Table 2. Definitions of land cover categories in the fine-resolution vector data set, and correspondence between the land cover categories in the fine- and coarse-resolution data sets.
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Vector layer category |
Definition of vector layer category |
LandSat raster category |
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Mature native forest |
Deciduous forest at least 40 yr old with 70–100% intact forest canopy
Oak (Quercus spp.)-hickory (Carya spp.) forest predominates
Understory of immature trees, blueberry (Vaccinium spp.), greenbriar (Smilax spp.), and
sassafras (Sassafras albidum). |
Upland deciduous forest and Upland mixed forest |
Thinned native forest |
Mature forest at least 40 yr old with 30–90% of the canopy removed
Has not been subjected to burning, herbicides, or bulldozing
Portions are considered early successional |
Upland deciduous forest |
Early-stage pine plantation |
Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) plantation with seedlings < 0.5 m in height
Ground has been bared by one or more site preparation techniques: burning, herbicides, and/or bulldozing
No other visible plants or only sparse growth of ragweed (Ambrosia spp.) and grasses
Is considered early successional |
Nonvegetated |
Middle-stage pine plantation |
Loblolly pine 0.5–2 m in height
Open canopy
Dense grasses, forbs, and Rubus spp. between pines
Is considered early successional |
Upland coniferous forest |
Mature pine plantation |
Closed canopy of loblolly pine > 2 m in height
Sparse understory of sassafras, maple (Acer spp.), and blueberry |
Upland coniferous forest |
Residential/rural |
Ranges from suburban (e.g., strip malls, housing developments),
through exurban, to rural (i.e., farmhouses scattered in a mixture of pasture and
woodland) |
Urban/developed, Pasture/grassland, and Row crop |
n/a† |
Composed < 1% of the study area and was not included as a land cover |
Forested wetland |
n/a† |
Composed < 1% of the study area and was not included as a land cover |
Nonforested wetland |
Reservoir |
Composed < 1% of the study area and was not included as a land cover |
Open water and Undefined (i.e., satellite image obstructed by
clouds) |
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†Not applicable.
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