Identification_Information:
  Citation:
    Citation_Information:
      Originator: USGS National Wetlands Research Center
      Publication_Date: 2001
      Title: Vegetation data for Dance Bayou Tract, San Bernard NWR,TX
      Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: Tabular digital data
  Description:
    Abstract:
      This data set contains vegetation structure data collected from 41
      bird sampling sites in the Dance Bayou Tract, San Bernard National
      Wildlife Refuge, Brazoria County, TX. From established transects at
      each site, vegetation was sampled in four 3m x 10m blocks located
      along the center line of the transect. The presence or absence of
      vines and woody plants, as well as seven other vegetation structure
      features were recorded. Vines were identifed to species level. Woody
      plants were also identified to species level and categorized by DBH
      and height classes. Percent cover of herbaceous vegetation, woody
      debris, wet leaf litter, dry leaf litter and canopy cover were
      measured
    Purpose:
      To determine the vegetation structure of the Dance Bayou Tract at San
      Bernard NWR.
  Time_Period_of_Content:
    Time_Period_Information:
      Range_of_Dates/Times:
        Beginning_Date: 199905
        Ending_Date: 199907
    Currentness_Reference: Ground condition
  Status:
    Progress: Complete
    Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: None Planned
  Spatial_Domain:
    Description_of_Geographic_Extent: Dance Bayou Tract, San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge, Texas
    Bounding_Coordinates:
      West_Bounding_Coordinate: -95.47
      East_Bounding_Coordinate: -95.46
      North_Bounding_Coordinate: 29.08
      South_Bounding_Coordinate: 29.06
  Keywords:
    Theme:
      Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
      Theme_Keyword: Transect
      Theme_Keyword: bottomland hardwood
      Theme_Keyword: vegetation
      Theme_Keyword: vegetation structure
      Theme_Keyword: woody debris
      Theme_Keyword: leaf litter
      Theme_Keyword: herbaceous
      Theme_Keyword: canopy height
    Place:
      Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
      Place_Keyword: Texas
      Place_Keyword: Brazoria County
      Place_Keyword: Columbia Bottomlands
      Place_Keyword: San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge
    Temporal:
      Temporal_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
      Temporal_Keyword: 1999
  Taxonomy:
    Keywords/Taxon:
      Taxonomic_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
      Taxonomic_Keywords: plant
      Taxonomic_Keywords: species
    Taxonomic_System:
      Identification_Reference:
        Citation_Information:
          Originator: E.S. Harrar and J. George Harrar
          Publication_Date: 1962
          Title: Guide to Southern Trees
          Edition: Second
          Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: Book
          Publication_Information:
            Publication_Place: New York, NY
            Publisher: Dover Publications, Inc.
      Identifier:
        Contact_Information:
          Contact_Organization_Primary:
            Contact_Organization:
              U.S. Geological Survey, National Wetlands Research
              Center
            Contact_Person: Wylie C. Barrow, Jr.
          Contact_Address:
            Address_Type: Mailing and Physical
            Address: 700 Cajundome Blvd
            City: Lafayette
            State_or_Province: LA
            Postal_Code: 70506
            Country: USA
          Contact_Voice_Telephone: 337 266-8668
          Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 337 266-8592
          Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: wylie_barrow@usgs.gov
      Identifier:
        Contact_Information:
          Contact_Organization_Primary:
            Contact_Organization:
              U.S. Geological Survey, National Wetlands Research
              Center
            Contact_Person: Lori Randall
          Contact_Address:
            Address_Type: Mailing and Physical
            Address: 700 Cajundome Blvd
            City: Lafayette
            State_or_Province: LA
            Postal_Code: 70506
            Country: USA
          Contact_Voice_Telephone: 337 266-8665
          Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 337 266-8592
          Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: lori_randall@usgs.gov
      Identifier:
        Contact_Information:
          Contact_Organization_Primary:
            Contact_Organization:
              U.S. Geological Survey, National Wetlands Research
              Center
            Contact_Person: John McCoy
          Contact_Address:
            Address_Type: Mailing and Physical
            Address: 700 Cajundome Blvd
            City: Lafayette
            State_or_Province: LA
            Postal_Code: 70506
            Country: USA
          Contact_Voice_Telephone: 337 266-8627
          Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 337 266-8592
          Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: john_mccoy@usgs.gov
      Taxonomic_Procedures: Identification based on observer experience.
      Taxonomic_Completeness: To species level for woody plants and vines.
  Access_Constraints:
    Data are available for public use after it has been published in
    peer-reviewed, scientific outlets.
  Use_Constraints:
    Acknowledgement of the National Wetlands Research Center as a data source
    would be appreciated in products developed from these data. Users should
    be aware that comparison to data sets from the same area may be inaccurate
    due to differences in collection procedures. These data are not legal
    documents and should not be used as such.
  Point_of_Contact:
    Contact_Information:
      Contact_Organization_Primary:
        Contact_Organization: USGS National Wetlands Research Center
        Contact_Person: Wylie C. Barrow, Jr.
      Contact_Position: Wildlife Biologist
      Contact_Address:
        Address_Type: Physical and Mailing address
        Address: 700 Cajundome Blvd
        City: Lafayette
        State_or_Province: LA
        Postal_Code: 70506
        Country: USA
      Contact_Voice_Telephone: 337-266-8668
      Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 337-266-8592
      Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: wylie_barrow@usgs.gov
  Native_Data_Set_Environment: Microsoft Excel
  Cross_Reference:
    Citation_Information:
      Originator: USGS National Wetlands Research Center
      Publication_Date: 2001
      Title:
        Point Count Data for Dance Bayou Tract, San Bernard National
        Wildlife Refuge, Texas
      Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: Tabular digital data

Data_Quality_Information:
  Attribute_Accuracy:
    Attribute_Accuracy_Report:
      The accuracy of the vegetation surveys are based on the skills and
      experience of the observers.
  Logical_Consistency_Report:
    Data were collected from four transects at each of the 41 sites. Four
    sampling blocks were sampled per transects for a total of sixteen sample
    blocks per site. All data entry was double checked for potential errors.
  Completeness_Report: Data set is complete
  Lineage:
    Methodology:
      Methodology_Type: Field/Lab
      Methodology_Identifier:
        Methodology_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
        Methodology_Keyword: transect
        Methodology_Keyword: sampling site
        Methodology_Keyword: measurements
        Methodology_Keyword: blocks
        Methodology_Keyword: spreadsheet
        Methodology_Keyword: Excel
      Methodology_Description:
        50-m transects were established at a random bearing from site
        markers. Three additional transects were then established from the
        original at 90 degree intervals. Vegetation was sampled from four
        3-m x 10-m blocks located along the center line of eahc transect.
        Vegetation structure was then sampled, producing 16 sample blocks
        per transect. Data were entered into an Excel spreadsheet back in
        the lab.

Entity_and_Attribute_Information:
  Overview_Description:
    Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:
      The attributes for the vegetation structure include the presence or
      absence of the following: snags in 4 DBH classes, turks cap, spanish
      moss, palmetto, an oxbow or bayou, canopy gaps, vine tangles, vines
      identifed to species and woody plants identified to species and
      categorized into 4 DBH and 4 height classes. Other attributes include
      canopy height (meters), and the percent cover of herbaceous
      vegetation, woody debris, dry litter, wet litter and canopy cover.
      Percent cover for all variables was recorded by cover classes.
    Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation: Project proposal

Metadata_Reference_Information:
  Metadata_Date: 20011220
  Metadata_Contact:
    Contact_Information:
      Contact_Person_Primary:
        Contact_Person: Lori Randall
        Contact_Organization: USGS National Wetlands Research Center
      Contact_Position: Biologist
      Contact_Address:
        Address_Type: Physical and Mailing
        Address: 700 Cajundome Blvd
        City: Lafayette
        State_or_Province: LA
        Postal_Code: 70506
        Country: USA
      Contact_Voice_Telephone: 337-266-8665
      Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 337-266-8592
      Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: lori_randall@usgs.gov
  Metadata_Standard_Name: Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata
  Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001-1998
  Metadata_Extensions:
    Profile_Name:
      Biological Data Profile of Content Standard for Digital Geospatial
      Metadata
    Online_Linkage: http://www.fgdc.gov/standards/status/sub5_2.html
  Metadata_Access_Constraints: None
  Metadata_Use_Constraints:
    Acknowledgement of the National Wetlands Research Center as the metadata
    source would be appreciated. Please cite the original metadata when using
    portions to create another record for slightly altered data, such as
    reprojection.