Under contract to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), Aerial Information Systems (AIS) created a fine-scale vegetation map of portions of the Southern Sierra Nevada Foothills in central California. AIS subcontracted the California Native Plant Society (CNPS) to conduct field reconnaissance assistance for this project, as well as accuracy assessment (AA) field data collection; and Soar Environmental Consulting to assist in the AA field data collection. CDFW’s Vegetation Classification and Mapping Program (VegCAMP) provided in-kind service to allocate and score the AA.

The mapping study area, consists of approximately 1,824,939 acres, of Mariposa, Madera, Tulare, Kern, and Los Angeles counties. Work was performed on the project between 2019 and 2022. The primary purpose of the project was to further CDFW’s goal of developing fine-scale digital vegetation maps as part of the California Biodiversity Initiative Roadmap of 2018.

CNPS under separate contract and in collaboration with CDFW VegCAMP developed the floristic vegetation classification used for the project. The floristic classification follows protocols compliant with the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) and National Vegetation Classification Standards (NVCS).

The vegetation map was produced applying heads-up digitizing techniques using a 2018 base of one-meter National Agricultural Imagery Program (NAIP) imagery (true-color and color infrared), in conjunction with ancillary data and imagery sources. Map polygons are assessed for Vegetation Type, Percent Cover, Exotics, Development Disturbance, and other attributes. The minimum mapping unit (MMU) is 2 acres; exceptions are made for wetlands and riparian types, which were mapped to a 1-acre MMU.

Field reconnaissance and accuracy assessment enhanced map quality. There was a total of 111 mapping classes. The overall Fuzzy Accuracy Assessment rating for the final vegetation map,at the Alliance and Group levels, is 89.5 percent.