Transcript Examples of Controlled Vocabularies

Controlled Vocabularies (CVs)
Development
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Why do we need CVs?
Select CV domains needed
Identify applicable CVs to evaluate
Evaluate content of CVs
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Scientific Appropriateness
Size
Presence of glossaries, thesauri
Hierarchies, structure
• Integrate CVs into portal (coding)
Scientific Appropriateness of CVs
• What is the quality of the data source?
• Does the CV contain adequate
documentation?
• To what audience is the CV directed?
• What is the level of scientific detail?
• What is the status of data
review?
Evaluation of Vegetation CVs
7 Vegetation
CVs Evaluated
National Plants
Database (taxonomy)
National Vegetation
Classification Standard –
Definitions (glossary)
Combination of 3
CVs Recommended
Pacific Northwest Ecoclass
Codes for Seral and Potential
Natural Communities (codes
and cross-references)
Vegetation Taxonomic Hierarchy
Kingdom: Plantae
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta
Division: Coniferophyta
Class: Pinopsida
Order: Pinales
Family: Pinaceae
Species:
Photo credit: Charles Webber,
California Academy of Sciences
Genus: Pseudotsuga
Pseudotsuga menziesii
(Douglas Fir)
Source: National Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database; http://plants.usda.gov/plants/
Vegetation Glossary
Assemblages - Vegetative communities that assemble themselves based on
specific site conditions, etc…
Canopy Cover - The proportion of ground that is occupied by the perpendicular
projection down on to it of the aerial parts of the vegetation...
Deciduous Vegetation - Associations in which deciduous woody plants
generally contribute  75% to total dominant plant cover.
Evergreen Cover - Vegetation classes where  75% of the vegetation
consists of trees or shrubs having leaves all year.
Needle-leaved - A plant with slender, elongated leaves; e.g., pine and fir trees.
Source: Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) National Vegetation Classification Standard
Ecoclass Codes for Seral and
Potential Natural Communities
• Ecoclass codes
– Inventory/mapping codes to identify surface resources
according to potential to grow vegetation
• Potential Natural Community (PNC) Codes
– Series, subseries, plant association
• Seral Status
– Current plant association condition or successional stage
• Vegetation Structure
– Size, canopy, evenness
• Plant Associations
– ID by dominant or indicator species
Source: USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station: Pacific Northwest Ecoclass Codes for Seral and
Potential Natural Communities
Ecoclass Codes for Seral and
Potential Natural Communities
Examples of cross-references to other
classification schemes:
PNC
Codes
USDA Forest
Service Standard
Range Types
Society for Range
Management
Cover Types
Society of
American Foresters
Cover Types
Wildlife Habitat
Cross-Reference
Küchler Potential
Natural Vegetation
Types
Source: USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station: Pacific Northwest Ecoclass
Codes for Seral and Potential Natural Communities
Next Steps for CVs
• Refine evaluation method for scientific
appropriateness into publishable product
• Locate additional CVs for identified domains
• Evaluate new CVs
• Continue coding CVs for
integration into portal