Information about the draft National Vegetation Classification Standard, Version 2.0
The draft National Vegetation Classification Standard, Version 2.0,
supports the development and use of a consistent national vegetation
classification (the “NVC”) in order to produce uniform statistics based
on vegetation data gathered at local, regional, or national
levels.
This Standard establishes national procedures for classifying
vegetation that Federal agencies shall use to share vegetation
information and facilitate reporting of national statistics. It
requires that all Federal vegetation classification efforts meet core
data requirements to permit aggregation of data from all Federal
agencies. The Standard also requires that vegetation mapping and
inventory units crosswalk to the NVC, meaning that the composition of
any map unit or inventory unit shall be described in terms of one or
more vegetation types at an appropriate level of the NVC
hierarchy.
This Standard shall not preclude alternative classification
approaches and systems that address particular needs of Federal
agencies. It is intended to facilitate an orderly development of the
NVC and collaboration with international vegetation classification
activities.
This Standard applies only to vegetation documented for a specific
location and time, and the NVC includes only existing vegetation types.
This Standards applies to vegetation classification efforts in the
United States and its Trust Territories. Specific time need not be the
present, that is, historical data may be included.
Lastly, this Standard establishes minimum metadata requirements to
ensure consistent reporting on the status of our Nation's vegetation
resources. Both the NVC and the metadata requirements may be used
nationally to link local level vegetation inventory and map
efforts.
Information about public review
The public review period begins on Wednesday, March 7, 2007. The
draft National Vegetation Classification Standard, Version 2.0 may be
found at http://www.fgdc.gov/standards/projects/FGDC-standards-projects/physiognomic-levels/Draft_FGDC_Std_November_edits3.pdf.
Reviewers are strongly encouraged to complete the comment form (Word, Excel) using the instructions provided in FGDC Standards Directive #2d, Standards Working Group
Review Guidelines: Review Comment Template. Proposed changes are
needed to ensure that the question /problem is correctly addressed and
adjudicated.
Comments shall be submitted to Julie Maitra of the FGDC Secretariat
(Email: jmaitra@usgs.gov) no later than Friday, June
8, 2007 at 12:00 midnight Eastern Time.
Comments resulting from public review will be adjudicated following the close of the public review on Friday, June 8, 2007. After public review comments have been adjudicated and a revised draft standard based on comment adjudications has been prepared, the revised draft standard and supporting documentation will be submitted for endorsement as an FGDC standard.