurate and reliable, DOF does not assume liability for any damages caused by inaccuracies in these data or documentation, or as a result of the failure of the data or software to function in a particular manner. DOF makes no warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, or utility of this information, nor does the fact of distribution constitute a warranty.
Standard_Order_Process:
Digital_Form:
Digital_Transfer_Information:
Transfer_Size: 90.471
Metadata_Reference_Information:
Metadata_Date: 20061020
Metadata_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization:
Division of Resource Information, Virginia Department of Forestry
Contact_Person: Jim Pugh
Contact_Position: GIS/Remote Sensing Analyst
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical address
Address: 900 Natural Resources Drive, Suite 800
City: Charlottesville
State_or_Province: VA
Postal_Code: 22903
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: (434) 220-9062
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: (434) 296-2369
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: Jim Pugh.
Hours_of_Service: 8:00 AM - 4:45 PM
Metadata_Standard_Name: FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata
Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001-1998
Metadata_Time_Convention: local time
Metadata_Extensions:
Online_Linkage: http://www.esri.com/metadata/esriprof80.html
Profile_Name: ESRI Metadata Profile

Generated by mp version 2.8.6 on Fri Oct 20 14:43:16 2006

Last modified 2006-11-07