Data Products ›› LANDFIRE National Product Descriptions

Existing Vegetation Type

The Existing Vegetation Type (EVT) layer represents the vegetation currently present at a given site. LANDFIRE vegetation map units are derived from NatureServe’s Ecological Systems classification, which is a nationally consistent set of mid-scale ecological units (Comer and others 2003). Existing vegetation is mapped through a predictive modeling approach using a combination of field reference information, Landsat imagery, and spatially explicit biophysical gradient data. Field data keyed to dominant vegetation type at the plot level were used as "training data" to drive the modeling process. Attribute information is provided that links the LANDFIRE EVT map units to existing classifications such as the National Vegetation Classification System and those of the Society of American Foresters and Society of Range Management.

Link to Ecological Systems descriptions for LANDFIRE vegetation map product legends.

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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.