Metadata for Intertidal Vegetation Inventory 1995, Whatcom County Area,
Washington
(iveg1995.*)
Table of Contents
Identification_Information
Abstract
Purpose
Supplemental Information
Data_Quality_Information
Spatial_Data_Organization_Information
Spatial_Reference_Information
Entity_and_Attribute_Information
Detailed Description
Overview
Distribution_Information
Metadata_Reference_Section
Identification_Information
Citation_Information
Originator: Nearshore Habitat Program, Washington State
Department of Natural Resources, Aquatic Resources Division.
Publication_Date: 19970630
Title: Intertidal Vegetation Inventory 1995, Whatcom
County Area, WA.
Description
Abstract
Data consists of a raster imagery of eight nearshore vegetation
types, classified according to Washington State Department of
Natural Resources' Nearshore Habitat Program's vegetation
mapping procedures. Data set includes information on vegetation
type, location, and areal extent.
Purpose
The data provides resource managers, planners and
decision-makers with information about nearshore vegetation. The
data were collected as part of the Nearshore Habitat Program's
mandate to map the abundance and distribution of nearshore
habitats in the Puget Sound for the Puget Sound Ambient
Monitoring Program.
Supplemental_Information
(1) Washington State is divided into two State Plane zones,
north and south. The data set's coordinate values are reported
in Washington State Plane south. (2) Imagery was acquired during
periods of maximum intertidal exposure (0 mean lower low water
or below in most areas),and times when sun angle would reduce
sun glint. (3) Detailed documentation of methods used to create
this data set can be found in Berry and Ritter (1997).
Revisions: 1.0.0
References_Cited
Berry, H.D. and R.A. Ritter. 1997. Puget Sound Intertidal
Habitat Inventory 1995: Vegetation and Shoreline
Characteristics Classification Methods. Washington State
Department of Natural Resources, Aquatic Resources
Division
Borstad, G. (1996). The Nearshore Habitat Inventory Project
Task 7: Project Summary Memorandum. Unpublished report
prepared by G.A. Borstad Associates Ltd. for Washington
State Department of Natural Resources, Aquatic Resources
Division, Olympia, WA-USA.
Time_Period_of_Content
Range_of_Dates/Times
Beginning_Date: 19950712
Ending_Date: 19950813
Currentness_Reference Publication Date
Status
Progress: complete
Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency
The data set represents nearshore vegetation at a point in time.
Updates to the 1995 vegetation inventory are not planned. New
data sets will be created to reflect vegetation conditions at
different times. Updates to correct errors in the 1995 data set
will be completed as needed.
Spatial_Domain
Bounding_Coordinates
West_Bounding_Coordinate: -122.8093944
East_Bounding_Coordinate: -122.4746972
North_Bounding_Coordinate: 48.9082417
South_Bounding_Coordinate: 48.6404278
Keywords
Theme
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Theme_Keyword: habitat, nearshore vegetation, wetland,
multispectral imagery, intertidal, eelgrass, kelp, algae, salt
marsh, spit/berm vegetation
Place
Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Place_Keyword: Whatcom County, Washington, USA, Puget Sound
Stratum
Stratum_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Stratum_Keyword:
Temporal
Temporal_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Temporal_Keyword: July 1995, August 1995
Access_Constraints: None
Use_Constraints
(1) Other classification systems and regulatory programs may define
and describe nearshore vegetation in a different manner than used
in this inventory. (2) This data set was created for use at
1:12,000 scale or smaller.(3) This information was developed for
regional analysis and planning, not for site-specific applications.
(4) Features reflect nearshore vegetation conditions at a point in
time (July 12, 1995 or August 13, 1995). (5) Do not copy, modify,
or distribute this data set. (6) While efforts have been made to
ensure these data are accurate and reliable, Washington State
Department of Natural Resources, cannot assume liability for any
damages, or misrepresentations, caused by any inaccuracies in the
data. Washington State Department of Natural Resources makes no
warranty, expressed or implied, nor does the fact of distribution
constitute such a warranty.
Point_of_Contact
Contact_Information
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Nearshore Habitat Program, Washington State Department of
Natural Resources, Aquatic Resources Division
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing address
Address: PO Box 47027
City: Olympia
State_or_Province: Washington
Postal_Code: 98504-7027
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: (360) 902-1100
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: (360) 902-1786
Data_Set_Credit
Washington State Department of Natural Resources, Aquatic Resources
Division, Nearshore Habitat Program; Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring
Program.
Security_Information
Security_Classification_System: None
Security_Classification: Unclassified
Security_Handling_Description: None
Native_Data_Set_Environment: Solaris 2.5 UNIX, ERDAS Imagine version
8.2
Data_Quality_Information
Attribute_Accuracy
Attribute_Accuracy_Report:
Classification accuracy assessment by vegetation type was
performed. The reference data set was produced from field
surveys.
Quantitative_Attribute_Accuracy_Assessment
Overall classification accuracy is 72.1 percent.
Attribute_Accuracy_Value:
Attribute_Accuracy_Explanation:
Note: Detailed documentation of classification accuracy
methodology can be found in Berry and Ritter (1997). Accuracy
rates are reported by cover type, User's and Producer's
accuracies are discussed.
Logical_Consistency_Report: Data set was reviewed and determined to
have a valid range of values.
Completeness_Report
Sites that have a total vegetation cover greater than 25 percent
are mapped as a vegetation type. All nearshore vegetation areas
were mapped into one of eight types.
Positional_Accuracy
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Report:
Quantitative_Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Assessment:
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Value: +/-40 feet for most
areas at original resolution.
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Explanation: Root mean
square error calculated by the rectification
transformation.
Vertical_Positional_Accuracy
Vertical_Positional_Accuracy_Report: Not determined.
Lineage:
Source_Information
Source_Citation
Originator: G.A. Borstad Associates Ltd. under contract to
Washington State Department of Natural Resources, Aquatic
Resources Division, Nearshore Habitat Program.
Publication_Date: none
Title: 1995 Compact Airborne Spectographic Imager, Nearshore
Multispectral Imagery, Whatcom County Area
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: remote-sensing image
Source_Scale_Denominator: 0
Type_of_Source_Media: 8 mm magnetic tape
Source_Time_Period_of_Content
Time_Period_Information
Range_of_Dates/Time
Beginning_Date: 19950712
Ending_Date: 19950813
Source_Currentness_Reference: source imagery date
Source_Citation_Abbreviation:
Source_Contribution: Airborne multispectral imagery was the
primary data set for the nearshore vegetation inventory.
Source_Information
Source_Citation
Originator: Sound Aerial Surveys under contract to
Washington State Department of Natural Resources, Aquatic
Resources Division, Nearshore Habitat Program.
Publication_Date: None
Title: 1995 Nearshore Habitat Program Low Tide Color Infrared
Aerial Photography
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: remote-sensing image
Source_Scale_Denominator: 11,000
Type_of_Source_Media: color infrared negative (9" x 9")
Source_Time_Period_of_Content
Time_Period_Information
Range_of_Dates/Time
Beginning_Date: 19950712
Ending_Date: 19950813
Source_Currentness_Reference: source photography date
Source_Citation_Abbreviation:
Source_Contribution: Color infrared aerial photography,
acquired simultaneously with the multispectral imagery, was
an ancillary data set in developing the nearshore vegetation
inventory.
Source_Information
Source_Citation
Originator: Washington State Department of Natural
Resources, Aquatic Resources Division, Nearshore Habitat
Program
Publication_Date: None
Title: 1995 Nearshore Habitat Program Field Surveys
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: ground based
Source_Scale_Denominator:11,000 and 13,000
Type_of_Source_Media: annotation on color infrared contact
print; annotation on imagery plots; differentially corrected,
Global Positioning System-located field sites and related
field forms.
Source_Time_Period_of_Content
Time_Period_Information
Range_of_Dates/Time
Calendar_Date: 1992 and 1995
Source_Currentness_Reference:
Source_Citation_Abbreviation:
Source_Contribution: Aerial photography (map scale ranging
from 1:11,000 to 1:13,000) used as a base to record field
data (spatial and attribute information). Information was
used to guide the nearshore vegetation classification, or as
classification accuracy assessment site.
Process Steps: Multispectral imagery was corrected to surface
radiance by applying an atmosphere correction, corrected for
roll, pitch and yaw and projected into geographic coordinates
using differential GPS to yield square, four meter pixels
(Borstad, 1996). The resulting imagery was warped to fit DNR's
digital orthographic photography and coastline vectors in
Washington State Plane, south zone, North American Datum of
1927. The flight lines were rectified to within +/-3 pixels
(12m) in most parts of the imagery. The rectified flight lines
were mosaicked into five, non-overlapping blocks.
The Nearshore Habitat Program used Imagine 8.2 software (ERDAS,
Inc., Atlanta, GA) running on a Sun workstation (Sun
Microsystems, Inc., Mountain View, CA) to process the rectified,
mosaicked, unsigned 16 bit image data. Classified files were
produced using an iterative, hybrid approach to classification,
combining unsupervised and supervised approaches. The
unsupervised processes use a minimum distance, iterative
clustering algorithm that examines the raster image for
statistically clustered radiance values. The supervised
processing relies on the field data (e.g., GPS sites and
annotated photography) to develop training signature sets.
Note: Detailed documentation of methods used to create the
nearshore vegetation data set can be found in Berry and Ritter
(1997).
Process Steps: Field data (spatial and attribute information)
were annotated on mylar overlaying aerial photography (scale
ranging from 1:11,000-1:13,000), and directly onto imagery plots
(scale 1:12,000). Global Positioning System-located field sites
were differentially corrected, spatial and attribute information
was imported into ARC/INFO.
Spatial_Data_Organization_Information
Direct_Spatial_Reference_Method: Raster
Raster_Object_Information:
Raster_Object_Type: pixel
Row_Count: 7615
Column_Count: 5950
Spatial_Reference_Information
Horizontal_Coordinate_System_Definition
Planar
Grid_Coordinate_System
Grid_Coordinate_System_Name: State Plane Coordinate System
Zone_Number: 5626 (U.S. Geological Survey code)
Planar Coordinate Information:
Planar_Coordinate_Encoding_Method: row, column
Coordinate_Representation:
Abscissa_Resolution: 13.123
Ordinate_Resolution: 13.123
Planar_Distance_Units: FEET
Geodetic Model
Horizontal_Datum_Name: North American Datum of 1927
Ellipsoid_Name: Clarke 1866
Semi-major_Axis: 6,378,206.4
Denominator_of_Flattening: 294.98
Entity_and_Attribute_Information
Detailed_Description
Entity_Type:
Entity_Type_Label: Raster Attributes (iveg1995.img;
iveg1995.bil)
Entity_Type_Definition: The attribute description table
associated with the raster file. Applies to the generic binary
band interleaved by line (.bil) format and the ERDAS .img format
Entity_Type_Definition_Source: ERDAS IMAGINE 8.2
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: CLASS_NAME
Attribute_Definition: class name that correspond to class values
Attribute_Definition_Source: User-defined
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Enumerated_Domain
Enumerated_Domain_Value: alpha
0 = non-vegetated
1 = brown algae
2 = green algae
3 = mixed algae
4 = red algae
5 = eelgrass
6 = kelp
7 = salt marsh
8 = spit / berm vegetation
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition
Brown Algae - Algae belonging to the taxonomic
group Division Phaeophyta. Some common
representatives in Puget Sound include rockweed
(Fucus spp.) and Sargassum muticum.
Kelp - Large brown algae in the taxonomic group
Order Laminariales. Some common representatives
in Puget Sound include floating kelp
(Nereocystis luetkeana) and understory kelp
(Laminaria spp.). Because of its recognized
ecological function and management importance,
kelp is distinguished from other brown algae
when it makes up greater than 75% of the
vegetated cover.
Eelgrass - The vascular plants Zostera marina, and
Zostera japonica. Eelgrass beds are recognized
as critical habitat in the life cycles of many
fishes, invertebrates and birds.
Green Algae - Algae belonging to taxonomic group
Division Chlorophyta. A common representative in
Puget Sound region is sea lettuce (Ulva spp.).
Red Algae - Algae belonging to taxonomic group
Division Rhodophyta. A common representative in
Puget Sound region is nori (Porphyra spp.).
Areas dominated by red algae and large enough to
map at this resolution rarely occur in the
summer in the intertidal zone of Puget Sound.
Mixed Algae - Areas in which red, green, or brown
algae coexist, but no single type occupies more
than 75% of the vegetated cover.
Salt Marsh - Salt-tolerant, emergent wetland plants
such as pickleweed (Salicornia virginica),
saltgrass (Distichlis spicata), and sedge (Carex
lyngbyei). Freshwater marsh areas were not
included in the inventory.
Spit and Berm Communities - Areas dominantly
covered with plants such as dune grass (Elymus
mollis), gumweed (Grindelia integrifolia), and
yarrow (Achillea millefolium), which generally
occur above the highest tides but still receive
salt influence. The substrate is usually sand or
gravel, and drift logs commonly accumulate.
Non-vegetated--areas with less than 25 percent
vegetated cover
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: Nearshore
Habitat Program, Berry and Ritter (1997)
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: PIXEL_VALUE
Attribute_Definition: Numeric value assigned to a pixel
Attribute_Definition_Source: Computed
Attribute_Domain_Values: valid values range from 0 to 8
Enumerated_Domain
Enumerated_Domain_Value: Integer
0 = non-vegetated
1 = brown algae
2 = green algae
3 = mixed algae
4 = red algae
5 = eelgrass
6 = kelp
7 = salt marsh
8 = spit / berm vegetation
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: Nearshore
Habitat Program, Berry and Ritter (1997)
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: HISTOGRAM
Attribute_Definition: Number of pixels for a particular
CLASS_NAME
Attribute_Definition_Source: Computed
Attribute_Domain_Values: HISTOGRAM values vary with frequency of
occurrence for a particular CLASS_NAME.
Enumerated_Domain
Enumerated_Domain_Value: Integer
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source:
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: COLOR
Attribute_Definition: red, green, blue values assigned to a
pixel
Attribute_Definition_Source: User-defined
Attribute_Domain_Values: values range from 0 to 1
Enumerated_Domain
Enumerated_Domain_Value: Real Number
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source:
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: OPACITY
Attribute_Definition: a measure of how opaque (or solid) a color
is
Attribute_Definition_Source:User-defined
Attribute_Domain_Values
Enumerated_Domain
Enumerated_Domain_Value: Real Number
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source:
Entity_Type:
Entity_Type_Label: Tagged Image File Format Attributes
(iveg1995.tif)
Entity_Type_Definition: attribute description
associated with the tagged image file format.
Entity_Type_Definition_Source: ARC/INFO 7.1.1
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: COLOR
Attribute_Definition: color that correspond to a raster value
Attribute_Definition_Source: Assigned
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Enumerated_Domain
Enumerated_Domain_Value: alpha
0 = non-vegetated = black
1 = brown algae = white
2 = green algae = red
3 = mixed algae = green
4 = red algae = blue
5 = eelgrass = cyan
6 = kelp = magenta
7 = salt marsh = yellow
8 = spit / berm vegetation = orange
Overview_Description
Entity_and_Attribute_Overview
This raster layer delineates nearshore vegetation types in the
Whatcom County area. Vegetation types are classified
according to the Nearshore Habitat Program's protocol.
Before classification the uplands and deep water areas were
removed by a spatial mask. The spatial mask was interpreted
from aerial photography, not surveyed. The shallow subtidal
boundary varies with water conditions and multispectral imagery
detection capabilities.
Distribution_Information
Contact_Organization_Primary
Contact_Organization: Nearshore Habitat Program, Washington
State Department of Natural Resources, Aquatic Resources
Division
Contact_Address
Address_Type: mailing address
Address: 1111 Washington St SE, PO Box 47027
City: Olympia
State_or_Province: Washington
Postal_Code: 98504-7027
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: (360) 902-1100
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: (360) 902-1786
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address:
Resource_Description:
This data set is part of the Intertidal Habitat Inventory 1995,
Whatcom County, WA on CD-ROM.
Standard_Order_Process
Digital_Form
Digital_Transfer_Information
Format_Name: .img, .bil,.tif
Format_version_number:.img and .bil (ERDAS 8.2); .tif
(ARC/INFO 7.1.1)
Format_specifications:
.img (iveg1995.img)
file/layer information
number of layers: 1
data type: unsigned 8 bit
bytes per pixel: 1
map information
upper left (center) X: 1444232.312
upper left (center) Y: 1312198.188
lower right (center) X: 1522301.039
lower right (center) Y: 1212279.666
pixel X size: 13.123
pixel Y size: 13.123
unit: feet
projection information
coordinate system: state plane
projection zone: 5626 (U.S. Geological Survey)
datum: North American Datum of 1927
spheroid: Clarke 1866
.bil(generic binary band interleaved by line)
(iveg1995.bil)
file/layer information
number of layers: 1
data type: unsigned 8 bit
bytes per pixel: 1
map information
upper left (center) X: 1444232.312
upper left (center) Y: 1312198.188
lower right (center) X: 1522301.039
lower right (center) Y: 1212279.666
pixel X size: 13.123
pixel Y size: 13.123
unit: feet
projection information
coordinate system: state plane
projection zone: 5626 (U.S. Geological Survey)
datum: North American Datum of 1927
spheroid: Clarke 1866
file structure
file header bytes: 0
line header bytes: 0
image record length: line header bytes + (no. of
columns) x bytes per pixel
Note: the generic binary's associated iveg1995.hdr file
is an ASCII file created when exporting generic binary
data form ERDAS Imagine. The .hdr file contains
information critical to populating the header of the
imported image file.
.tif (iveg1995.tif)
number of layers: 1
data type(bytes per pixel): unsigned 8 bit
bytes per pixel: 1
Note: the tagged image file format's (TIFF) associated
iveg1995.tfw file is an ASCII file produced when
creating a TIFF in ARC/INFO. The .tfw file contains
information critical to populating the header of the
imported file.
Digital_Transfer_Option
Offline_Option
Offline_Media: CD-ROM
Recording_Format: ISO 9660
Compatibility_Information: ISO 9660 format allows the
CD-ROM contents to be accessible to any computer on most
operating systems.
Fees: None
Metadata_Reference_Section
Metadata_Date: 19970630
Metadata_Contact:
Metadata_Standard_Name: FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial
Metadata Metadata_Standard_Version: 19940608
Metadata_Time_Convention: Local Time
Metadata_Security_Information:
Metadata_Security_Classification_System: None
Metadata_Security_Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Metadata_Security_Handling_Description: None
Last modified: 97-06-12