Land Cover of Idaho

Land Cover of Idaho

Frequently-asked questions:

What does this data set describe?

Title:
Land Cover of Idaho

Abstract: 
The Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit's Landscape Dynamics Lab compiled the Idaho Land Cover Classification from Redmond et al.'s (1996) Current Vegetation Map of Northern Idaho and Western Montana and Homer's (1998) Idaho/Western Wyoming Landcover Classification. Both sources used primarily 1992 and 1993 satellite imagery aquired during the growing season (June-Sept). However, to get a cloud-free coverage, some images from 1991 and 1995 had to be used. These classifications were crosswalked and merged to produce a unified land cover map for Idaho. This final coverage is stored as an ARC/INFO grid with 82 land cover classes, a 0.09ha (30m) cell size and a 2ha minimum mapping unit for upland cover types. Please refer to the final Idaho Gap Analysis Report for more information.

Supplemental information: 
none

  1. How should this data set be cited?

    Landscape Dynamics Lab, 19990210, Land Cover of Idaho: Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Moscow, ID.

    Online links:
  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?

    Bounding coordinates:
    West: -117.8213021
    East: -110.59569566
    North: 49.13585278
    South: 41.69658246

  3. What does it look like?

    Thumbnail image:

  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?

    Beginning date: 19910601
    Ending date: 19950930
    Currentness reference: 
    Current as of date of satellite image acquisition.

  5. What is the general form of this data set?

    Geospatial data presentation form: raster digital data

  6. How does the data set represent geographic features?

    1. How are geographic features stored in the data set?

      This is a Raster data set. It contains the following raster data types:
      • Dimensions 27554 x 17570, type Grid Cell

    2. What coordinate system is used to represent geographic features?

      The map projection used is Transverse Mercator.

      Projection parameters:
      Transverse Mercator
      Scale factor at central meridian: 0.99960000
      Longitude of central meridian: -114
      Latitude of projection origin: 42
      False easting: 500000.00000
      False northing: 100000.00000

      Planar coordinates are encoded using coordinate pair.
      Abscissae (x-coordinates) are specified to the nearest 30.0.
      Ordinates (y-coordinates) are specified to the nearest 30.0.
      Planar coordinates are specified in meters.

      The horizontal datum used is North American Datum of 1927.
      The ellipsoid used is Clarke 1866.
      The semi-major axis of the ellipsoid used is 6378137.000000.
      The flattening of the ellipsoid used is 1/298.257222.

  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?

    Entity and attribute overview: 
    IDSTWRD.PAT:

COLUMN   ITEM NAME        WIDTH OUTPUT  TYPE N.DEC  ALTERNATE NAME
    1  AREA                   4    12     F      3
    5  PERIMETER              4    12     F      3
    9  IDSTWRD#               4     5     B      -
   13  IDSTWRD-ID             4     5     B      -
   17  MACODE                20    20     C      -
   37  MANAME                70    70     C      -
  107  OWNERCODE              9     9     C      -
  116  OWNERNAME             40    40     C      -
  156  GAP2OWN                9     9     C      -
  165  MATYPE                 9     9     C      -
  174  MADESCRIPT            40    40     C      -
  214  SITECODE              70    70     C      -
  284  EQUICODE              13    13     C      -
  297  PROTSTAT               1     1     I      -
  298  GAPCODE                6     6     I      -
  304  SOURCE                50    50     C      -

IDSTWRD.LABEL:

COLUMN   ITEM NAME        WIDTH OUTPUT  TYPE N.DEC  ALTERNATE NAME
    1  CASE#                  4     5     B      -
    5  FREQUENCY              4     5     B      -
    9  IDSTWRD-ID             4     5     B      -
   13  MANAME                70    70     C      -


SOURCE.LUT:

COLUMN   ITEM NAME        WIDTH OUTPUT  TYPE N.DEC  ALTERNATE NAME
    1  IDSTWRD_               8     9     F      0
    9  IDSTWRD_ID             8     9     F      0
   17  MACODE                20    20     C      -
   37  MANAME                70    70     C      -
  107  OWNERCODE              9     9     C      -
  116  OWNERNAME             40    40     C      -
  156  MATYPE                 9     9     C      -
  165  MADESCRIPT            40    40     C      -
  205  PROTSTAT               4     1     B      -
  209  GAPCODE                4     6     B      -
  213  SOURCE                50    50     C      -


 Item descriptions for .pat items beyond -ID:
 MACODE: M.USIDHP number (CDC data field)
 MANAME: Descriptive title (CDC data field)
 OWNERCODE: Alpha abbreviation of owner (CDC data field)
 OWNERNAME: Descriptive ownership string (e.g. Forest Service)
 GAP2OWN: Alpha abbreviation of owner
 MATYPE: Alpha abbreviation of managed area type (CDC data field)
 MADESCRIPT: Descriptive management string (e.g. FS Research Natural Area)
 SITECODE: Abbreviation of code for ecological unit (CDC data field)
 EQUICODE: Abbreviation code (CDC data field)
 PROTSTAT: Protection Status 1-4 (GAP standard data field)
 GAPCODE: Managed area type (GAP standard data field)
 SOURCE: Source of information for Status 1 and 2 lands

    Entity and attribute detail citation: 
    none
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Who produced the data set?

  1. Who are the originators of the data set? (may include formal authors, digital compilers, and editors)

    • Landscape Dynamics Lab

  2. Who also contributed to the data set?

    This data set is a compilation of land cover classifications by: Redmond, R.L. et al. 1996. Mapping existing vegetation and land cover across western Montana and northern Idaho. The Wildlife Spatial Analysis Lab, University of Montana. Final Report Contract Number 53-0343-4-000012. Homer, C.G. 1998. Idaho and western Wyoming land cover classification report and metadata. Remote Sensing / GIS Laboratories, Department of Geography and Earth Resources, Utah State University. Contract Number 1422-D910-A3-0210.

  3. To whom should users address questions about the data?

    Lab Manager
    Landscape Dynamics Lab
    GIS Analyst
    Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
    Moscow, ID 83844-4412

    208-885-3774 (voice)
    208-885-9080 (FAX)
    leonab@uidaho.edu
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Why was the data set created?

These data were developed for the Idaho Gap Analysis Project. They comply to minimum standards of the Gap Analysis Program of the Biological Resources Division, US Geological Survey as of January 1, 1999. These data are intended to aid in state level assessment of natural resources and are not intended for use at a scale greater than 1:100,000.

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How was the data set created?

  1. Where did the data come from?

    none (source 1 of 2)

    Redmond et al., Wildlife Spatial Analysis Lab, 19960612, Vegetation Map of Northern Idaho and Western Montana: Montana Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Missoula, MT.

    Type of source media: Landsat Thematic Mapper Image
    Source scale denominator: 24000
    Source contribution: 
    Idaho north of the Salmon River

    none (source 2 of 2)

    Homer, C.G., Remote Sensing/GIS Laboratories, 19981030, Idaho/Western Wyoming Landcover Classification: Utah State University, Logan, UT.

    Type of source media: Landsat Thematic Mapper Image
    Source scale denominator: 24000
    Source contribution: 
    Idaho south of the Salmon River

  2. What changes have been made?

    Date: 19981001 (change 1 of 10) 
    Clipped out the north Idaho portion from Redmond et al.'s Northern Idaho and Western Montana grid using the CLIPPER.AML provided by the Wildlife Spatial Analysis Lab, Missoula, MT.

    Date: 19981001 (change 2 of 10) 
    MERGEd riparian grid of northern Idaho with upland grid to make a single land cover grid for northern Idaho

    Date: 19981001 (change 3 of 10) 
    Projected the northern Idaho portion from albers into Idaho Transverse Mercator using PROJECT GRID, maintaining 30m cell size

    Date: 19981001 (change 4 of 10) 
    RECLASSed the values of the northern Idaho land cover grid to match the Idaho Land Cover Classification values.

    Person responsible for change:
    Bruce Godfrey
    Idaho Geospatial Data Clearinghouse
    GIS Specialist
    Box 442350
    Moscow , ID 83844-2350

    208.885.6463 (voice)
    bgodfrey@uidaho.edu

    Date: 19981001 (change 5 of 10) 
    Clipped out southern Idaho from Homer's Idaho/Western Wyoming Landcover Classification using a SELECTMASK function in GRID with the Idaho state boundary as a 30m resolution mask grid.

    Date: 19981001 (change 6 of 10) 
    Reprojected the southern Idaho portion from UTM, Zone 12, Datum NAD83 into Idaho Transverse Mercator, Datum NAD27. Used the NADCON datum conversion program within ARC PROJECT. Maintained 30m cell size.

    Date: 19981001 (change 7 of 10) 
    RECLASSed the values of southern Idaho to match the Idaho Land Cover Classification values.

    Date: 19981001 (change 8 of 10) 
    MERGEd the north and south Idaho landcover grids, assigning dominance to the south Idaho grid.

    Date: 19981001 (change 9 of 10) 
    First draft of metadata created by Jason Karl using FGDCMETA.AML ver. 1.2 05/14/98 on ARC/INFO data set /projects/gap2/covs/idveg

    Date: 20060616 (change 10 of 10) 
    Downloaded dataset from GAP Analysis website and created XML metadata file.

    Person responsible for change:
    Bruce Godfrey
    Idaho Geospatial Data Clearinghouse
    GIS Specialist
    Box 442350
    Moscow, ID 83844-2350

    208.885.6463 (voice)
    bgodfrey@uidaho.edu

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How reliable are the data; what problems remain in the data set?

  1. How well have the observations been checked?

    Accuracy is estimated at 67.27% (range 53.89% to 93.39%) for northern Idaho based on a scene by scene fuzzy set analysis. For southern Idaho, accuracy is estimated at 69.3% (range 63.6% to 79.3%) based on total percent correct over 9 regions.

  2. How accurate are the geographic locations?

    Unknown

  3. How accurate are the heights or depths?

  4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?

    All cells within Idaho boundary have an attributed cover type.

  5. How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?

    Not applicable for raster data.

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How can someone get a copy of the data set?

Are there legal restrictions on access or use of the data?

Access constraints: None
Use constraints: 
These data are not to be used at scales greater than 1:100,000.

Distributor 1 of 2 <Next>

  1. Who distributes the data set?

    Leona Svancara
    Landscape Dynamics Lab
    Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
    Moscow, ID 83844-1141

    208-885-3774 (voice)
    leonab@uidaho.edu

  2. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set?

  3. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?

    Not to be used at scales greater than 1:100,000. Not to be used for navigational purposes. The Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit makes no guarantee as to the positional or attribute accuracy of this product.

  4. How can I download or order the data?

  5. Is there some other way to get the data?

  6. What hardware or software do I need in order to use the data set?


Distributor 2 of 2 <Back>

  1. Who distributes the data set?

    Bruce Godfrey
    Idaho Geospatial Data Clearinghouse
    GIS Specialist
    Box 442350
    Moscow, ID 83844-2350

    208.885.6463 (voice)
    bgodfrey@uidaho.edu

  2. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set?

  3. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?

    Although these data have been processed successfully on a computer system at the Idaho Geospatial Data Clearinghouse, no warranty, expressed or implied, is made regarding the utility of the data on any other system, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty.

  4. How can I download or order the data?

  5. Is there some other way to get the data?

  6. What hardware or software do I need in order to use the data set?

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Who wrote the metadata?

Dates:
Last modified: 20010701
Last reviewed: 20011201

Metadata author:
Leona Svancara
Landscape Dynamics Lab
Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
Moscow, Idaho 83844-1141

208-885-3774 (voice)
leonab@uidaho.edu

Metadata standard:
Content Standard for National Biological Information Infrastructure Metadata(FGDC-STD-001-1998)

Metadata extensions used:
  • http://www.esri.com/metadata/esriprof80.html

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