Sonoma County Vegetation and Habitat Map

Source:

Sonoma County Water Agency, Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District, and Sonoma County Vegetation Mapping and LiDAR Program

Description:

The Sonoma County fine scale vegetation and habitat map is an 83-class vegetation map of Sonoma County with 212,391 polygons. The fine scale vegetation and habitat map represents the state of the landscape in 2013 and adheres to the National Vegetation Classification System (NVC). The map was designed to be used at scales of 1:5,000 and smaller. The fine scale vegetation and habitat map was created using semi-automated methods that include field work, computer-based machine learning, and manual aerial photo interpretation. The vegetation and habitat map was developed by first creating a lifeform map, an 18-class map that served as a foundation for the fine-scale map. The lifeform map was created using “expert systems” rulesets in Trimble Ecognition. These rulesets combine automated image segmentation (stand delineation) with object based image classification techniques. In contrast with machine learning approaches, expert systems rulesets are developed heuristically based on the knowledge of experienced image analysts. Key data sets used in the expert systems rulesets for lifeform included: orthophotography (’11 and ’13), the LiDAR derived Canopy Height Model (CHM), and other LiDAR derived landscape metrics. After it was produced using Ecognition, the preliminary lifeform map product was manually edited by photo interpreters. Manual editing corrected errors where the automated methods produced incorrect results. Edits were made to correct two types of errors: 1) unsatisfactory polygon (stand) delineations and 2) incorrect polygon labels. The mapping team used the lifeform map as the foundation for the finer scale and more floristically detailed Fine Scale Vegetation and Habitat map. For example, a single polygon mapped in the lifeform map as forest might be divided into four polygons in the in the fine scale map including redwood forest, Douglas-fir forest, Oregon white oak forest, and bay forest. The fine scale vegetation and habitat map was developed using a semi-automated approach. The approach combines Ecognition segmentation, extensive field data collection, machine learning, manual editing, and expert review. Ecognition segmentation results in a refinement of the lifeform polygons. Field data collection results in a large number of training polygons labeled with their field-validated map class. Machine learning relies on the field collected data as training data and a stack of GIS datasets as predictor variables. The resulting model is used to create automated fine-scale labels countywide. Machine learning algorithms for this project included both Random Forests and Support Vector Machines (SVMs). Machine learning is followed by extensive manual editing, which is used to 1) edit segment (polygon) labels when they are incorrect and 2) edit segment (polygon) shape when necessary. The map classes in the fine scale vegetation and habitat map generally correspond to the alliance level of the National Vegetation Classification, but some map classes - especially riparian vegetation and herbaceous types - correspond to higher levels of the hierarchy (such as group or macrogroup).

Provenance:

Unknown/Unspecified

Subregion(s):

San Pablo Bay

Topic(s):

land use and land cover, plants, and habitat

Temporal Coverage:

2013

Geometry Type:

Polygon data

File Format:

Feature Class

Citation:

2017. Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District. Sonoma County Vegetation and Habitat Map.

WRMP Primary Indicator:

7 - Percent cover, height, and patch characteristics of dominant vegetation groups.

Operational Landscape Unit(s):

San Pablo Bay - Napa - Sonoma and San Pablo Bay - Petaluma

Keyword(s):

Pacific Veg Map