V - Z
VMP
The USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping Program (VMP) is a cooperative effort by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Park Service (NPS) to classify, describe, and map vegetation communities in more than 250 national park units across the United States. The VMP is a high priority element within the NPS Inventory & Monitoring (I&M) Program. The purpose of the I&M Program is to provide NPS natural resource managers with reliable scientific information for stewardship of NPS lands. The VMP uses the U.S. National Vegetation Classification, which is a hierarchical system that organizes natural vegetation. NatureServe and their Natural Heritage Network provide ecological support to the VMP with vegetation sampling, analysis, and classification development. Information provided by http://biology.usgs.gov/npsveg/