Creating a Detailed Vegetation Map for Pepperwood Preserve, Sonoma County, CA

Vegetation is a primary indicator of ecosystem structure and function. In order to manage a property well managers need an accurate map of the spatial patterns of vegetation to define site-specific vegetation management practices. For scientific purposes, our goal is to determine why certain vegetation species colonize one region and not another. Preliminary models (Cornwell et al. 2012) suggest that climate, soil, and hydrology are key drivers of vegetation distribution. As the climate changes, patterns of vegetation distribution are also likely to change. In order to adaptively manage a conservation land parcel like Pepperwood, we need this data to create hypotheses about how vegetation at Pepperwood may shift in response to environmental drivers.

We developed a high-resolution baseline vegetation map using a combination of eCognition software and ground-truthing methods, specifically the California Native Plant Society's Rapid Assessment Protocol. We classified each map polygon to the alliance level according to A Manual of California Vegetation. We aim to revise this map periodically to accurately measure change in vegetation distribution on the preserve over time.