The Department of Defense and the other desert managers are developing and organizing scientific information needed to better manage the natural resources of the Mojave Desert. One product from this endeavor is the Central Mojave Vegetation Map (developed by US Dept of Interior, USGS Western Ecological Research Center and Southwest Biological Science Center) that displays vegetation and other land cover types in the eastern Mojave of California. Map labels represent alliances and groups of alliances as described by the U.S. National Vegetation Classification. The nominal minimum mapping unit is 5 hectares. Each map unit is labeled by a primary land cover type and a secondary type where applicable. In addition, the source of data for labeling each map unit is also identified in the attribute table for each map unit. Data were developed using field visits, 1:32,000 aerial photography, SPOT satellite imagery, and predictive modeling.
