California Gap Analysis Project Vertebrate Metadata

I. IDENTIFICATION INFORMATION

Data Set Identity: vert.txt

Citation:

Citation_Information:

Originator: California Gap Analysis

Publication_Date: 19980630

Title: Predicted Distributions for Terrestrial Vertebrates of California

Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: text file

Publication_Information:

Publication_Place: Santa Barbara, California

Publisher: Biogeography Lab, University of California, Santa Barbara

Online_Linkage: http://www.biogeog.ucsb.edu/projects/gap/gap_data.html

Description:

This data set contains ratings of the suitability of habitat for the predicted distributions of 455 native terrestrial vertebrate species in California. The purpose of the vertebrate species maps developed for gap analysis is to provide more precise information about the current distribution of individual native species within their general ranges than is generally available from published range maps. Besides gap analysis, the predicted terrestrial vertebrate species distributions may be used to answer a wide variety of management, planning, and research questions relating to individual species or groups of species. The data are contained in an ASCII text file where the rows are the map units (or polygons) of the CA-GAP land-cover map and the columns represent the 455 terrestrial vertebrate species modeled by GAP. The values in the table are the rating of the habitat quality and extent in each land-cover polygon.

This table can be displayed in map form in ARCVIEW by joining it to the polygon attribute table of the land-cover map, using the polygon-id as the common item. THEREFORE, USERS SHOULD ALSO OBTAIN THE CA-GAP LAND-COVER MAP WITH THIS TABLE.

Supplemental Information: n/a

Data Set Status: in use

West Bounding Coordinate (degrees longitude): -124.5048

East Bounding Coordinate (degrees longitude): -114.2648

North Bounding Coordinate (degrees latitude): 41.9886

South Bounding Coordinate (degrees latitude): 32.4234

Theme Keyword: Vertebrates, species distribution

Browse Graphic File Name: vert.gif

Browse Graphic File Description: Predicted distribution of the Black-headed grosbeak in California.

Browse Graphic File Type: GIF

Use Restrictions:

This data set was produced with an intended application at the state or ecoregion level - geographic areas from several hundred thousand to millions of hectares in size. The data provide a course-filter approach to analyses, meaning that not every occurrence of animal habitat is mapped; only large, generalized distributions are mapped, based on the USGS 1:100,000 mapping scale in both detail and precision. Therefore, this data set can be used appropriately for coarse-scale (> 1:100,000) applications, or to provide context for finer-level maps or applications.

Appropriate uses include: 1. statewide biodiversity planning; 2. regional and large area resource planning; 3. coarse-filter evaluation of potential impacts or benefits of major projects/initiatives on biodiversity - such as utility or transportation corridors, wilderness proposals, open space or recreation proposals; 4. environmental impact assessment for large projects such as military activities; 5. education at all levels for both students and citizens.

Inappropriate uses of this data include: 1. Generating specific measurements from the data finer than the nearest thousand hectares; 2. Establishing exact boundaries for regulation or acquisition; 3. Establishing definite presence or absence of any element; 4. Determining abundance, health, or condition of any element; 5. Establishing a measure of accuracy of any other data by comparison with this data set; 6. Combining this data with any other data finer than 1:100,000-scale for analysis; 7. Use of this data to map small areas (less than thousands of hectares) typically requiring mapping resolution at 1:24,000-scale and using aerial photographs or ground surveys; 8. Altering the data in anyway and redistributing it as a GAP product.

Access Limitations: none

Native Data Set Environment:

ARC/INFO software version 7.0.3 running on IBM RS6000 with AIX 3.2.5

Raster File Format: n/a

Raster File Sensor: n/a

Vector File Format: ARCE7 (ARC/INFO Export format, version 7)

Nonspatial File Format: ASCII text