Identification_Information:
  Citation:
    Citation_Information:
      Originator: Patrick Comer (NatureServe)
      Originator: Jimmy Kagan (OR Natural Heritage Program)
      Originator: Michael Heiner (The Nature Conservancy)
      Originator: Claudine Tobalske (OR Natural Heritage Program)
      Publication_Date: February 15, 2002
      Title: Current Distribution of Sagebrush and Associated Vegetation in the Western United States (excluding NM and AZ)
      Edition: 1
      Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: Map
      Other_Citation_Details: 2002. Interagency Sagebrush Working Group
      Online_Linkage: http://SAGEMAP.wr.usgs.gov
  
Description:
    Abstract: The map includes the current distribution of 10 sagebrush vegetation types from eastern WA, OR, and CA, through central CO, and eastern WY and MT. It used readily available data on vegetation, elevation, and soil characteristics to depict regional vegetative patterns, placing emphasis on sagebrush vegetation, but also including 49 other land cover themes.  Thematic consistency was established through a "crosswalk" of land cover categories from each map source (see broadsageXwalk.xls). In several instances, existing knowledge of sagebrush habitat characteristics was combined with elevation and soil characteristics to provide greater thematic precision for sagebrush vegetation than was included in source material.  In other instances, minor edits of source material were completed, based on local expert knowledge.  A 90-meter grid is used for the map, but source material included 30 to 90-meter grids and 1:24,000 and 1:100,000 polygon coverages.

    Purpose: The map is intended to provide broad-scale perspective on sagebrush and related vegetation distribution across the inter-mountain west for use in regional habitat assessment. It was intended to clarify what currently exists with readily available data.  It should also be useful for additional data development intended to provide greater spatial and thematic precision.

    Supplemental_Information: The grid codes in this cover link to a table which links to a standard vegetation classification, based on the National Vegetation Classification System (NVCS).  These NVCS vegetation types are mostly alliances, and all have alliance descriptions available from the NatureServe public web site (www.natureserve.org).  The vegetation names, codes and the names from the source data are incuded in the attached table, which is in the form of an Excel spreadsheet, broadsageXwalk.xls.  There is also a MS Word metadata document, describing the details of the creation of the cover, called broadsage metadata.doc.

  Time_Period_of_Content:
        Beginning_Date: 1980
        Ending_Date: 2001

  Status:
    Progress: Complete
    Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: None planned

  Spatial_Domain:
    Bounding_Coordinates:
      West_Bounding_Coordinate: -123.664354
      East_Bounding_Coordinate: -107.967751
      North_Bounding_Coordinate: 49.457141
      South_Bounding_Coordinate: 33.417654

  Keywords:
    Theme:
      Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: 
      Theme_Keyword: sagebrush
    Place:
      Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: 
      Place_Keyword: Eastern Oregon, Eastern Washington, Southern Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Northeastern California, Wyoming, Colorado, Montana
 
 Access_Constraints:  All of the component source data is public domain.  The derived grid dataset can be used without restraint, with the understanding that this is a preliminary attempt to map the distribution of sagebrush vegetation at a coarse, regional scale.

  Use_Constraints: Use of this data requires the ability to read Arc/Info Grid data sets.  The user must assume responsibility to determine the suitability of this data for their purposes.
 
 Point_of_Contact:
    Contact_Information:
        Contact_Person: Patrick Comer
        Contact_Organization: NatureServe
        Contact_Position: Senior Ecologist
      Contact_Address:
        Address_Type: mailing and physical address
        Address: 2060 Broadway Suite 230
        City: Boulder
        State_or_Province: CO
        Postal_Code: 80302
        Country: USA
      Contact_Voice_Telephone: 303-541-0352
      Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 303-449-4328
      Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: pat_comer@natureserve.org

 Data_Set_Credit: This data was created by a cooperative project, funded by the USGS Biological Resources Division, and completed by The Nature Conservancy, NatureServe and the Oregon Natural Heritage Program, with help from all the western Natural Heritage Programs and federal agency ecologists.
  Native_Data_Set_Environment: Arc/Info version 7.0 Grid data sets

Data_Quality_Information:
  Attribute_Accuracy:
    Attribute_Accuracy_Report: See reports of component datasets for details on accuracy.
  Logical_Consistency_Report: See reports of component datasets for details on accuracy.
  Completeness_Report: See reports of component datasets for details on accuracy.
  
Lineage:
See reports of component datasets named in the following process steps.   The derived layers for each state and USFS region were merged.  Where these overlapped, the USFS Region 4 layer took precedence, with the exception of Black Sage distirbution depicted in the MT/ID.

Process_Step:
      Process_Description:
        
WASHINGTON

        We used as a base the shrubsteppe grid from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Shrub-steppe Research Project (25-meter pixels; for detailed information go to www.wa.gov/wdfw/wlm/research/songbird/shrub.pdf).  The grid showed the distribution of shrubsteppe habitat but did not provide information on species composition.  It was therefore modified to reach the alliance level, as follows:
        1. When available, Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) data of potential natural vegetation were downloaded from the NRCS website (www.ftw.nrcs.usda.gov/ssur_data.html).  SSURGO data were not available for Benton, Columbia, and Adams counties, and for parts of Okanogan, Ferry, Chelan, Kittitas, Yakima, and Klickitat counties.  Plant composition polygons were rasterized and used to label patches of shrubsteppe habitat.
        2. The resulting map was sent to Rex Crawford of the Washington Natural Heritage Program for review.  His suggestions on how to label areas missing SSURGO data , as well as corrections he brought to existing SSURGO data, were incorporated into the map.  
        3. The scattered shrubsteppe patches that remained unlabeled were assigned an alliance based on the composition of surrounding shrubsteppe patches.
        4. Because SSURGO presents potential, not existing, vegetation, Washington Gap Analysis data were used to modify the map by incorporating the distribution of exotics (mainly cheatgrass).  Detailed information on WA-GAP is available at www.wa.gov/wdfw/wlm/gap/landcov.htm.  WA-GAP data were also used for a small area in Klickitat county along the Oregon border, for which no other data were available.
      Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation: Dobler, F.C., J. Eby, C. Pery, S. Richardson, and M.V. Haegen.  1996.  Status of Washington's Shrub-Steppe Ecosystem: Extent, ownership, and wildlife/vegetation relationships.  Phase 1 completion report.  Washington Dept. Fish Wild., Olympia, WA.  39 p.


OREGON

        A map of existing vegetation for the southeastern portion of Oregon was created by merging digital data from different sources: Burns, Lakeview, and Vale BLM districts; Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge; SSURGO; and Oregon Gap Analysis.  The scale of the map was 1:24,000, except where Gap data were used (1:100,000).  

        Gap data.  We limited the use of Gap data to areas where no other vegetation data were available.  A new Gap map was created by merging the first (1992) and second (1999) Gap vegetation maps, deleting slivers smaller than 40 ha, and examining each remaining polygon individually to label it. When labels from the two original Gap maps were not in agreement (e.g., 1992 Gap = Rigid sagebrush-Sandbergs bluegrass, 1999 Gap = Big sagebrush shrubland), J. Kagan was consulted to determine which label was most likely to be correct.  In addition, an elevation cut-off of 1700m (10 meter DEMs; pub. USGS, Reston, VA) was selected, above which Wyoming big sagebrush was recoded as Mountain big sagebrush.  The MRLC classified satellite image of Oregon was also used in the labeling process, principally to confirm the location of agricultural polygons. 

        Burns, Lakeview, Vale BLM districts.  Polygons that did not have vegetation entries were "filled in" with Gap data, SSURGO data, or by extending vegetation data from adjacent polygons.  

        Hart Mountain.  Vegetation data were obtained from the Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge and consisted of 83 individual layers.  The Hart Mountain shapefile was created by appending these individual vegetation layers into one layer, rasterizing it, nibbling the slivers, and re-vectorizing the resulting coverage.  Remaining slivers were removed through an Eliminate operation.

        SSURGO.  SSURGO data were downloaded from the NRCS website (http://www.ftw.nrcs.usda.gov/ssur_data.html).  The 1:24,000 soil polygons came with associated databases for agriculture, climax/historical plant composition, and climax/historical tree cover.  Gap data were replaced with SSURGO data for Baker county and parts of Harney, Malheur and Lake counties.  Vegetation data did not match between SSURGO and Gap along the Baker/Malheur county line: Mountain big sagebrush for SSURGO, Wyoming big sagebrush for Gap.  The match was improved by applying an elevation cut-off to the Gap data, above which polygons were recoded as ARTRV.  A few polygons from the Vale district data were also recoded.  Because SSURGO data do not incorporate information on range condition, SSURGO polygons that overlapped Gap "cheatgrass" polygons were recoded to incorporate this information.


NEVADA

USFS Region 4, Land Cover Characterization
Originator: Remote Sensing/GIS laboratories, Utah State Univ.; pub. June 1998.

        We used as a base the USFS Region 4 Land Cover Characterization (Originator: Remote Sensing/GIS laboratories, Utah State Univ.; pub. June 1998.  Extent: Nevada, Utah, southern Idaho, and western Wyoming.  See www.gis.usu.edu/docs/data/cd-rom_utah_intermountain.html).  Pixel size is 30 meters and minimum mapping unit is 5 ha.  Although mountain big sagebrush patches were identified, other sagebrush species were lumped together as "sagebrush" and "sagebrush steppe".  To reach the alliance level, we used a SSURGO map compiled by Eric Peterson (Nevada Natural Heritage Program).  The data were rasterized and incorporated into the Land Cover Characterization grid.


UTAH

        Data for Utah came from the USFS Region 4 Land Cover Characterization (Originator: Remote Sensing/GIS laboratories, Utah State Univ.; pub. June 1998.  Extent: Nevada, Utah, southern Idaho, and western Wyoming.  See www.gis.usu.edu/docs/data/cd-rom_utah_intermountain.html).  A model was used to identify areas of low sagebrush, but no differentiation was made between Wyoming big sagebrush and basin big sagebrush.


IDAHO

        We used the vegetation grid from the Idaho Gap Analysis Program (ursus.wildlife.uidaho.edu/idveg.htm).  Pixel size is 30 meters and minimum mapping unit is 2 ha (for metadata go to ursus.wildlife.uidaho.edu/meta/id2veg.met).


CALIFORNIA

Source datasets:
1. CalVeg Landcover Map
Originators: California Dept. of Forestry and Fire Protection, USFS Region 5 Remote Sensing Lab, Space Imaging Services; pub. 2001.

2. California GAP Analysis Landcover
Originator: California Gap Analysis; pub. June 1998.
Editing: modified by the TNC Mojave Desert Ecoregional Planning Team, using unpublished BLM data.


MONTANA

Source datasets: 
1.  USFS Region 1, Classified Landsat TM Scenes.
Originator: Univ. of Montana, Wildlife Spatial Analysis Laboratory; pub. June 1996
Editing:  All Mountain Sagebrush types (per crosswalk) occurrring at elevation < 1500m reclassified as Wyoming Big Sagebrush.  (Elevation data source: Global 30 Arc-Second Elevation Data Set, available from http://edcdaac.usgs.gov/gtopo30/gtopo30.html).

2.  Montana GAP Analysis, Montana 90-meter Land Cover.
Originator: Wildlife Spatial Analysis Lab, Univ. of Montana; pub. September 1998


WYOMING

Source datasets: 
1.  Wyoming GAP Analysis, Land Cover for Wyoming 
Originator: Wyoming Gap Analysis, Univ. of Wyoming, Spatial Data and Visualization Center; pub. December 1996


COLORADO

Source datasets: 
1.  Colorado GAP Analysis Landcover Map
Originator: Colorado Division of Wildlife, Habitat Resources Section; pub. March 1998
Editing: All sagebrush types (per crosswalk) occurring at elevation >2500m reclassified as Mountain Sage, else Wyoming & Basin Big Sagebrush. (Elevation data source: Global 30 Arc-Second Elevation Data Set, available from http://edcdaac.usgs.gov/gtopo30/gtopo30.html). The Southern Rocky Mountains ecoregional planning team edited polygons in the San Luis Valley based on ecoregional classifications of NVC alliances/alliance groups and local expert knowledge.
 

Spatial_Data_Organization_Information:
  Direct_Spatial_Reference_Method: Raster
  Raster_Object_Information:
    Raster_Object_Type: Grid Cell
    Row_Count: 19333
    Column_Count: 21633
    Vertical_Count: 1

Spatial_Reference_Information:
  Horizontal_Coordinate_System_Definition:
    Planar:
      Map_Projection:
        Map_Projection_Name: Albers Conical Equal Area
        Albers_Conical_Equal_Area:
          Standard_Parallel: 38.000000
          Standard_Parallel: 41.000000
          Longitude_of_Central_Meridian: -114.000000
          Latitude_of_Projection_Origin: 34.000000
          False_Easting: 0.000000
          False_Northing: 0.000000
      Planar_Coordinate_Information:
        Planar_Coordinate_Encoding_Method: row and column
        Coordinate_Representation:
          Abscissa_Resolution: 90
          Ordinate_Resolution: 90
        Planar_Distance_Units: meters
    Geodetic_Model:
      Horizontal_Datum_Name: North American Datum of 1927
      Ellipsoid_Name: Clarke 1866
      Semi-major_Axis: 6378206.400000
      Denominator_of_Flattening_Ratio: 294.978698
  Vertical_Coordinate_System_Definition:
    Altitude_System_Definition:
      Altitude_Datum_Name: National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929
      Altitude_Resolution: 1.0
      Altitude_Distance_Units: meters
      Altitude_Encoding_Method: Attribute values

Entity_and_Attribute_Information:
  Detailed_Description:
    Entity_Type:
      Entity_Type_Label: sagestitch.VAT
      Entity_Type_Definition: Grid cell value attribute table

Attribute
    Attribute_Label:  VALUE
    Attribute_Definition:
      Unique, categorical grid cell value identifier.
    Attribute_Domain_Values
      Range_Domain_Minimum:  
      Range_Domain_Maximum:  161
  Attribute
    Attribute_Label:  COUNT
    Attribute_Definition:
      Number of 90mx90m grid cells per value.
    Attribute_Domain_Values
      Range_Domain_Minimum:  5
      Range_Domain_Maximum:  47897452
  Attribute
    Attribute_Label:  LANDCOVER
    Attribute_Definition:
       Landcover class name.
Attribute
    Attribute_Label:  SAGETYPE
    Attribute_Definition:
       Sagebrush landcover class name.  Sagebrush vegetation map units may be linked directly to the National Vegetation Classification System at scales of vegetative Alliance and above.  The following table depicts this linkage.  Additional sagebrush vegetation Alliances occur throughout the intermountain west, but were not distinguishable with existing data. Some occur in patches smaller than minimum mapping units.  Others are difficult to distinguish from remotely sensed sources. 

Sagebrush Legend
US NVCS Alliances


Wyoming & Basin big sagebrush:
ARTEMISIA TRIDENTATA SSP. WYOMINGENSIS SHRUBLAND ALLIANCE
ARTEMISIA TRIDENTATA (SSP. TRIDENTATA, XERICENSIS) SHRUBLAND ALLIANCE
PICROTHAMNUS DESERTORUM (= ARTEMISIA SPINESCENS) SHRUBLAND ALLIANCE
Black sagebrush:
ARTEMISIA NOVA SHRUBLAND ALLIANCE
Low sagebrush:
ARTEMISIA ARBUSCULA SSP. ARBUSCULA SHRUBLAND ALLIANCE
ARTEMISIA ARBUSCULA SSP. LONGILOBA SHRUBLAND ALLIANCE
ARTEMISIA ARBUSCULA SSP. LONGICAULIS SHRUBLAND ALLIANCE
ARTEMISIA ARBUSCULA SSP. THERMOPOLA SHRUBLAND ALLIANCE
Low sagebrush-mountain big sagebrush:
ARTEMISIA TRIDENTATA SSP. VASEYANA SHRUBLAND ALLIANCE
ARTEMISIA ARBUSCULA SSP. THERMOPOLA SHRUBLAND ALLIANCE
Low sagebrush-Wyoming big sagebrush:
ARTEMISIA TRIDENTATA SSP. WYOMINGENSIS SHRUBLAND ALLIANCE
ARTEMISIA ARBUSCULA SSP. ARBUSCULA SHRUBLAND ALLIANCE
ARTEMISIA ARBUSCULA SSP. LONGILOBA SHRUBLAND ALLIANCE
ARTEMISIA ARBUSCULA SSP. LONGICAULIS SHRUBLAND ALLIANCE
Mountain big sagebrush:
ARTEMISIA TRIDENTATA SSP. VASEYANA SHRUBLAND ALLIANCE
Rigid sagebrush:
ARTEMISIA RIGIDA SHRUBLAND ALLIANCE
Silver sagebrush:
ARTEMISIA CANA (SSP. VISCIDULA/BOLANDERI) SHRUBLAND ALLIANCE
ARTEMISIA CANA SSP. CANA SHRUBLAND ALLIANCE
Threetip sagebrush:
ARTEMISIA TRIPARTITA SSP. TRIPARTITA SHRUBLAND ALLIANCE
ARTEMISIA TRIPARTITA SSP. RUPICOLA SHRUBLAND ALLIANCE
Wyoming big sagebrush:
ARTEMISIA TRIDENTATA SSP. WYOMINGENSIS SHRUBLAND ALLIANCE
Wyoming big sagebrush-squawapple:
ARTEMISIA TRIDENTATA SSP. WYOMINGENSIS SHRUBLAND ALLIANCE


Standard_Order_Process:
    Digital_Form:
      Digital_Transfer_Information:
        Format_Name: Arc/Info Grid dataset
        Format_Version_Number: 7.0
        Transfer_Size: 67.7 MB
      Digital_Transfer_Option:
        Offline_Option:
          Offline_Media: CD-ROM

    Fees: This data set is available at no charge over the SAGEMAP website (http://SAGEMAP.wr.usgs.gov).  No other access to the data set has been provided for.
  Technical_Prerequisites: Requires ArcView Spatial Analyst version 1.0 or UNIX Arc/Info version 7.0.

Metadata_Reference_Information:
  Metadata_Date: 20020218
  Metadata_Contact:
    Contact_Information:
      Contact_Person_Primary:
        Contact_Person: Patrick Comer
        Contact_Organization: NatureServe
      Contact_Position: Senior Ecologist
      Contact_Address:
        Address_Type: mailing and physical address
        Address: 2060 Broadway Suite 230
        City: Boulder
        State_or_Province: CO
        Postal_Code: 80302
        Country: USA
      Contact_Voice_Telephone: 303-541-0352
      Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 303-449-4328
      Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: pat_comer@natureserve.org
  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

Source_ Citations:

MT Gap: Redmond, R.L., M.M. Hart, J.C. Winne, W.A. Williams, P.C. Thornton, Z. Ma, C.M. Tobalske, M.M. Thornton, K.P. McLaughlin, T.P. Tady, F.B. Fisher, S.W. Running. 1998. The Montana Gap Analysis Project: final report. Unpublished report. Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, The University of Montana, Missoula. xiii + 136 pp. + appendices. This is on-line at http://nris.state.mt.us/nsdi/nris/gap90/mtgapveg.pdf. 

OR Gap: Kagan, J.S., J.C. Hak, B. Csuti, C.W. Kiilsgaard, and E.P. Gaines. 1999. Oregon Gap Analysis Project Final Report: A geographic approach to planning for biological diversity. Oregon Natural Heritage Program, Portland, Oregon. 72 pp. + appendices.

WA Gap: Cassidy, K.M. 1997. Gap Analysis of Washington State - Final Report. Seattle, WA.

WA shrubsteppe map: Dobler, F.C., J. Eby, C. Pery, S. Richarsdon, and M.V. Haegen. 1996. Status of Washington's Shrubsteppe Ecosystem: Extent, ownership, and wildlife/vegetation relationships. Phase 1 completion report. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Olympia, WA. 39 pp.

WY Gap: Merrill, E.H., W.A. Reiners, R.W. Marrs, S.H. Anderson, T.W. Kohley, M.E. Herdendorf, K.L. Driese. 1996. Wyoming Gap Analysis: A Geographic Analysis of Biodiversity - Final Report, U.S.G.S. Biological Resources Division. Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit and University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY.

CO Gap: Schrupp, D.L., W.A. Reiners, T.G. Thompson, L.E. O'Brien, J.A. Kindler, M.B. Wunder, J.F. Lowsky, J.C. Buoy, L. Satcowitz, A.L. Cade, J.D. Stark, K.L. Driese, T.W. Owens, S.J. Russo, and F. D'Erchia. 2000. Colorado Gap Analysis Program: A Geographic Approach to Planning for Biological Diversity - Final Report, U.S.G.S. Biological Resources Division. Gap Analysis Program and Colorado Division of Wildlife, Denver, CO.

Southern Rocky Mountain Ecoregion: Neely, B.,  P. Comer, C. Moritz, M. Lammert, R. Rondeau, C. Pague, G. Bell, H. Copeland, J. Humke, S. Spackman, T. Schulz, D. Theobald, and L. Valutis.  2001. A Conservation Assessment of the Southern Rocky Mountains Ecoregion. Prepared by the Nature Conservancy with support from the U.S. Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region, Colorado Division of Wildlife, and Bureau of Land Management.