Description: This data layer contains results of the Minnesota Biological Survey (MBS) as well as non-native land cover for MNDNR Parks and Trails (PAT) administered lands. It also contains land cover on all lands within statutory boundaries of MN State Parks, State Recreation Areas and State Waysides regardless of ownership.
MBS data includes polygons representing the highest quality native plant communities remaining in the state. These native plant communities (NPC) are important areas for conservation of plant and animal biodiversity. Native plant communities are groups of native plants that interact with each other and their surrounding environment in ways not greatly altered by modern human activity or by introduced plant or animal species. These groups of native species form recognizable units, such as an oak forest, a prairie, or a marsh, that tend to repeat across the landscape and over time. Native plant communities are generally classified and described by considering vegetation, hydrology, land forms, soils, and natural disturbance regimes. The native plant community types and subtypes in this data layer are classified primarily by vegetation and major habitat features. Classification and inventory of native plant communities is an ongoing effort of the Natural Heritage and Nongame Research Program and the Minnesota Biological Survey. The Minnesota Biological Survey locates higher quality native plant communities using aerial photo interpretation followed by field survey of selected sites. Not all sites that are surveyed get mapped to native plant community; primarily due to: 1) the sites were given a Biodiversity Significance rank of Moderate or Below. These sites remain important for conservation and may include habitat for native plants and animals, corridors for animal movement, buffers surrounding higher quality sites and open space, or represent target areas for restoration. They are typically not mapped to NPC due to workload constraints. 2) land where modern human activities such as farming, overgrazing, wetland drainage, recent logging and residential and commercial development have destroyed or greatly altered the natural vegetation; or 3) the amount of native plant community polygons were below minimal size criteria to be considered a site. Parks and Trail data includes polygons representing land cover type boundaries for MN state parks, state recreation areas, state waysides and some state Trails. Total acreage represented is approximately 280,000 acres within the statutory boundaries of the park units and state trail ROWs. Where available, the Minnesota Biological Survey (MBS) Native Plant Community (NPC) data layer was used and merged with other land cover layers that were digitized to create a complete land cover data set for each individual PAT unit. Cover type polygons are based on a hierarchical classification system modified from the MBS Field Guide to the Native Plant Communities of Minnesota, 2003 Edition. Where natural communities did not exist, land cover was mapped under the broader categories of Developed and Use Areas; Open, Non-Developed; Planted Stands of Trees; Human Exposed Earth; and Open Water. Digitizing was done in ArcView 3.3 and ArcMap 9.x and above using aerial imagery and other layers such as: GPS roads, facilities, campgrounds, or other use areas. This layer is under development and will be added to and updated as the data becomes available.