Land Cover / Use Classes of Virginia

The Fish and Wildlife Information Exchange, in coordination with cooperators throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, is in the process of developing a land cover classification scheme for use in the Virginia Gap Analysis vegetation mapping project. The VA-GAP project is supported by the Biological Resources Division (BRD) of the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF). The National Gap Program headed by the BRD is implementing a classification scheme based on the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) (1973), as modified by Driscoll et al.(1984) and also derived from Anderson et al. (1976). This classification is relatively simple and intuitive and addresses natural terrestrial vegetation and developed land cover. It is hierarchical in nature and related to floristic composition and physiognomy.

Land Cover Classification Scheme

The UNESCO/Driscoll scheme has been adopted relatively unchanged by BRD, from the most general Class Level (Level I) to the more specific Formation Level (Level IV). The scheme is modified at the next, more specific level to represent actual rather than potential vegetation communities. Called the Alliance Level, Level V has been developed by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and state Heritage Programs for many states. It is a complex and detailed derivation of vegetation communities specific to each state. Unfortunately, this list has not been completed for Virginia to date.

Modifications of the National GAP Scheme

VDGIF is developing vertebrate-habitat association models. The vertebrate species distribution information collected by VDGIF is classified by SAF forest cover types. Therefore, VA-GAP is using the UNESCO/Driscoll classification scheme down to the Formation level (Level IV), and the SAF cover types will be substituted for the TNC's Alliance level until the Alliance list for Virginia is available. At that time, a crosswalk between Alliance and SAF cover type will be developed.

VA-GAP has also determined that it is necessary to have a Super-Type category between Levels IV and VI. This will allow a smooth transition from Formation to Cover Type/Alliance and will also allow for a clean aggregation of the Cover Types to a higher level with minimal loss of information. The intent of the Virginia Gap Analysis Project is to map the vegetation of the Commonwealth down to the Cover Type/Alliance (Level VI) with aggregations to higher levels where appropriate to fulfill the goals and objectives of this project.

The Cover Types listed on the following pages were obtained from the publication Forest Cover Types of the United States and Canada (Society of American Foresters 1980). These types were selected as most likely to occur within Virginia by scientists at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. These were also confirmed by lists of forest cover types used by VDGIF.

In the VA-GAP classification scheme, numbers to the right of the land cover category indicate modeling codes. These modeling codes were used in the map of land cover distribution. Numbers in [brackets] indicate modeling codes from the Level I land cover map. Some SAF types are included because they occur in Virginia but may not be distinguishable from other SAF types within that super-type. Since the forests of Virginia have never been mapped using one classification system, the list we have compiled is subject to change and will be updated periodically.

Anderson LevelNameExample Land Cover designation
I CLASS I. FOREST
II SUBCLASS I.A. EVERGREEN FOREST
III GROUP I.A.9. Temperate And Sub-Polar
Needle-Leaved Forest
IV FORMATION I.A.9.b. Evergreen, needle-leaved
forest with rounded crowns
V SUPER-TYPE I.A.9.b.i. White Pine forest
VI COVER TYPE I.A.9.b.i.21 (White Pine SAF type 21)

I. FOREST  [10]

I.A. EVERGREEN FOREST (>60% CONIFER) [12]

I.A.9. Temperate And Sub-Polar Needle-Leaved Forest

    I.A.9.b. Evergreen, needle-leaved forest with rounded crowns

          I.A.9.b.i. White Pine forest
          I.A.9.b.i.21 Eastern White Pine 108
          I.A.9.b.i.22 White Pine, Hemlock 109

         I.A.9.b.ii. Yellow Pine forest 106
          I.A.9.b.ii.01 Table Mountain Pine 106
          I.A.9.b.ii.79 Virginia Pine 105
          I.A.9.b.ii.45 Pitch Pine 107
          I.A.9.b.ii.81 Loblolly Pine 111
          I.A.9.b.ii.00 Other Yellow Pines 112
          I.A.9.b.ii.70 Longleaf Pine 113
          I.A.9.b.ii.75 Shortleaf Pine 114
          I.A.9.b.ii.98 Pond Pine 115
          I.A.9.b.iii.00 White Pine/Yellow Pine 117

    I.A.9.c. Evergreen, needle-leaved forest with conical crown

          I.A.9.c.i.32 Red Spruce 102
          I.A.9.c.i.34 Red Spruce, Fraser Fir 101
          I.A.9.c.i.23 Eastern Hemlock 104

    I.A.9.d. Evergreen, scale-leaved forest with conical crown

          I.A.9.d.i.97 Atlantic White Cedar 116
          I.A.9.d.ii.46 Eastern Red Cedar 110
          I.A.9.e.i.00 Red Cedar-Virginia Pine forest 118

I.B. MAINLY DECIDUOUS FOREST (40%-60% DECIDUOUS)

I.B.2. Cold-Deciduous Forest, With Evergreen Trees [13]

    I.B.2.b. Cold-deciduous, broad-leaved forest with evergreen, needle-leaved trees

        I.A.9.b.i. I.B.2.b.i. Oak/Conifer mixed forest 210

        I.B.2.b.i.00 Oak/White Pine 211
          I.B.2.b.i.20 White Pine, N. Red Oak, Red Maple 212
          I.B.2.b.i.51 White Pine, Chestnut Oak 213

        I.B.2.b.i.01 Oak/Yellow Pine 214
          I.B.2.b.i.78 Virginia Pine, Oak 215
          I.B.2.b.i.02 Pitch Pine, Oak 216
          I.B.2.b.i.03 Table Mountain Pine, Oak 217
          I.B.2.b.i.71 Longleaf Pine, Scrub Oak 218
          I.B.2.b.i.76 Shortleaf Pine, Oak 219

         I.B.2.b.i.04 White Pine/Yellow Pine/Oak 220
          I.B.2.b.i.05 Oak, Hemlock 221
          I.B.2.b.i.06 White Pine/Hemlock/Oak 222

        I.B.2.b.ii. Yellow Poplar/Conifer mixed forest 230
          I.B.2.b.ii.58 Yellow Poplar, Eastern Hemlock 231

        I.B.2.b.iii. Non-Oak/Conifer dominated mixed forest 233
          I.B.2.b.iii.00 Yellow Pine, Non-Oak Hardwoods 234
          I.B.2.b.iii.01 White Pine, Non-Oak Hardwoods 235
          I.B.2.b.iii.82 Loblolly Pine, Hardwood 236
          I.B.2.b.iii.03 Red Cedar/Non-Oak Hardwoods 237
          I.B.2.b.iii.02 Hemlock, Non-Oak Hardwoods 242
          I.B.2.b.iii.24 Hemlock, Yellow Birch 241
          I.B.2.b.iii.04 Hemlock, Sycamore, Beech 243

        I.B.2.b.iv. Non-Oak/Spruce dominated mixed forest 245
          I.B.2.b.iv.31 Red spruce, Sugar maple, Beech 246
          I.B.2.b.iv.30 Red Spruce, Yellow Birch 247

I.B.3. Cold-Deciduous Forest Without Evergreen Trees (>60% DECIDUOUS) [11]

    I.B.3.a. Temperate lowland/submontane, broad-leaved, cold decid. forest

        I.B.3.a.i. Oak Dominated submontane forest 120
          I.B.3.a.i.52 White, Black, Northern Red Oak 121
          I.B.3.a.i.53 White Oak 122
          I.B.3.a.i.72 Southern Scrub Oak 123

        I.B.3.a.ii. Yellow Poplar Dominated forest 130
          I.B.3.a.ii.57 Yellow Poplar 131
          I.B.3.a.ii.87 Sweetgum, Yellow Poplar 132
          I.B.3.b.ii.59 Yellow Poplar, White Oak, N. Red Oak 133

        I.B.3.a.iii. Non-Oak Hardwood Dominated forest 140
          I.B.3.a.iii.50 Black Locust 141
          I.B.3.a.iii.61 Sycamore, River Birch 142
          I.B.3.a.iii.64 Sassafras, Persimmon 143
          I.B.3.a.iii.108 Red Maple 144

    I.B.3.b. Montane, cold-deciduous forests [11]

        I.B.3.b.i. Oak Dominated Montane Forest 150
          I.B.3.b.i.44 Chestnut Oak 151
          I.B.3.b.i.52 White, Black, Northern Red Oak 153
          I.B.3.b.i.53 White Oak 154
          I.B.3.b.i.55 Northern Red Oak 155
          I.B.3.b.i.43 Bear Oak 156

        I.B.3.b.ii. Yellow Poplar Dominated Montane forest 160
          I.B.3.b.ii.57 Yellow Poplar 161
          I.B.3.b.ii.59 Yellow Poplar, White Oak, N. Red Oak 162

        I.B.3.b.iii. Non-Oak Dominated Montane forest 170
          I.B.3.b.iii.00 Hardwoods - Subclimax 171
          I.B.3.b.iii.28 Black Cherry, Maple 173
          I.B.3.b.iii.50 Black Locust 174
          I.B.3.b.iii.108 Red Maple 175

          I.B.3.b.iii.01 Hardwoods - Climax/Mature 180
          I.B.3.b.iii.25 Sugar Maple, Beech, Yellow Birch 183
          I.B.3.b.iii.60 Beech, Sugar Maple 184

        I.B.3.b.iv. Oak/Hardwood mixed forest(neither > 60%)
          I.B.3.b.iv.02 Red/White/Chestnut Oak, Poplar, Maple 185
          I.B.3.b.iv.03 Red/White/Chestnut Oak, Beech, Hickory 186

    I.B.3.c. Cold-deciduous, alluvial forest (bottomland hardwoods) [11]

        I.B.3.c.i. Oak Dominated bottomland forest 190
          I.B.3.c.i.92 Sweetgum, Willow Oak 191
          I.B.3.c.i.00 Other Bottomland Oak forest 192
          I.B.3.c.i.88 Willow Oak, Water Oak, Laurel Oak 193
          I.B.3.c.i.91 Swamp Chestnut Oak, Cherrybark Oak 194
          I.B.3.c.i.96 Overcup oak, Water hickory 195
          I.B.3.c.i.65 Pin Oak, Sweetgum 196

        I.B.3.c.ii. Non-Oak Dominated bottomland forest 200
          I.B.3.c.ii.25 Sugar Maple, Beech, Yellow Birch 201
          I.B.3.c.ii.95 Black Willow 202

          I.B.3.c.ii.00 Other Hardwood bottomland forest 203
          I.B.3.c.ii.39 Black Ash, Am. Elm, Red Maple 204
          I.B.3.c.ii.93 Sugarberry, Am. Elm, Green Ash 205

          I.B.3.c.ii.01 Sycamore Dominated bottomland forest 206
          I.B.3.c.ii.94 Sycamore, SweetGum, Am. Elm 207
          I.B.3.c.ii.61 River Birch, Sycamore 208

III. SHRUBLAND   [20]

III.A. MAINLY EVERGREEN SHRUBLAND

  III.A.2. Needle-Leaved And Microphyllous Shrubland

      III.A.2.a. Evergreen, needle-leaved/scale-leaved shrubland

          III.A.2.a.i. Evergreen, needle-leaved shrubland 21
          III.A.2.a.i.21 Eastern White Pine 22
          III.A.2.a.i.00 Eastern White Pine and Yellow Pine shrubland 23
          III.A.2.a.i.79 Virginia Pine 24

          III.A.2.a.ii. Evergreen scale-leaved shrubland 25
          III.A.2.a.ii.46 Eastern redcedar 25

          III.A.2.a.iii. Evergreen scale-/needle-leaved shrubland 26
          III.A.2.a.iii.01 Virginia Pine and Eastern Redcedar 26
          III.A.2.a.iii.02 White Pine and Eastern Redcedar 26

III.B MAINLY DECIDUOUS SHRUBLAND

    III.B.3. Cold-Deciduous Shrubland

      III.B.3.a. Temperate deciduous shrubland 27
      III.B.3.b. Deciduous alluvial shrubland 28

III.C. MIXED DECIDUOUS AND CONIFEROUS SHRUBLAND 29

    III.C.1. Mixed Decid. shrubs and needle leaved coniferous shrubs 29
    III.C.2 Mixed Decid. shrubs and scale-leaved shrubs 29

IV. AGRICULTURE [30]

IV.A. ROW CROPS 31

    IV.A.1. Corn 32
    IV.A.2 Cotton 33
    IV.A.3 Tobacco 34
    IV.A.4 Soybeans 35

IV.B. PASTURE/FIELD CROPS 36

    IV.B.1 Mown hay 37
    IV.B.2 Grazed land 38

IV.C. BARE SOIL 39

V. OPEN WATER [40]

VI. DISTURBED [50]

VI.A DEVELOPED/URBAN 51

    VI.A.1. Residential 52
    VI.A.2. Commercial 53
    VI.A.3. Industrial 54

VI.B. DISTURBED/NON-URBAN 55

    VI.B.1. Disturbed Land (including recent clearcuts) 56
    VI.B.2. Strip or Open Mine 57

VII. WETLANDS [60]

VII.A. FORESTED 61

VII.B. NON - FORESTED 62

VIII. OTHER [0]

    VI.B.3. Bare Rock 58
    VI.B.4. Sand 59

    This classification is current as of January 9, 1998