The History of Vegetation Classification and Mapping in California

• Published in: Terrestrial Vegetation of California p. 1
• Main Author: TODD KEELER-WOLF
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: United States University of California Press 17.06.2007
• Edition: 1
• Subjects: Applied ecology; Biocenosis; Biodiversity and Conservation Biology; Biological sciences; Biology; Botany; Botany & plant sciences; Cartography; Coniferous forests; Conifers; Conservation agriculture; Conservation biology; Dendrology; Earth sciences; Ecology; Ecosystem management; Environmental management; Evergreen trees; Forest ecology; Forest ecosystems; Forest habitats; Forest management; Forest service; Forests; Geodesy; Geographic Information Systems; Geography; Habitat conservation; MCV; National Vegetation Classification; Natural resource management; Physical sciences; Plant communities; Plant Ecology; Plant Sciences and Forestry; Plants; Population ecology; Remote Sensing Lab; Synecology; Trees; Vegetation; vegetation classification; vegetation mapping; vegetation sampling
• ISBN: 0520249550; 9780520249554
• DOI: 10.1525/california/9780520249554.003.0001

Since the completion of the first edition of this book much time and effort has been spent developing more accurate and efficient means of mapping vegetation. At the same time a similar amount of energy has been expended on vegetation classification. Vegetation classification was not directly discussed in the first edition (Colwell 1977). However, in current thinking, the two subjects are intimately related. Both will be discussed herein. The development in the 1980s of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) has revolutionized vegetation mapping. Likewise, the development of the personal computer in the past 20 years has revolutionized the ability to analyze