WORKING LIST OF LAND COVER MAP LABELS FOR IOWA GAP ANALYSIS (5/15/01)
(Version 1.7) - Draft

This land cover classification is derived from an Index of Natural
Vegetation Alliances for Iowa (Pearson et al. 1998, Version 4.0).
Agriculture, non-vegetated (artificial) land cover and open water
classes have been added. This list is simplified to show only the map
labels used to classify land cover for Iowa Gap Analysis. The five-digit
alpha numeric codes follow the National Vegetation Classification
Standard (Federal Geographic Data Center). From left to right, each
single digit represents the following categories: **Classes:** 1 Forest,
2 Woodland, 3 Shrubland, 4 Dwarf Shrubland (none in Iowa), 5 Herbaceous,
6 Non-Vascular Vegetation (None in Iowa), 7 Sparse Vegetation and
Artificial, 8 Agriculture (Cropland), 9 Open Water. **Subclasses**: A-E.
**Groups**: 1-8, **Subgroups**: N Natural or Semi-Natural, C Cultivated
or Planted, Z Both Natural and Cultivated. **Formations**: a-k, z
includes more than one formation.

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**DIVISION - VEGETATED [MAP LABEL]{.underline} [CODE]{.underline}**

**1. CLASS - FOREST** (Generally, \>60% canopy of tree species with
crowns interlocking.)

FORMATION - Round-crowned temperate or subpolar needle-leaved evergreen
forest **Pine Forest 1A8Zb**

*Pinus strobus* Forest Alliance

FORMATION - Conical-crowned temperate or subpolar needle-leaved
evergreen forest **Eastern Red Cedar Forest 1A8Nc**

*Juniperus virginiana* Forest Alliance

FORMATIONS - Round-crowned and conical-crowned evergreen forest
**Evergreen Forest 1A8Zz**

FORMATION - Lowland or submontane cold-deciduous forest (Note:
\"lowland\" here does not mean bottomland) **Upland Deciduous Forest
1B2Nz**

*Acer saccharum (A. nigrum)* - *Tilia americana* - (*Quercus rubra*)
Forest Alliance

*Quercus rubra - Acer saccharum - (Quercus spp.)* Forest Alliance

*Fraxinus pennsylvanica* - *Ulmus americana - (Juglans nigra - Celtis
occidentalis* - *Robinia pseudoacacia - Acer negundo*

*- Populus* spp.) Forest Alliance (Any of the 7 species may become
dominant after severe disturbance)

*Quercus alba* - *(Quercus rubra*, *Carya* spp.) Forest Alliance

*Quercus macrocarpa* Forest Alliance

*Quercus muehlenbergii* Forest Alliance (Chinquapin Oak Alliance)

*Quercus velutina* - (*Quercus ellipsoidalis*) Forest Alliance

*Quercus imbricaria* Forest Alliance (Shingle Oak Alliance)

FORMATION - Montane or boreal cold-deciduous forest

*Populus tremuloides (Populus grandidentata)* Forest Alliance

FORMATION - Temporarily flooded cold-deciduous forest **Temporarily
Flooded Forested Wetland 1B2Nd**

*Acer saccharinum* Temporarily Flooded Forest Alliance

*Acer negundo - (Gleditsia triacanthos - Crataegus* spp.) Forest
Alliance

*Betula nigra* - (*Platanus occidentalis*) Temporarily Flooded Forest
Alliance

*Populus deltoides* Temporarily Flooded Forest Alliance

*Salix nigra (S. amygdaloides)* Temporarily Flooded Forest Alliance

*Fraxinus pennsylvanica* - *Ulmus americana* - (*Celtis* occidentalis*-
Juglans nigra*) Temporarily Flooded Forest Alliance

*Quercus macrocarpa* - *Quercus bicolor* - (*Carya laciniosa*)
Temporarily Flooded Forest Alliance

FORMATION - Seasonally flooded cold-deciduous forest **Seasonally
Flooded Forested Wetland 1B2Ne**

*Quercus palustris* - (*Quercus bicolor*) Seasonally Flooded Forest
Alliance

FORMATION - Mixed needle-leaved evergreen - cold-deciduous forest
**Mixed Evergreen/Deciduous Forest 1C2Za**

*Pinus strobus - Quercus* spp. Forest Alliance

*Juniperus virginiana - Quercus spp.* Forest Alliance

**2. CLASS - WOODLAND** (Open stands of tree species with 25-60% canopy
cover)

FORMATION - Conical-crowned temperate or subpolar needle-leaved
evergreen woodland **Eastern Red Cedar Woodland 2A4Nc**

*Juniperus virginiana* Woodland Alliance

FORMATION - Cold-deciduous woodland **Upland Deciduous Woodland 2B2Na**

*Quercus macrocarpa* - *Quercus* (*alba*, *velutina*) Woodland Alliance

*Quercus macrocarpa* Woodland Alliance

*Quercus muehlenbergii* Woodland Alliance

FORMATION - Temporarily flooded cold-deciduous woodland **Temporarily
Flooded Deciduous Woodland 2B2Nb**

*Populus deltoides* Temporarily Flooded Woodland Alliance

FORMATION - Mixed needle-leaved evergreen - cold-deciduous woodland
**Mixed Evergreen/Deciduous Woodland 2C3Za**

*Juniperus virginiana - (Quercus macrocarpa)* Woodland Alliance

**3. CLASS -** **SHRUBLAND** (Generally shrubs \>0.5 m tall forming
\>25% cover with \<25% tree cover.)

FORMATION - Temperate cold-deciduous Shrubland **Upland Shrub 3B2Na**

*Cornus* spp. - *Rhus* spp. - (*Symphoricarpos* spp.) Shrubland Alliance

FORMATION - Temporarily flooded shrubland **Temporarily Flooded Shrub
3B2Nd**

*Salix exigua (=S. interior)* Temporarily Flooded Shrubland Alliance

FORMATION - Seasonally flooded cold-deciduous shrubland **Seasonally
Flooded Shrub 3B2Ne**

*Alnus incana* Seasonally Flooded Shrubland Alliance

*Cornus* spp. - *Salix* spp. Seasonally Flooded Shrubland Alliance

FORMATION - Semi-permanently flooded cold-deciduous shrubland
**Semi-permanently Flooded Shrub 3B2Nf**

*Cephalanthus occidentalis* Semi-permanently Flooded Shrubland Alliance

FORMATION - Saturated cold-deciduous shrubland **Saturated (Bog or
Swamp) Shrub 3B2Ng**

*Betula pumila* - (*Salix* spp.) Saturated Shrubland Alliance

**4. CLASS - DWARF SHRUBLAND** (None in Iowa)

**5. CLASS - HERBACEOUS VEGETATION** (\<25% canopy cover made up of
trees or shrub species. Herbs form at least 25% of canopy cover.)

FORMATION - Tall sod temperate grassland **Warm Season Grass/Perennial
Forb 5A5Zz**

*Andropogon gerardii* - (*Panicum virgatum*) Herbaceous Alliance

*Andropogon gerardii* - (*Sorghastrum nutans*) Herbaceous Alliance

*Andropogon gerardii - Schizachyrium scoparium* - *Sorghastrum nutans*
Herbaceous Alliance

FORMATION - Medium-tall sod temperate or subpolar grassland

*Schizachyrium* *scoparium* - *Bouteloua curtipendula* Herbaceous
Alliance (Western Iowa)

*Schizachyrium scoparium (Lithospermum carolinense, Cyperus
schweinitzii)* Herbaceous Alliance (Eastern Iowa)

FORMATION - Tall temperate or subpolar perennial forb vegetation

*Impatiens pallida - Cystopteris bulbifera - Adoxa moschatellina*
Herbaceous Alliance (Yellow Touch-Me-Not Perennial Herbaceous Alliance)

FORMATION - Temporarily flooded temperate or subpolar grassland
**Temporarily Flooded Wetland 5E1Na**

*Andropogon gerardii - (Calamagrostis canadensis, Sorghastrum
nutans*)Temporarily Flooded Herbaceous Alliance

*Carex* *lanuginosa* Temporarily Flooded Herbaceous Alliance

*Spartina pectinata* Temporarily Flooded Herbaceous Alliance

FORMATION - Temporarily flooded temperate or subpolar perennial forb
vegetation

*Polygonum* spp. - Mixed Forb Temporarily Flooded Herbaceous Alliance

FORMATION - Seasonally flooded temperate or subpolar grassland
**Seasonally Flooded Wetland 5A5Nk**

*Calamagrostis canadensis* Seasonally Flooded Herbaceous Alliance (Blue
Joint Alliance)

*Carex atherodes (Carex vesicaria)* Seasonally Flooded Herbaceous
Alliance (Awned Sedge Alliance)

*Carex lacustris* Seasonally Flooded Herbaceous Alliance (Lake Sedge
Alliance)

*Carex (rostrata, utriculata*) Seasonally Flooded Herbaceous Alliance
(Mixed Sedge Alliance)

*Carex stricta (Carex haydenii)* Seasonally Flooded Herbaceous Alliance
(Tussock Sedge Alliance)

*Phalaris arundinacea* Seasonally Flooded Herbaceous Alliance (Reed
Canary Grass Alliance)

*Scirpus fluviatilis* Seasonally Flooded Herbaceous Alliance (River
Bulrush Alliance)

*Typha* spp. - (*Scirpus* spp. - *Juncus* spp.) Seasonally Flooded
Herbaceous Alliance (Cattail - Bulrush Alliance)

FORMATION - Semi-permanently flooded temperate or subpolar grassland
**Semi-permanently Flooded Wetland 5E1Nb**

*Phragmites australis* Semi-permanently Flooded Herbaceous Alliance

*Sagittaria latifolia (S. rigida)* Semi-permanently Flooded Herbaceous
Alliance

*Scirpus acutus (S. fluviatilis, tabernaemontani*) Semi-permanently
Flooded Herbaceous Alliance

*Typha* (*angustifolia*, *latifolia*) - (*Scirpus* spp.)
Semi-permanently Flooded Herbaceous Alliance

*Zizania* (*aquatica*, *palustris*) Semi-permanently Flooded Herbaceous
Alliance

FORMATION - Semi-permanently flooded temperate perennial forb vegetation

*Nelumbo lutea* Semi-permanently Flooded Herbaceous Alliance

FORMATION - Saturated temperate or subpolar grassland **Saturated
Wetland 5E1Nz**

*Carex lanuginosa* - *Scirpus* spp. Saturated Herbaceous Alliance

*Carex stricta* Saturated Herbaceous Alliance (Rich Fen)

*Carex lasiocarpa* (*Spagnum* spp.) Saturated Herbaceous Alliance (Poor
Fen)

*Carex* spp. - *Typha* spp. Saturated Herbaceous Alliance

*Carex* spp. - *Rhynchospora capillacea - Lobelia kalmii* Saturated
Herbaceous Alliance (Calcareous Fen)

FORMATION - Saturated perennial forb vegetation

*Symplocarpus foetidus - Caltha palustris* Saturated Herbaceous Alliance

FORMATION - Tall temperate grassland with a sparse coniferous or
cold-deciduous tree layer **Grassland with sparse shrubs and trees
5A6Nz**

*Juniperus virginiana* Wooded Herbaceous Alliance

*Populus deltoides* Wooded Herbaceous Alliance

*Quercus macrocarpa* - (*Quercus alba*) Wooded Herbaceous Alliance

*Quercus velutina* - (*Quercus ellipsoidalis*) Wooded Herbaceous
Alliance

FORMATION - Medium-tall temperate grassland with a sparse coniferous or
mixed tree layer

*Schizachyrium scoparium* - *Bouteloua curtipendula (Juniperus
virginiana - Quercus* spp.) Evergreen or Mixed Wooded Herbaceous

FORMATION - Permanently flooded temperate or subpolar hydromorphic
rooted vegetation **Permanently Flooded Wetland 5C2Na**

*Nuphar* *lutea* - *Nymphaea* *odorata* Permanently Flooded Herbaceous
Alliance

*Potamogeton* spp. - *Ceratophyllum* spp. - (*Myriophyllum* spp. -
*Elodea* spp.) Permanently Flooded Herbaceous Alliance

*Ruppia maritima* Permanently Flooded Herbaceous Alliance

*Vallisneria americana* Permanently Flooded Herbaceous Alliance

**6. NON-VASCULAR VEGETATION** (None in Iowa)

**7. CLASS - SPARSE VEGETATION** (Vegetation typically \<10%)

Open bluff/cliff (sandstone/limestone), algific and limestone-dolomite
talus slopes, sand/mud/soil **Sparsely Vegetated/Barren 7A1Na**

Barren/mixed vegetation, mapping artifact group of barren, crop, forest,
grass **Barren/Mixed Vegetation 7A1Zz**

Artificial/high density vegetation **Artificial/High Vegetation 7A1Cb**

Artificial/low density vegetation **Artificial/Low Vegetation 7A1Cc**

**8. CLASS - AGRICULTURAL LANDS**

Cool Season Grassland (Smooth brome, forage crops, pasture) **Cool
Season Grass 8D2Ca**

Cropland (Corn, soy bean, sorghum, fallow fields) **Cropland 8D2Cb**

**DIVISION - WATER**

**9. CLASS - OPEN WATER Open Water 9A1Za**

Freshwater lakes

Riverine (streams, rivers, canals)

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^1^This is a working draft of the land cover map labels for the Iowa Gap
Analysis Program. This document should not be cited without first
contacting Erwin E. Klaas, Co-PI, Iowa Gap Analysis.

**Literature Cited:**

Pearson, John, Tom Rosburg, and Erwin E. Klaas. 1998. A Preliminary
Index of Natural Vegetation Alliances for Iowa (Version 4.0). Iowa Gap
Analysis Program, Iowa Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit, Iowa
State University, Ames, Iowa 50011.