Metadata - Block Island Vegetation / Land Use Assessment for 1939, 1972, 1992, and 1999.


BASIC INFORMATION

Available Formats:	ESRI Shapefile, zipped (bicover.zip)
			ESRI Arc/INFO coverage archive (bicover.e00)

Base URL:	http://envstudies.brown.edu/thesis/2003/matthew_vadeboncoeur/data.htm

Postal Contact:	Matthew Vadeboncoeur
		Center for Environmental Studies
		Box 1943, Brown University
		Providence, RI  02912-1943

Email Contact:	envstudies@brown.edu

Projecton:	RI State Plane, Feet

Datum:		NAD83

Version Date:	02-October-2003
		These files have not been updated since first made available for download
		on 02 October 2003.

Terms of Use:	This data is free for public use, but may not be redistributed without
		prior permission from the author.  Useful modifications and improvements
		to the data will be posted on this web site if submitted to the author.
		The data should be cited as follows:

		Vadeboncoeur, M. 2003. Using GIS to Prioritize Land for Management in the
		Conservation of a Rare Species. Senior Honors Thesis, Brown University,
		Providence, RI.
		http://envstudies.brown.edu/thesis/2003/matthew_vadeboncoeur/



OVERVIEW

This data set was created as part of a project intended to prioritize land on Block
Island for the conservation of Liatris scariosa var. novae-angliae, a rare perennial
plant species found on the Island's sandplain grassland habitat.  This data set covers
the entire island, which is divided into land use units, each of which is classified
for each study year (1939, 1972, 1992, and 1999).



METHODOLOGY

Panchromatic aerial photographs of Block Island from 1939 and 1972 were downloaded
from RIGIS in .sid format.  The 1992 infrared photograph was downloaded from RIGIS
in .tif format.  The 1999 panchromatic aerial photograph series was obtained from the
RI DEM Wetlands Divison in hard copy and scanned at 300 pixels/inch.

All photographic series were georeferenced to the 1997 RIGIS/RIDOT panchromatic aerial
photograph series using Blue Marble Geographic Transformer, using control points such
as houses and road intersections.  These photographic series were used to divide the
island into 1478 land use polygons, including inland bodies of water.  Land use wihtin
each polygon was characterized for each of the four photographs.



ATTRIBUTES

Area:		Area of each polygon, in square feet.

Preimeter:	Perimeter of each polygon, in square feet.

BICOVER_
BICOVER_ID	These are all index fields.  Each polygon is assigned a number
and POLY_ID:	that is unique in each field

Class39:	Land Cover Classification in 1939

Class72:	Land Cover Classification in 1972

Class92:	Land Cover Classification in 1992

Class99:	Land Cover Classification in 1999



LAND COVER CODES

Code	Name				Description

B	Beaches				open, sandy beaches

B1	Bare				irregular areas of bare soil, gravel pits,
					excavation

C	Conifers			almost entirely woody plants, >50% conifers

CEM	Cemetery			cemeteries (maintained)

CR	Conifers / Residential		primarily vegetated, >50% conifers, with at least
					one structure

D	Dunes				patchy scrub communities adjacent to beaches, some
					with structures

O 	Open				open field with no shrubs.  usually mowed, may
					include pasture

OC	Open / Conifers			open field with some invading conifers

OR	Open / Residential		open field with no or very few shrubs/conifers,
					at least one structure

OS1	Open / few Shrubs		open field with some invading shrubs and/or
					conifers. (<30%)

OS2	Open / many Shrubs		partially open field with many invading shrubs
					and/or conifers (<70%)

OSR	Open / Shrubs / Residential	open field with few or many shrubs, at least one
					structure

P	Plowed				open field, at least partially plowed

PR	Plowed / Residential		open field, at least partially plowed, at least
					one structure

R	Dense Residential		many structures with little room between, may
					be open or shrubby

S	Shrubs				almost entirely woody plants, <50% conifers

SR	Shrubs / Residential		almost entirely woody plants, <50% conifers,
					with at least one structure

ST	Shrubs / Trails			almost entirely woody plants, with distinct,
					maintained trails throughout

W	Open water			open water

W1	Wetlands			may be open or have woody plants, persistent
					and often adjacent to open water

X	Pavement			parking lots, runways, docks