Vegetation - San Felipe Valley Wildlife Area [ds172]

This Vegetation Map of the San Felipe Valley Wildlife Area in San Diego County, California is based on vegetation samples collected in the field in 2002 and 2005 and on photo interpretation of a 2000 Color Infrared (CIR) Image. The map legend is based on classification of the plots and follows the hierarchical National Vegetation Classification System (USGS-NPS 2005) and Manual of California (Sawyer and Keeler-Wolf 1995). Types are cross-walked to California Wildlife Habitat Relationships (CWHR) and Holland types. No report was produced; this metadata serves to document the entire project. WHAT EACH RECORD REPRESENTS: Each record represents the attributes of the individual polygon in the map layer, including vegetation type, structural information, and disturbance information. The map represents vegetation as it existing prior to the 2002 Pines Fire. Polygons are attributed to the lowest level of the classification hierarchy allowed by the image resolution and comfort level of the photo interpreter. Thus, individual polygons are mapped to the Formation, Alliance or Association level. Several "mapping units" not in the vegetation classification were also used in the mapping classification (=map legend). The hierarchical classification and crosswalk allow mapping at coarser levels or in different systems (e.g., CWHR). If mapping at the Formation level (the "1000s" in the spreadsheet), please consider including the California juniper types 2106, 2171, 2172 and 2173 in the 4000s (Evergreen Shrubland). This juniper is considered a tree in the national classification, but is more shrub-like and its desert affinities make California juniper types fit more logically into the Evergreen Shrubland Formation.