Identification_Information:
  Citation:
    Citation_Information:
      Originator: U.S. Geological Survey
      Originator: Department of the Interior
      Publication_Date: 200108
      Title: Isle Royale National Park Accuracy Assessment
      Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: database and report
      Series_Information:
        Series_Name: USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping Program
        Issue_Identification: Isle Royale National Park
      Publication_Information:
        Publication_Place: Denver, CO
        Publisher:
          USGS Biological Resources Division, Center for
          Biological Informatics
      Online_Linkage: http://biology.usgs.gov/npsveg/isro/index.html
  Description:
    Abstract:
      The accuracy assessment field work was performed
      in July - September, 1998 to verify the accuracy of the
      vegetation communities spatial data developed by
      the USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping Program for Isle Royale
      National Park  The data points were
      randomly distributed stratified according to
      vegetation association over the project area
      according to protocols developed by the Program.
      Points were located by GPS navigation and the
      community information was collected at the point,
      without knowledge of the attributes of the
      vegetation spatial data.
    Purpose:
      To verify the accuracy of the mapped vegetation
      communities at Isle Royale National Park
  Time_Period_of_Content:
    Time_Period_Information:
      Single_Date/Time:
        Calendar_Date: 199810
    Currentness_Reference: Source of data collection
  Status:
    Progress: Complete
    Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: None planned
  Spatial_Domain:
    Bounding_Coordinates:
      West_Bounding_Coordinate: -89.125
      East_Bounding_Coordinate: -88.4
      North_Bounding_Coordinate: 48.2
      South_Bounding_Coordinate: 47.8
    Description_of_Geographic_Extent: Isle Royale National Park, Michigan
  Keywords:
    Theme:
      Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
      Theme_Keyword: National Park Service
      Theme_Keyword: U.S. Geological Service
      Theme_Keyword: The Nature Conservancy
      Theme_Keyword: Aerial Information Systems
      Theme_Keyword: Center for Biological Informatics
      Theme_Keyword: land cover
      Theme_Keyword: vegetation
      Theme_Keyword: community
      Theme_Keyword: association
      Theme_Keyword: land use
      Theme_Keyword: Environmental System Research Institute
    Place:
      Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
      Place_Keyword: Isle Royale National Park
      Place_Keyword: Michigan
      Place_Keyword: Lake Superior
    Temporal:
      Temporal_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
      Temporal_Keyword: Data Represents May 1996 and August 1994
  Access_Constraints: None
  Use_Constraints:
    Any person using the information presented here
    should fully understand the data collection and
    compilation procedures, as described in these
    metadata, before beginning analysis.  The burden
    for determining fitness for use lies entirely with
    the user.  For purposes of publication or
    dissemination, citations should be given to the
    U.S. Geological Survey and the National Park
    Service.
  Point_of_Contact:
    Contact_Information:
      Contact_Organization_Primary:
        Contact_Person: USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping Program Coordinator
        Contact_Organization: USGS Biological Resources Division, Center for Biological Informatics
      Contact_Address:
        Address_Type: Physical Address
        Address: USGS
        Address: Biological Resources Division, CBI
        Address: Building 810, Room 8000
        City: Denver
        State_or_Province: Colorado
        Postal_Code: 80225-0046
        Country: USA
      Contact_Address:
        Address_Type: Mailing Address
        Address: USGS
        Address: Biological Resources Division, CBI
        Address: PO BOX 25046, DFC, MS302
        City: Denver
        State_or_Province: Colorado
        Postal_Code: 80225-0046
        Country: USA
      Contact_Voice_Telephone: (303) 202-4220
      Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 303-202-4229
      Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 303-202-4219 (org)
      Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: gs-b-npsveg@usgs.gov
  Browse_Graphic:
    Browse_Graphic_File_Name: http://biology.usgs.gov/npsveg/isro/images/isroaa.pdf
    Browse_Graphic_File_Description: 242 kb
    Browse_Graphic_File_Type: PDF
  Taxonomy:
    Keywords/Taxon:
      Taxonomic_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
      Taxonomic_Keywords: Standard National Vegetation Classification System
      Taxonomic_Keywords: plant communities
    General_Taxonomic_Coverage:
      Vegetation Alliances of the National Vegetation
      Classification System (October 1995)
    Taxonomic_Classification:
      Taxon_Rank_Name: Kingdom
      Taxon_Rank_Value: Plantae
      Applicable_Common_Name: plants
Data_Quality_Information:
  Attribute_Accuracy:
    Attribute_Accuracy_Report:
      The attributes for the accuracy assessment were
      recorded in the field in July - September, 1998.
      Vegetation associations were identified based on
      the field key and plant identification.  If
      additional communities were found within a 50
      meter radius of the plot center, they were
      recorded as well.  During the analysis, it was
      concluded that some attributes were in error and
      changed to match the mapped attributes.  This was
      done by examination of the aerial photographs under
      stereoscopic view.  The attributes were in error
      due to 1) spatial error in the GPS derived
      coordinates (4-8 meters), 2) change of vegetation
      community due to temporal changes, or differences
      between observation team identifications.
  Logical_Consistency_Report:
    All attributes are codes that correspond to
    vegetation communities and have been checked for
    typographical and logical errors.
  Completeness_Report: All points were collected and analyzed
  Positional_Accuracy:
    Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy:
      Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Report:
        The points were located using a military-style GPS
        receiver (PLGR), which has a published accuracy of
        4-8 meters.
    Vertical_Positional_Accuracy:
      Vertical_Positional_Accuracy_Report: Not applicable
  Lineage:
    Methodology:
      Methodology_Type: Field
      Methodology_Identifier:
        Methodology_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
        Methodology_Keyword: Accuracy Assessment
      Methodology_Description:
        Data points were located by use of a PLGR GPS
        receiver.  Vegetation communities were identified
        on the basis of a dichotomous field key and plant
        Species: present
    Methodology:
      Methodology_Type: Lab
      Methodology_Identifier:
        Methodology_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
        Methodology_Keyword: Accuracy Assessment
      Methodology_Description:
        Accuracy assessment points were compiled into an
        ARCINFO point coverage and intersected with the
        vegetation community coverage.  The resulting INFO
        file was exported into a text file, imported into
        a spreadsheet, and the attributes from the
        accuracy assessment and the spatial data were
        compared.  If the attributes did not compare, an
        analysis of the mismatch was made and either the
        AA attribute or the map attribute was changed
        based on identification of the community on the
        aerial photo.
    Source_Information:
      Source_Citation:
        Citation_Information:
          Originator: U.S. National Biological Survey
          Originator: U.S. National Park Service
          Originator: Department of the Interior
          Publication_Date: 199411
          Title: Accuracy Assessment Procedures, NBS/NPS Vegetation Mapping Program
          Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: procedure report
          Publication_Information:
            Publication_Place: Denver, CO
            Publisher:
              USGS, Biological Resources Division, Center for
              Biological Informatics
          Other_Citation_Details:
            Prepared by: Environmental Systems Research Institute; Redlands, CA and
            National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis, University of
            California, Santa Barbara, CA and The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA
            under contract from U.S. Department of the Interior National Biological
            Survey and National Park Service.
      Type_of_Source_Media: electronic document
      Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
        Time_Period_Information:
          Range_of_Dates/Times:
            Beginning_Date: 199411
            Ending_Date: Present
        Source_Currentness_Reference: publication date
      Source_Citation_Abbreviation: Veg Mapping Program Accuracy Assessment Procedures
      Source_Contribution:
        The vegetation spatial data were tested for
        accuracy with the AA data.
    Process_Step:
      Process_Description:
        The accuracy assessment field work was performed
        in July - September, 1998 to verify the accuracy of the
        vegetation communities spatial data developed by
        the USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping Program for Isle Royale
        National Park.  The data points were
        randomly distributed stratified according to
        vegetation association over the project area
        according to protocols developed by the Program.
        Points were located by GPS navigation and the
        community information was collected at the point,
        without knowledge of the attributes of the
        vegetation spatial data.
        Source_Used_Citation_Abbrevation:
        Spatial data of vegetation communities for Isle Royale National Park.
        Source_Used_Citation_Abbrevation: Accuracy Assessment Procedure Document
      Process_Date: 199810
Spatial_Data_Organization_Information:
  Direct_Spatial_Reference_Method: Point
Spatial_Reference_Information:
  Horizontal_Coordinate_System_Definition:
    Planar:
      Grid_Coordinate_System:
        Grid_Coordinate_System_Name: Universal Transverse Mercator
        Universal_Transverse_Mercator:
          UTM_Zone_Number: 16
          Transverse_Mercator:
            Scale_Factor_at_Central_Meridian: 0.9996
            Longitude_of_Central_Meridian: -105
            Latitude_of_Projection_Origin: 0
            False_Easting: 0
            False_Northing: 0
      Planar_Coordinate_Information:
        Planar_Coordinate_Encoding_Method: coordinate pair
        Coordinate_Representation:
          Abscissa_Resolution: 371.951 m
          Ordinate_Resolution: 371.951 m
        Planar_Distance_Units: meters
    Geodetic_Model:
      Horizontal_Datum_Name: North American Datum of 1983
      Ellipsoid_Name: Geodetic Reference System 80
      Semi-major_Axis: 6378137
      Denominator_of_Flattening_Ratio: 297.257
Entity_and_Attribute_Information:
  Overview_Description:
    Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:
      The National Vegetation Classification Standard is
      organized hierarchically to support conservation
      and resource stewardship applications across
      multiple scales. The upper levels of the hierarchy
      are based on the physical form or structure of the
      vegetation (physiognomy) and have been refined
      from the international standards developed by the
      United nations Educational, Scientific, and
      Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The two most
      detailed levels of the hierarchy are based on the
      species composition of existing vegetation
      (floristics) and reflect the phyto-sociological
      standards that were originally developed by
      European ecologists. The vegetation classification
      is continually advanced through the collection and
      analysis of new field data and will be greatly
      strengthened during the course of the USGS-NPS
      mapping efforts. Data file attributes include
      species, alliance, community element, and land cover.

      01,Jack pine - black spruce / feathermoss forest (forest phase)
      02,Spruce - fir / feathermoss forest
      03,White cedar - boreal conifer mesic forest
      04,White cedar - (mixed conifer) / alder swamp (open phase)
      05,Black spruce / dwarf-shrub swamp complex
      06,White cedar - (mixed conifer) / alder swamp (closed phase)
      08,Maple - yellow birch - northern hardwoods forest (sugar maple phase)
      09,Maple - yellow birch - northern hardwoods forest (mixed phase)
      11,Red oak - sugar maple forest
      12,Paper birch / bush honeysuckle - fir forest
      13,Aspen - birch / boreal conifer forest (mixed aspen-birch phase)
      15,Aspen - birch / sugar maple - mixed hardwoods forest  (mixed phase)
      17,Black ash - mixed hardwood swamp complex
      18,Northern tamarack rich swamp
      19,Balsam fir / paper birch forest
      20,White spruce - balsam fir - aspen forest
      21,White cedar - yellow birch forest (cedar - birch phase)
      22,Jack pine - black spruce / feathermoss forest (woodland phase)
      23,White spruce woodland alliance
      25,Aspen - birch / boreal conifer forest  (sparse canopy phase)
      26,Common juniper rocky krummholz
      27,Boreal rocky shrubland
      28,Speckled alder swamp
      29,Dwarf shrub fen complex
      30,Poverty grass barrens
      31,Bluejoint eastern meadow
      32,Sedge meadow complex
      49,Red maple - ash - birch swamp forest
      50,Yellow birch - (spruce) forest
      51,Boreal pine rocky woodland
      53,Aspen - birch / boreal conifer forest (woodland phase)
      54,Spruce - fir and sugar maple - yellow birch mosaic
      55,Aspen - birch / sugar maple - mixed hardwoods forest (paper birch phase)
      56,White pine - aspen - birch forest
      60,Northern (laurentian) igneous / metamorphic moist cliff scrub
      61,Great Lakes bedrock lakeshore
      63,Great Lakes cobble / gravel lakeshore
      67,Great Lakes bedrock lakeshore - (undifferentiated bedrock)
      83,White cedar - balsam fir / leatherleaf / black crowberry krummholz
      88,Canada yew mixed shrubland
      90,Balsam fir woodland
      98,Water
      99,Urban/built-up
      10A,Maple - yellow birch  - northern hardwoods forest (yellow birch phase)
      16A,Aspen - birch / sugar maple - mixed hardwoods forest (aspen phase)
      16B,Aspen - birch / boreal conifer forest (aspen phase)
      16C,Aspen - red maple forest
      17A,Black ash (cedar) - mixed hardwoods swamp complex
      19A,Balsam fir - aspen - paper birch forest
      19B,Balsam fir / Canada yew - devils club forest
      25A,Aspen - red maple rocky woodland
      32A,Sedge / sphagnum meadow complex
      50A,White cedar - yellow birch forest (mixed phase)
      53A,Spruce - fir - aspen open forest
      67A,Great Lakes cobble / gravel lakeshore - (undifferentiated  gravel)
    Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation:
      U.S. National Biological Survey, U.S. National Park Service, Department of the Interior
      November 1994, Accuracy Assessment Procedures, NBS/NPS Vegetation Mapping Program,
      Denver, CO, USGS, Biological Resources Division, Center for Biological Informatics,
      Prepared by: Environmental Systems Research Institute; Redlands, CA and
      National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis, University of
      California, Santa Barbara, CA and The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA
      under contract from U.S. Department of the Interior National Biological
      Survey and National Park Service.
      electronic document
      http://biology.usgs.gov/npsveg/aa/index.html

Distribution_Information:
  Distributor:
    Contact_Information:
      Contact_Person_Primary:
        Contact_Person: USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping Program Coordinator
        Contact_Organization: USGS/BRD, Center for Biological Informatics
      Contact_Position: Geospatial Technology Specialist
      Contact_Address:
        Address_Type: Physical Address
        Address: USGS Biological Resources
        Address: Center for Biological Informatics
        Address: Denver Federal Center, Building 810
        Address: Room 8000, MS302
        City: Denver
        State_or_Province: CO
        Postal_Code: 80225-0046
        Country: USA
      Contact_Voice_Telephone: (303) 202-4220
      Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 303-202-4229
      Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 303-202-4219 (org)
      Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: gs-b-npsveg@usgs.gov
  Distribution_Liability:
    The U.S. Geological Survey and the National Park Service shall not be held liable for improper or incorrect use of the data described and/or contained herein.  These data and related graphics (if available) are not legal documents and are not intended to be used as such.

    The information contained in these data is dynamic and may change over time.  The data are not better than the original sources from which they were derived.  It is the responsibility of the data user to use the data appropriately and consistent within the limitations of geospatial data in general and these data in particular.  Any related graphics (if available) are intended to aid the data user in acquiring relevant data; it is not approriate to use the related graphics as data.

    The U.S. Geological Survey and the National Park Service gives no warranty, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of these data.  It is strongly recommended that these data are directly acquired from an U.S. Geological Survey and National Park Service servers and not indirectly through other sources which may have changed the data in some way.  Although these data have been processed successfully on a computer system at the U.S. Geological Survey, no warranty expressed or implied is made regarding the utility of the data on another system or for general or scientific purposes, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty. This disclaimer applies both to individual use of the data and aggregate use with other data. It is also strongly recommended that careful attention be paid to the contents of the metadata file associated with these data. Mention of trade names or commercial products in this metadata report does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use by the U. S. Department of the Interior, U. S. Geological Survey and National Park Service.
  Standard_Order_Process:
    Digital_Form:
      Digital_Transfer_Information:
        Format_Name: HTML
      Digital_Transfer_Option:
        Online_Option:
          Computer_Contact_Information:
            Network_Address:
              Network_Resource_Name: http://biology.usgs.gov/npsveg/isro/index.html
    Fees: None
Metadata_Reference_Information:
  Metadata_Date: 20010511
  Metadata_Review_Date: 20071106
  Metadata_Contact:
    Contact_Information:
      Contact_Organization_Primary:
        Contact_Organization: USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping Program Coordinator
      Contact_Address:
        Address_Type: mailing and physical address
        Address:
          U.S. Geological Survey, Center for Biological Informatics, MS 302,
          Room 8000, Building 810, Denver Federal Center
        City: Denver
        State_or_Province: Colorado
        Postal_Code: 80225
        Country: USA
      Contact_Voice_Telephone: (303) 202-4220
      Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: (303) 202-4219
      Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: gs-b-npsveg@usgs.gov
  Metadata_Standard_Name: FGDC-STD-001.1-1999 Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata, 1998 Part 1: Biological Data Profile, 1999
  Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001-1998
  Metadata_Extensions:
    Online_Linkage: http://metadata.nbii.gov/portal/community/Communities/Toolkit/Metadata/FGDC_Metadata/
    Profile_Name: Biological Data Profile FGDC-STD-001.1-1999