This key is provided for the land cover classes depicted on the map.
In each case, "dominant" is used to describe a species (or groups of species)
that occupy 60% or more of the area. Only those species that may
comprise a significant part of the vegetation are given. The vegetated
landscape of Virginia is extremely complex and diverse, and many other
species may be found in addition to those mentioned below.
Montane Mesic Conifer (code 1)
This class consists of coniferous forests in the Appalachian Mountains
typically found in high elevation, flat areas. Typical dominant trees
are Pinus strobus, Tsuga
Montane Xeric Conifer (code 2)
This class consists of predominantly coniferous forests found on steeper
slopes, dry areas, and in plantations. The dominant species is Pinus
virginiana, other
Red Spruce/Fraser Fir (code 3)
There a few remaining high-elevation spruce/fir forests in Virginia.
They are for the most part restricted to high mountains such as Mt. Rogers
and Beartown Mountain. Picea rubens and Abies fraseri
are found both in pure stands and mixed with each other.
Submontane Yellow Pine (code 4)
This class is dominated by both naturally occurring and planted Pinus
taeda. In some parts of the Piedmont, Pinus virginiana
and Pinus echinata also occur in both
Submontane Oak Dominated (code 5)
This class is dominated by Quercus alba, Quercus rubra,
Quercus velutina, and Quercus falcata. Other oaks present
include Quercus prinus and Quercus
Montane Oak Dominated (code 7)
This class is dominated by Quercus prinus, Quercus alba, Quercus
rubra, and Quercus velutina. On drier sites, Quercus
coccinea and Q. prinus dominate with Q. alba and
Q. rubra becoming more prevalent in concave landforms. Common
canopy associates include Carya spp. (ovata, cordiformis, glabra),
Liriodendron
Dry Oak Dominated (code 8)
This class is dominated by Q. prinus and Q. coccinea and
is found in near pure stands on upper ridge mountain slopes with a Southerly
aspect.
Mixed Central Hardwoods (code 9)
Riparian Forest (code 11)
This class is comprised of forest-water edge. Common species are
Platanus occidentalis, Betula nigra, Salix spp., Populus deltoides
and Liriodendron tulipifera
Tupelo/Red Maple Wet Forests (code 13)
This class is dominated by Nyssa sylvatica (aquatica), Acer rubrum,
and Liquidambar styraciflua. Other associates include
Fraxinus spp.and Platanus occidentalis.
Red Cedar Woodlands (code 18)
Juniperus virginiana is found throughout Virginia where old fields
and livestock pastures have been abandoned and allowed to regenerate.
These stands may be very dense or may contain other canopy trees in small
numbers (commonly Pinus virginiana).
Mixed Herbaceous (code 30)
This type contains a spectral mix of non-forested, herbaceous classes.
It represents old fields, high grass-forb-sedge communities, and agricultural
mix (crop rotation,
Sparse Herbaceous/Row Crop (code 31)
This class is mostly row crops of corn, soybean, tobacco, and cotton.
This class also contains areas with sparse herbaceous vegetation on bare
ground common in
Field (code 36)
This class contains mostly field crops such as wheat and hay.
Some natural field regeneration and low pasture may also be present.
Pasture (code 38)
This class contains low grass/disturbed vegetation with complete or
near-complete coverage. Often animals are actively grazing these
areas.
Open Water (code 40)
Open water of all kinds is represented. This includes large streams,
rivers, ponds, lakes, and off-shore areas of Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic
Ocean.
Non-vegetated (code 50)
This class represents non-vegetated areas such as beaches, quarries,
and mines. It also contains some light development.
High Intensity Disturbed/Urban (code 51,
53)
This class is comprised of high-density urbanization, roads, commercial
areas, and impenetrable surfaces. Mostly associated with cities and
major roadways.
Low Intensity Disturbed/Residential (code
52)
This class results from the mix of residential structures and the managed
lands surrounding them (often including trees, mowed areas, and gardens).
Recent Clearcut (code 56)
Areas which have been recently (typically within 5 years of image acquisition)
disturbed through timber harvests. These areas may contain some young
forest or planted conifer (usually P. taeda), as well as skid trails
and log deck areas. This class is often found with the Submontane
Yellow Pine class.
Wetland (code 60)
Areas that are, for some period of time during the year, affected by
standing water. This class includes open, shrub, and forested wetlands
in salt, brackish, and
Herbaceous Wetland (code 61, 62)
This class depicts areas that contain wetland non-woody vegetation.
Typha spp., Phragmites spp., and Spartina spp. frequently
dominate, depending on localized
Coastal Shrub (code 63)
Areas with shrub cover on coastal areas. Typically species include
Myrica pensylvanica, Myrica cerifera, and Baccharis halimifolia.
Forested Wetland (code 64)
This class represents a variety of deciduous and coniferous forests
that occur on wetlands as indicated by the National Wetlands Inventory
(U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Montane Dry Deciduous Forest Complex (code
111, 113)
This class identifies areas where specific types could not be identified.
This type is found on steep, South-facing slopes and convex areas.
Although this class is variable, it tends to be dominated by Montane Oak
and Dry Montane Oak types with some Mixed Central Hardwood. Acer
saccharum-Fagus grandifolia-Betula
Montane Mesic Deciduous Forest Complex (code
112)
This class contains the same major forest members as does the Montane
Dry Deciduous Forest Complex, except that the Montane Dry Oak type is greatly
Virginia Hardwood Complex (code 210 - 220,
231)
This class represents the upland deciduous forest types found in the
Piedmont and Coastal Plain. These types could not be differentiated
accurately spectrally or through topography. Mixed Central Hardwoods
are frequently observed. In an effort to further differentiate this
class, subclasses based on a Relative Phenological Index
Figure 1.
The RPI classes can be broken down to the following sub-classes:
1. Virginia Southern Coastal Plain Deciduous Forests
3. & 4. Virginia Southeastern Piedmont Deciduous
Forests
5. Virginia Piedmont Deciduous Forests
6.- 10. Virginia High Piedmont-Mountain Deciduous
Forests
This class represents the upland deciduous and coniferous forest types
found in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain. These types could not be
differentiated accurately
Figure 2.
After RPI class 6, coniferous forest occupies less than 10% of the forest
types. The conifers of RPI class 1 are dominated by Pinus taeda
with Pinus virginiana
Figure 3.
These forests are often have predictable distributions if factors such
as hydrology, soils, and topography are considered. In general, the
classes can be broken down to
1. Virginia Southern Coastal Plain Forests
3. & 4. Virginia Southeastern Piedmont Forests
5. Virginia Piedmont Forests
6.- 10. Virginia High Piedmont-Mountain Forests
Mixed-Pixel/Unknown (code 99)
This class is a conglomerate of all pixels which remained "unclassified".
Field analysis shows that these types often coincide with transition areas
between types (e.g., pasture/forest edge) or an odd mix of major types
(e.g., a manicured lawn under a partial forest canopy).
For additonal information contact:
Scott Klopfer
phone: (540) 231-7348
sklopfer@vt.edu
canadensis, and Pinus virginiana. Picea rubens
and Abies fraseri are may be found at the highest altitudes (> 5,000
feet).
associates include Pinus pungens, Pinus strobus,
and Pinus rigida.
mixed and pure stands. Pinus palustris occurs in very
small, isolated patches but was not mapped at this scale.
coccinea in the higher Piedmont with an increasing presence
of Quercus stellata, Quercus palustris and Quercus michauxii
in the Coastal Plain. Other common
canopy associates include Carya spp. (ovata, cordiformis,
glabra), Liriodendron tulipifera, Acer rubrum, and Liquidambar
styraciflua.
tulipifera, and Acer sacchrum in the Southeast and higher
elevations.
This class is extremely variable with no clear dominance at the stand
level. Species composition and dominance is often dictated by micro-conditions
at the site. The
canopy usually contains some Quercus spp. (alba, rubra, velutina,
prinus, stellata, falcata) but is often joined by other species such
as Liriodendron tulipifera,
Carya spp. (ovata, cordiformis, glabra), Acer saccharum,
Acer rubrum, Robinia pseudoacacia, Liquidambar styraciflua,
Nyssa sylvatica, Betula spp.
(alleghaniensis, lenta, nigra), Magnolia spp. (acuminata,
fraseri), and Fagus grandifolia.
depending on the geographic region of Virginia. Other species
are often present.
both row and field).
disturbed grass areas.
fresh water systems.
conditions.
Service). This type is found primarily in the Eastern part of
Virginia. Typical overstory species are likely to be Nyssa spp.
(sylvatica, aquatica), Liquidambar
styraciflua, Acer rubrum, and Pinus taeda. Other
possible species include Populus deltoides, Liriodendron tulipifera,
Betula nigra, and Platanus occidentalis.
alleghaniensis is more abundant in higher elevations.
Some Liriodendron tulipifera may be found in the high Piedmont areas
or on post-disturbance sites.
reduced, with Mixed Central Hardwoods (Liriodendron tulipifera,
Quercus velutina, Quercus rubra, Acer saccharum) replacing it.
This sites are found on the
more concave landforms on slighter slopes and more Northerly aspects.
(RPI) and the East-wide Forest Inventory Analysis (U.S. Forest Service)
data were created. The composition of each phenological zone is given
in Figure 1.
- Mesic and hydric forest
types comprise ~ 45% of the class with Quercus spp. and other hardwoods
comprising ~ 40% of the canopy.
2. Virginia Coastal Plain Deciduous Forests
- Mesic and hydric forest
types begin to wane in overall forest composition. Liquidambar
styraciflua-Liriodendron tulipifera comprises ~ 23% of the
forest while Mixed Central
Hardwood and Quercus dominated types are the major type at ~ 60%.
The Quercus spp. (alba, rubra)-Carya spp. type reaches
its highest relative composition
at 34% of all deciduous forests.
- The hydric forest types
such as Magnolia virginiana-Nyssa sylvatica-Acer rubrum begin to
decline while Quercus spp.-Liriodendron tulipifera increases
in composition.
- In these regions of Virginia,
the abundance of Liquidambar styraciflua-Liriodendron tulipifera
decreases while Quercus prinus begins to increase.
Quercus spp. and
other members of Mixed Central Hardwood begin to comprise the clear majority
of the forests.
- Throughout the higher
elevations of Virginia Quercus spp. (alba, rubra, prinus)
clearly dominate the deciduous forest. Q. prinus continues
to increase in class
composition to the higher
elevations. Riparian species such as Platanus occidentalis
are still found along major perennial streams, and Liriodendron
tulipifera is increasingly
restricted to concave landforms as RPI class increases. The diversity
of overstory hardwoods also increases (note the increase in
percent composition of Mixed
Central Hardwoods) to include Acer saccharum and Fagus grandifolia.
Piedmont/Coastal Plain Forest Complex (code
100 - 106)
spectrally or through topography. In an effort to further differentiate
this class, subclasses based on a Relative Phenological Index (RPI) and
the East-wide Forest
Inventory Analysis (U.S. Forest Service) data were created. The
composition of each phenological zone is given in Figure 2.
increasing as a component as RPI class value increases. Figure
3. shows the forest types for these classes.
Piedmont/Coastal Plain Forests
the following sub-classes:
- Pinus taeda and
P. taeda-Hardwood make up ~ 45% of the class with Quercus spp.
~ 20% and other hardwoods comprising ~ 35% of the canopy.
2. Virginia Coastal Plain Forests
- Pinus taeda types
still comprise over 40% of the overall forest composition. Deciduous
forests are dominated by Mixed Central Hardwood and Quercus
types
at ~ 30%. The
remainder of the forests are dominated by more hydrophilic species (Liquidambar
styraciflua, Nyssa spp., etc.).
- Coniferous and Mixed forests
occupy nearly 50% of the forests. Pinus taeda is still frequent,
but is joined by Pinus virginiana. The hydric forest types
such as Magnolia virginiana-Nyssa
sylvatica-Acer rubrum begin to decline while Quercus spp.-Liriodendron
tulipifera increases in composition.
- In these regions of Virginia,
the abundance of Pinus taeda decreases while Quercus spp.
and other members of Mixed Central Hardwood begin to
comprise the clear majority
of the forests. Pinus virginiana and Pinus taeda still
comprise about 25% of the forests.
- Throughout the higher
elevations of Virginia, Quercus spp. (alba, rubra, prinus)
clearly dominate the forest. Q. prinus continues to increase
in class
composition in the higher
elevations. Riparian species such as Platanus occidentalis
are still found along major perennial streams, and Liriodendron
tulipifera is increasingly
restricted to concave landforms as RPI class increases. The diversity
of overstory hardwoods also increases (note the increase in
percent composition of Mixed
Central Hardwoods) to include Acer saccharum and Fagus grandifolia.
GIS/Remote Sensing Project Coordinator
Fish and Wildlife Information Exchange
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Blacksburg, VA 24061