FGDC NVCI

(Source: FGDC Vegetation Subcommittee Home Page. (25 September 2000). Retrieved February 22 2004. http://biology.usgs.gov/fgdc.veg/ .)

The National Vegetation Classification and Information Standards are developed and approved by the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC). This is the standard vegetation classification system for use by Federal government agencies and their cooperators.

The FGDC Vegetation Subcommittee, which coordinated development of the standard, is also coordinating with the development of the United Nations Environment Programme's Food and Agriculture Organization Land Cover Classification System, to help work toward development of a potential global standard for use in classifying and characterizing land cover. Development of this national vegetation classification standard is an important component in helping to increase sharing and exchange of vegetation-related data among Federal agencies and other partners as part of the NBII and the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) federations.

It is important that, as agencies map or inventory vegetated Earth cover, they collect enough data accurately and precisely to translate it for national reporting, aggregation, and comparisons. Adoption of the Vegetation Classification and Information Standards in subsequent development and application of vegetation mapping schemes will facilitate the compilation of regional and national summaries. In turn, the consistent collection of such information will eventually support the detailed, quantitative, geo-referenced basis for vegetation cover modeling, mapping, and analysis at the field level.

The overall objective of the Vegetation and Information Standards is to support the use of a consistent national vegetation classification system (NVCS) to produce uniform statistics in vegetation resources from vegetation cover data at the national level. The NVCS provides a standard framework and classification approach for natural, semi-natural, planted and cultivated vegetation types. All areas having equal to or more than 1% of the surface area with live vegetation cover are classified within the NVCS. The vegetation classification standard is hierarchical and combines floristics at the lowest levels and physiognomy and broad ecological modifiers at the highest levels of the hierarchy. This approach allows the characterization of vegetation patterns at multiple spatial scales. Cultivated and managed vegetation types are included in this classification standard due to their extensive geographical coverage and the importance of identifying, mapping, and monitoring these types. In addition to vegetation found on strictly upland environments, this classification includes wetland vegetation (rooted emergent and floating).

For more information or to download the standard please visit FGDC .