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Natural Resources Conservation Service
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Range Survey of the Seward Peninsula Reindeer Ranges, Alaska

Metadata:


Identification_Information:
Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Swanson, David J.
Originator: Schuman, Michelle
Originator: Scorup, Peter C.
Publication_Date: 19850701
Title: Range Survey of the Seward Peninsula Reindeer Ranges, Alaska
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: Map
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Anchorage, Ak.
Publisher: United States Department of Agriculture, NRCS
Description:
Abstract:
In 1976, the Northwest Alaska Native Association (NANA) and the Reindeer Herders Association (RHA) asked the Alaska Soil & Water Conservation District and the United States Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service (SCS) for assistance in developing and applying range management plans for reindeer. In response, the SCS designed and initiated a 15 million acre survey of 19 reindeer grazing permit areas on the Seward Peninsula, Alaska.

Landsat data was initially used to classify and map ecological sites in the northeastern areas of the Seward and Baldwin Peninsulas. Starting in 1979, photo-interpretation of high altitude infrared color photography was used and continued to be used for classifying ecological sites during the 1981, 1982, and 1983 survey seasons. The area previously classified using Landsat was subsequently re-mapped using color infra-red aerial photography in 1983.

Purpose:
This survey was conducted to provide information useful for land resource management, with special emphasis on reindeer range planning and management. Survey objectives were to 1). identify, map and describe "ecological sites", 2). describe plant community characteristics of each ecological site.; 3). quantify plant communities in terms of species composition and annual productivity. and 4). collect other information for resource planning on Seward Peninsula Rangelands.
Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Range_of_Dates/Times:
Beginning_Date: 1976
Ending_Date: 1984
Currentness_Reference: complete
Status:
Progress: Complete
Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: none planned
Spatial_Domain:
Bounding_Coordinates:
West_Bounding_Coordinate: -168.6000
East_Bounding_Coordinate: -158.9966
North_Bounding_Coordinate: 67.0732
South_Bounding_Coordinate: 63.6126
Keywords:
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Theme_Keyword: Range Sites
Theme_Keyword: Vegetation
Theme_Keyword: Ecosystems
Place:
Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Place_Keyword: Alaska
Place_Keyword: Seward Peninsula
Place_Keyword: Nome
Place_Keyword: Kotzebue
Place_Keyword: Teller
Access_Constraints: none
Use_Constraints:
Data should not be interpreted at a resolution greater than the original mapping scale.
Point_of_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization: USDA/NRCS
Contact_Person: Ted Cox
Contact_Position: GIS Coordinator
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical address
Address: 351 W. Parks Hwy.
City: Wasilla
State_or_Province: AK
Postal_Code: 99654
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 907-373-6493
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 907-373-7192
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: ted.cox@ak.usda.gov
Hours_of_Service: 8am - 5pm
Native_Data_Set_Environment: Arc/Info coverages

Data_Quality_Information:
Attribute_Accuracy:
Attribute_Accuracy_Report:
The original source for the map was color-infrared photography. Errors in transferring this linework to a topographic basemap may have occurred. ------------------------------------------------------------------ The following is a list of the original attributes for the map. The list contains three fields: <muid>: <Type Name> <fmuid> <GRASS category value:> <SCS description> <(SCS field mapping code)> 1:Lagoon (4) 2:Ocean (5) 3:Mixed Forest : Floodplain (10) 4:Black Spruce : (11) 5:White Spruce : Upland (12) 6:Spruce-Lichen : Upland (13) 7:Paper Birch : Upland (14) 8:Spruce-Lichen : Palsa (15) 9:Tall Shrub : Floodplain (20) 10:Tall Shrub : Drainageway (21) 11:Tall Shrub : Hillside (22) 12:Mixed Shrub : Tundra (32) 13:Low Shrub : Floodplain (34) 14:Low Shrub : Hillside (35) 15:Shrub Meadow : Mountain (41) 16:Tussock Tundra (42) 17:Alpine Mountain Meadow (43) 18:Shrub-Lichen : Upland (44) 19:Water Sedge-Muskeg : Bog Fen (45) 20:Dunes : Beach (50) 21:Marsh : Tidal (51) 22:Sedge : Wet Meadow (52) 23:Sedge : Drainageway (54) 24:Cottongrass-Water Sedge : (55) 25:Breached Lake Bed : (56) 26:Sedge : Wet Lake Bed (57) 27:Lichen : Tussock Tundra (60) 28:Lichen-Meadow : Mountain (61) 29:Lichen-Sedge : Coastal Tundra (63) 30:Lichen-Sedge Meadow : Upland (64) 31:Lichen-Slope : Upland (65) 32:Lichen Mat : Lowland Tundra (66) 33:Lichen Granitic Slope : Alpine (70) 34:Dryas Limestone Slope : (71) 35:Bald Limestone Slope : (72) 36:Dryas-Lichen : Ridges (74) 37:Lava Bed : (80) 38:Barren : (81) 39:Riverwash : (82) 40:Burned Forest : (90) 41:Burned Tundra : (91) 42:Complex (10-20) 43:Complex (10-21) 44:Complex (10-34) 45:Complex (10-66) 46:Complex (11-12) 47:Complex (11-13) 48:Complex (11-32) 49:Complex (11-44) 50:Complex (11-45) 51:Complex (11-60) 52:Complex (12-13) 53:Complex (12-14) 54:Complex (12-22) 55:Complex (12-32) 56:Complex (12-44) 57:Complex (12-60) 58:Complex (13-11) 59:Complex (13-44) 60:Complex (15-45) 61:Complex (20-34) 62:Complex (20-54) 63:Complex (20-82) 64:Complex (21-13) 65:Complex (21-32) 66:Complex (21-34) 67:Complex (21-35) 68:Complex (21-42) 69:Complex (21-60) 70:Complex (22-12) 71:Complex (22-32) 72:Complex (22-41) 73:Complex (22-42) 74:Complex (22-52) 75:Complex (22-61) 76:Complex (22-65) 77:Complex (32-42) 78:Complex (32-44) 79:Complex (32-52) 80:Complex (32-54) 81:Complex (32-60) 82:Complex (34-42) 83:Complex (34-51) 84:Complex (34-54) 85:Complex (34-55) 86:Complex (34-56) 87:Complex (34-82) 88:Complex (35-12) 89:Complex (35-41) 90:Complex (35-43) 91:Complex (35-52) 92:Complex (35-61) 93:Complex (41-20) 94:Complex (41-32) 95:Complex (41-42) 96:Complex (41-43) 97:Complex (41-52) 98:Complex (41-54) 99:Complex (41-56) 100:Complex (41-61) 101:Complex (41-80) 102:Complex (42-34) 103:Complex (42-43) 104:Complex (42-44) 105:Complex (44-52) 106:Complex (42-54) 107:Complex (42-55) 108:Complex (42-56) 109:Complex (42-57) 110:Complex (42-60) 111:Complex (42-80) 112:Complex (43-21) 113:Complex (43-22) 114:Complex (43-32) 115:Complex (43-35) 116:Complex (43-52) 117:Complex (43-55) 118:Complex (43-71) 119:Complex (44-22) 120:Complex (44-72) 121:Complex (50-52) 122:Complex (51-52) 123:Complex (52-32) 124:Complex (52-34) 125:Complex (52-35) 126:Complex (52-41) 127:Complex (52-43) 128:Complex (52-54) 129:Complex (52-55) 130:Complex (52-56) 131:Complex (52-60) 132:Complex (52-61) 133:Complex (52-72) 134:Complex (55-42) 135:Complex (55-57) 136:Complex (56-55) 137:Complex (56-57) 138:Complex (57-34) 139:Complex (60-20) 140:Complex (60-32) 141:Complex (60-34) 142:Complex (60-42) 143:Complex (60-54) 144:Complex (60-55) 145:Complex (60-56) 146:Complex (60-80) 147:Complex (61-32) 148:Complex (61-43) 149:Complex (61-44) 150:Complex (61-52) 151:Complex (61-64) 152:Complex (61-72) 153:Complex (61-74) 154:Complex (63-43) 155:Complex (63-52) 156:Complex (63-54) 157:Complex (64-43) 158:Complex (66-20) 159:Complex (66-54) 160:Complex (66-55) 161:Complex (70-41) 162:Complex (70-43) 163:Complex (70-61) 164:Complex (71-52) 165:Complex (72-12) 166:Complex (72-22) 167:Complex (80-60) 168:Complex (90-22) 169:Water
Logical_Consistency_Report: -
Completeness_Report: -
Positional_Accuracy:
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy:
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Report:
Maps were compiled to 1:250,000 scale topographic maps that had been enlarged to 1:125000 scale. They may be accurate to about one hundred meters. Users should consult the original source document (the CIR photography) if there are questions about the accuracy of the mapping.
Vertical_Positional_Accuracy:
Vertical_Positional_Accuracy_Report: Not applicable
Lineage:
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
Field Mapping was conducted from 1978-1984. Map types were originally photo-interpreted from 1:60,000 scale CIR photography dated 1978, & 1979. Field sheets were manually recompiled to a 1:250,000 scale topographic base map photographically enlarged to a 1:125,000 scale. Sixty-two 11x17 inch scribed sheets were prepared for the final publication. Photocopies of these scribed sheets were scanned in early 1992. Tics were transferred from a computer-generated grid to the map sheets prior to initiating scanning to ensure accurate registration and joins between sheets. The majority of the sheets were scanned with a Houston Instrument scanner at a resolution of 250 dpi. At the 1:125,000 scale this equates to roughly 60 feet on the ground per pixel.

Scans were processed using the LTPlus digitizing and vectorization software. Some minor adjustments to the original linework occurred during the vectorization and join process. Labeling and linework errors found in the published maps were corrected during the edits after first consulting the original field photography. Lakes and water bodies were processed as a separate map layer and thus are not included with the vegetation layer. Map sheets were electronically joined and double attributed in LTplus to catch labeling errors. Check plots were also used to compare digitized linework against the original source.

Once all sheets were digitized, field mapping attributes were replaced with a sequential grass category code and imported to GRASS. Individual map sheets were then joined to form a seamless coverage for the entire Seward Peninsula. In order to simplify future use of the maps, nearly 60 map types were combined with similar units. Combined map types were all complexes of minor extent or infrequent occurrence (2 polygons or less).

Process_Date: 1992
Process_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Person_Primary:
Contact_Organization: USDA/NRCS
Contact_Person: Ted Cox
Contact_Position: GIS Coordinator
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical address
Address: 351 W. Parks Hwy
City: Wasilla
State_or_Province: AK
Postal_Code: 99654
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: (907) 373-6593
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: (907) 373-7192
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: ted.cox@ak.usda.gov
Hours_of_Service: 8am - 5pm

Spatial_Data_Organization_Information:
Direct_Spatial_Reference_Method: Vector
Point_and_Vector_Object_Information:
SDTS_Terms_Description:
SDTS_Point_and_Vector_Object_Type: GT-polygon composed of chains
Point_and_Vector_Object_Count: 11113

Spatial_Reference_Information:
Horizontal_Coordinate_System_Definition:
Planar:
Map_Projection:
Map_Projection_Name: Albers Conical Equal Area
Albers_Conical_Equal_Area:
Longitude_of_Central_Meridian: -154
Latitude_of_Projection_Origin: 50.000
Standard_Parallel: 55
False_Easting: 0.00000
False_Northing: 0.00000
Planar_Coordinate_Information:
Planar_Coordinate_Encoding_Method: Coordinate pair
Coordinate_Representation:
Abscissa_Resolution: .61
Ordinate_Resolution: .61
Planar_Distance_Units: METERS
Geodetic_Model:
Horizontal_Datum_Name: North American Datum 1927
Ellipsoid_Name: CLARKE1866
Semi-major_Axis: 6378206.4
Denominator_of_Flattening_Ratio: 294.98

Entity_and_Attribute_Information:
Detailed_Description:
Entity_Type:
Entity_Type_Label: veg_site.pat
Entity_Type_Definition: Polygon Attribute Table
Entity_Type_Definition_Source: None
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: MUID
Attribute_Definition: Internal record keeping
Attribute_Definition_Source: User Defined
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Range_Domain:
Range_Domain_Minimum: 1
Range_Domain_Maximum: 169
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: FMUID
Attribute_Definition: Publication Symbol
Attribute_Definition_Source: User Defined
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Unrepresentable_Domain: Character field
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: FMUID_NAME
Attribute_Definition: Name range site
Attribute_Definition_Source: User Defined
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Unrepresentable_Domain: Character field
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: Acres
Attribute_Definition: Acres for each polygon
Attribute_Definition_Source: User Defined
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Range_Domain:
Range_Domain_Minimum: 1
Range_Domain_Maximum: 216487

Distribution_Information:
Distributor:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization: USDA/NRCS
Contact_Person: Ted Cox
Contact_Position: GIS Coordinator
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical address
Address: 351 W. Parks Hwy
City: Wasilla
State_or_Province: AK
Postal_Code: 99654
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 907-373-6493
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 907-373-7192
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: ted.cox@ak.usda.gov
Hours_of_Service: 8am - 5 PM
Resource_Description: Vegetation Maps
Distribution_Liability: Contact NRCS for original data
Standard_Order_Process:
Digital_Form:
Digital_Transfer_Information:
Format_Name: Arc/Info coverages
Digital_Transfer_Option:
Offline_Option:
Offline_Media: CDROM
Recording_Format: ISO 9660
Fees: none

Metadata_Reference_Information:
Metadata_Date: 19990222
Metadata_Review_Date: 19990201
Metadata_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization: USDA/NRCS
Contact_Person: Ted Cox
Contact_Position: GIS Coordinator
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical address
Address: 351 W. Parks Hwy.
City: Wasilla
State_or_Province: Alaska
Postal_Code: 99654
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 907-373-6493
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 907-373-7192
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: ted.cox@ak.usda.gov
Hours_of_Service: 8am-5pm
Metadata_Standard_Name: FGCD CSDGMM
Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001-1998

Generated by mp version 2.3.6 on Mon Feb 22 16:45:42 1999


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