| Original Vegetation Cover of Wisconsin: Compiled from U.S. General Land Office Notes | |
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Data format: Shapefile File or table name: WDNR Original Vegetation Coordinate system: Lambert Conformal Conic Theme keywords: Vegetation, Land Cover |
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Abstract:
This data set is a polygon shapefile derived from 1:500,000-scale sources showing the original, pre-settlement vegetation cover in Wisconsin. The original vegetation cover data was digitized from a 1976 map created from land survey notes written in the mid-1800s when Wisconsin was first surveyed. Lakes and other hydrographic areas from the 1:250,000-scale Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) data layer and the 1:100,000-scale state boundary were subsequently merged with the original vegetation cover data set to more closely match the source map. |
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Metadata elements shown with blue text are defined in the Federal Geographic Data Committee's (FGDC) Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (CSDGM). Elements shown with green text are defined in the ESRI Profile of the CSDGM. Elements shown with a green asterisk (*) will be automatically updated by ArcCatalog. ArcCatalog adds hints indicating which FGDC elements are mandatory; these are shown with gray text.
This data set is a polygon shapefile derived from 1:500,000-scale sources showing the original, pre-settlement vegetation cover in Wisconsin. The original vegetation cover data was digitized from a 1976 map created from land survey notes written in the mid-1800s when Wisconsin was first surveyed. Lakes and other hydrographic areas from the 1:250,000-scale Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) data layer and the 1:100,000-scale state boundary were subsequently merged with the original vegetation cover data set to more closely match the source map.
This data set was developed mainly to support analysis of how land cover in Wisconsin has changed since Europeans began settling the region in the mid-1800s.
Because of differences in source scale and resolution, hydrographic areas extracted from 1:250,000-scale Land Use and Land Cover and added to OVGPW95C do not match exactly those depicted on the vegetation cover source map in terms of presence or absence, spatial accuracy, and shoreline geometry. The original vegetation cover type for several areas, including Lake Winnebago and other interior polygons, was not interpreted on the source map. These polygons have been assigned a vegetation cover type code of ‘99’, signifying ‘no data’. Addition of the state boundary, as well as edits to the coverage performed during quality control review, resulted in several new polygons that were also assigned a vegetation cover type code of ‘99’.
ground condition
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The source ARCINFO coverages had polygon topology with no dangling arcs. No errors were reported upon conversion to shapefiles.
All 72 counties of Wisconsin are represented. Islands in Lake Michigan and Lake Superior belonging to Wisconsin counties are also represented.
Linework from Original Vegetation Cover of Wisconsin was digitized by students at the University of Wisconsin - Madison, under the direction of Professor Steve Ventura of the UW - Madison Institute for Environmental Studies and Soil Science. Because the digitized dataset did not identify hydrographic features, this information was added by WDNR DNR from the 1:100,000-scale Land Use/Land Cover data layer. Portions of the Wisconsin state boundary were also added to the digitized dataset using the 1:100,000-scale state boundary coverage. DNR projected the data from the Lambert Conformal Conic Projection to WTM and carried out limited quality control review and edits to assure topological integrity of the data.
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Internal feature number.
ESRI
Feature geometry.
ESRI
Original vegetation cover type code
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
White spruce, balsam fir, tamarack, white cedar, white birch, aspen (Boreal Forest)
WDNR
Beech, hemlock, sugar maple, yellow birch, white pine, red pine (Mixed Conifer - Deciduous Forest)
WDNR
Hemlock, sugar maple, yellow birch, white pine, red pine (Mixed Conifer - Deciduous Forest)
WDNR
Sugar maple, yellow birch, white pine, red pine (Mixed Conifer - Deciduous Forest)
WDNR
White pine, red pine (Mixed conifer - Deciduous Forest)
WDNR
Jack pine, scrub (hill's), oak forest and barrens (Mixed Conifer - Deciduous Forest)
WDNR
Aspen, white birch, pine (Mixed Conifer - Deciduous Forest)
WDNR
Beech, sugar maple, basswood red oak, white oak, black oak (Deciduous Forest)
WDNR
Sugar maple, basswood, red oak, white oak, black oak (Deciduous Forest)
WDNR
Oak - white oak, black oak, bur oak (Deciduous Forest)
WDNR
Oak openings - bur oak, white oak, black oak (Deciduous Forest)
WDNR
Prairie (Grassland and Brush)
WDNR
Brush (Grassland and Brush)
WDNR
Swamp conifers - white cedar, black spruce, tamarack, hemlock (Wetland Vegetation)
WDNR
Lowland hardwoods - willow, soft maple, box elder, ash, elm, cottonwood, river birch (Wetland Vegetation)
WDNR
Marsh and sedge meadow, wet prairie, lowland shrubs (Wetland Vegetation)
WDNR
Area with vegetation cover type not interpreted on the source map (Other)
WDNR
Hydrographic area from the 1:250,000-scale land use and land cover layer (Other)
WDNR
Original vegetation cover type code description
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
P.O. Box 7921
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P.O. Box 7921