Data Products ›› LANDFIRE Vegetation Product Descriptions

Environmental Site Potential

The LANDFIRE Environmental Site Potential (ESP) layer represents the vegetation that could be supported at a given site based on the biophysical environment. ESP is used in LANDFIRE to inform the existing vegetation and fuel mapping processes. Map units are based on NatureServe's Ecological Systems classification, which is a nationally consistent set of mid-scale ecological units (Comer and others 2003). LANDFIRE's use of these classification units to describe environmental site potential differs from their intended use as units of existing vegetation. As used in LANDFIRE, map unit names represent the natural plant communities that would become established at late or climax stages of successional development in the absence of disturbance. They reflect the current climate and physical environment, as well as the competitive potential of native plant species. The LANDFIRE ESP concept is similar to that used in classifications of potential vegetation, including habitat types (Daubenmire 1968; Pfister and others 1977) and plant associations (Henderson and others 1989).

LF_1.1.0 (Refresh 2008) – Improvements found in LF_1.1.0 include resolving inconsistencies along the international borders and adjusting the extent of barren and water land cover types.

LF_1.0.5 (Refresh 2001) – Improvements found in LF_1.0.5 include resolving inconsistencies along the international borders and adjusting the extent of barren and water land cover types.

LF_1.0.0 (National) – The ESP layer was generated using a predictive modeling approach that relates spatially explicit layers representing biophysical gradients and topography to field training sites assigned to ESP map units. It is important to note that ESP is an abstract concept and represents neither current nor historical vegetation.

Please refer to the instructions on how to link to Ecological Systems descriptions to LANDFIRE vegetation map product legends.

Metadata:
LF_1.1.0 (Refresh 2008)
LF_1.0.5 (Refresh 2001)
LF_1.0.0 (National)
LF_1.0.0 (National) Alaska



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Comer, P., D. Faber-Langendoen, R. Evans, S. Gawler, C. Josse, G. Kittel, S. Menard, M. Pyne, M. Reid, K. Schulz, K. Snow, and J. Teague. 2003. Ecological Systems of the United States: A Working Classification of U.S. Terrestrial Systems. NatureServe, Arlington, VA. 75 p.

Daubenmire, R. 1968. Plant Communities: A Textbook of Plant Synecology. Harper and Row Publ., New York. 300 p.

Henderson, J. A., D. H. Peter, R. D. Lesher, and D. C. Shaw. 1989. Forested Plant Associations of the Olympic National Forest. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region. R6-ECOL-TP 001-88. 502 p.

Pfister, R. D., B. L. Kovalchik, S. F. Arno and R. C. Presby. 1977. Forest Habitat-types of Montana. USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Ogden, Utah. GTR-INT-34. 174 p.