Platte Vegetation Mapping Continuation

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heads up digitizing at a 1:5000 scale, referencing both 2004 color, 2004 Color Infrared, and 2005 CIR imagery. Vegetation Classification S sy tem Federal Agencies are required to map vegetation according to the National Vegetation Classification System (NVCS). The NVCS is a hierarchical approach that provides a consistent framewark for mapping by federal agencies. This project will focus on mapping to the alliance/association level. This level of mapping characterizes vegetation by the dominant species that represents a community. To enhance the value of this project, several additional classes will be developed to map invasivefexotic species that are of management concern, as well as habitat features impartant to bird species of management concern. The following synopsis details vegetation communities that will be mapped, as well as dominant community species. Woodland classes include Eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoids), Eastern red cedar (Juniperus viginiana), and Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia). Xeric wet-meadow classes will include Tall Dropseed (Sporobolus compositus), Needleleaf sedge(Carex duriuscula), Common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifola), Prairie sandreed (Calamovilfa longifolia), and Needle-and-Thread (Hesperostipa comata). Mesic wet-meadow classes will include Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans), Redtop (Agrostis gigantea), and Tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum). The sedge meadow community will include Emory's Sedge (Carex emoryi), Woolly sedge (Carex pellita), Slender wheatgrass (Elymus trachycaulus), and Prairie cardgrass (Spartina pectinata) Invasive or exotic species that will be mapped include Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensus), Smooth brome (Bromus inermus), Reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea) Phragmites (Phragmites spp), Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria). Riparian shrubland species will include willow species (Salix spp) and Dogwood (Cornus spp). Agriculture features to be mapped include Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) lands and agriculture fields. Water features that will be mapped include sand pits, stock dams, Reservoirs, irrigation pits, backwater sloughs. The last class that will be mapped is developed land broken into several classes including rural development, urban/suburban development, and transportation. These mapping classes were developed based on management concerns, as well as cross walking to the HABS Landcover classes, for use later in assessing bird conservation potential for the Platte River Corridor. Image Acquisition Imagery was acquired for the Platte River Corridor between August 15 - September 5, 2004 as well as August 25 - September 1 2005. The 2005 imagery was acquired from Chapman to Gothenberg, five miles on either side of the channel. The 2004 imagery was acquired form Ogallala to Columbus within 5 miles either side of the outer most channel. Image Processing All imagery was processed using ERDAS Leica Photogrammerty Suite (LPS) software. The x, y, z, phi, omega, and kapp data acquired during the flight mission was integrated with the raw data, Next the Digital Elevation Model (DEM) was utilized to enhance the digital product. Finally all images were balanced across the geographic range of the acquisition. The balanced seams were then stitched together into a seamless ortho mosaic from Columbus to Ogallala. For this project we will be using the 2005 data where available and the 2004 data, west from the Dawson county line to Ogallala. Sampling and Database Desi?n To develop the sampling strategy, eCognition software will be used to complete multiresolution image object segmentation. This process creates image objects that contain similar spectral and textural characteristics. For example, a stand of trees will be isolated and a polygon will be created around the object. This process is the conversion of a raster dataset (imagery) into a vector dataset that can be taken to the field for training data collection. A disproportionate amount of the area being mapped is under