Key to Aerial Photograph Interpretation

Key A: Forest signature, with height apparent in stereoscopic view
1 Light colored understory - indicates dry, upland areas
  2 Present on Fire Island
    3 Mix of brown, gray and green color with variable sized crowns. . . . . . . . . .
   
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maritime Deciduous Scrub Forest (6145)
    3 Dominance of dark green color
      4 Truly green signature, visible tree canopies. . . . . . . . . .
     
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maritime Holly Forest (6376)
      4 Green interspersed with brown to tan coloring
        5 Varying canopy heights, bright patches of sand within poygon. . . . . . . . .
       
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pitch Pine Dune Woodland (6117)
        5 Continuous, found on eastern end of island and adjacent to human communities. . . . . . . . .
       
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Japanese Black Pine Forest (6012)
  2 Present on William Floyd Estate
    6 Mix of brown, gray and green color
      7 Variable sized discernable crowns, found adjacent to salt marsh at Floyd Estate. . . . . . . . . .
     
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maritime Deciduous Scrub Forest (6145)
      7 Tall, forested area
        8 Shadows from tree trunks. . . . . . . . . .
       
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Coastal Oak-Heath Forest (6375)
        8 Found on edge of waterways, identified through ground survey. . . . . . . . . .
       
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maritime Post Oak Forest (6373)
    6 Dominance of dark green color
      9 Dark green signature, distinct crown shadows show through canopy. . . . . . . . . .
     
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Old Field Red-Cedar Forest (6024)
      9 Tall, forested area with green interspersed with brown to tan coloring. . . . . . . . . . .
     
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pitch pine-Oak Forest (6381)
1 Dark colored understory - indicates wet understory
  10 Light grayish tree canopy over very dark understory. . . . . . . . . .
 
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Acidic Red Maple Basin Swamp (6156)
  10 Brown color finely dissected with dark lines
 
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Highbush Blueberry Shrub Swamp (6371)
 
Key B: Small shrub, herbaceous signature
1 Small shrub signature with variable herbaceous signature
  2 Interspersed with light color - indicates dry, sandy upland
    3 Small shrub interspersed with open sand
      4 Brown color interspersed with open sand. . . . . . . . . .
     
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maritime Vine Dune (3886)
      4 Very dark green with equal amounts of open sand. . . . . . . . . .
     
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Beach Heather Dune (6143)
    3 Dark brownish-red color, uniform in texture, little sand shows through
   
5 Dominance of shrub. . . . . . . . . .
     
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Northern Dune Shrubland (6295)
      5 Codominance of shrub and herbaceous signature, identified through ground survey. . . . . . . . . .
     
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Northern Sandplain Grassland (6067)
  2 Interspersed with dark color - indicates wetland
    6 Uniform gray color lighter than surrounding wetter areas. . . . . . . . . .
   
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Northern Salt Shrub (6063)
    6 Small, pond-like bodies of shallow water. . . . . . . . . .
   
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Northern Interdunal Cranberry Swale (6141)
1 Herbaceous signature, with little height apparent in stereoscopic view
  7 Interspersed with light color - indicates dry, sandy upland
    8 Lawn like, tan and green areas of Floyd Estate. . . . . . . . . .
   
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cultivated Pasture (6107)
    8 Other upland, herbaceous vegetation of Fire Island
      9 Grass signature, present on dunes of Fire Island
        10 Uniform tan with streaks of bright sand showing through. . . . . . . . . .
       
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Northern Beach Grass Dune (6274)
        10 Recent overwash areas near foredune, "washed out" appearance. . . . . . . . . .
       
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Overwash Dune Grassland (4097)
  7 Interspersed with dark color - indicates wetland
    11 Behind primary and secondary dunes, dark color. . . . . . . . . .
   
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brackish Interdunal Swale (6342)
    11 Adjacent to the Bay
      12 Located closest to waterbodies
        13 Medium to dark gray color, adjacent to water bodies, mosquito ditches, and salt pannes. . . . . . . . . .
       
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Low Salt Marsh (4192)
        13 Uniform tan color, lighter in color then low salt marsh. . . . . . . . . .
       
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . High Salt Marsh (6006)
      12 Located at high end of salt marsh
        14 Light brown to a dark brown, often band of debris on bay side. . . . . . . . . .
       
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reedgrass Marsh (4187)
        14 Rusty-red color appearing wet. . . . . . . . . .
       
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brackish Meadow (6150)