-------- Original Message --------
Subject: RE: maps showing types of trees
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2012 11:25:37 -0400
From: Grabach, Kenneth A. Mr. <[log in to unmask]>
To: Maps, Air Photo, GIS Forum - Map Librarianship <[log in to unmask]>


I would recommend a couple of approaches.  If what is needed is maps of
types of trees,  there are various atlases of flora published for
countries, continents and regions.  They often have maps associated with
species accounts.  They will cover all types of plants, not trees only,
both for the most part these are species by species.  It would be
necessary to scan the maps needed and convert to shape files (probably
from PDF).

For various regions, countries, and continents, there are also maps of
forest types.  These maps focus on forest groups, usually associations
of tree species (oak-hickory, mixed hardwood, and boreal are three
common types in North America).  The legends or accompanying texts will
list the species in the specific associations.  Again, scanning and
converting would be necessary.

The data created in digital form that I know of is primarily gathered
from remote sensing data, so that it does not reflect particular types
of trees or other plants.  It is mainly land cover data, which will
often not distinguish among tree types.  Cover is either forest, or some
other broad category.

In Library of Congress Subject Headings, there is a broad term,
Phytogeography for general vegetation mapping.  Phytogeography [region]
Maps is how the heading is formed.  Forest type maps are usually
cataloged with the heading Forests and forestry [region] Maps.

Francis Herbert mentioned the four-volume International Bibliography of
Vegetation Maps compiled by A.W. Küchler.  But there is no supplement
bringing any of the regional volumes up past the 70s.  Some of the maps
listed still have validity, as old as they are.  Do know that species
account maps are explicitly not covered by this bibliography.  These
maps are entirely of the forest types and broader categories of
vegetation geography.

I hope this is helpful.

Ken Grabach                           <[log in to unmask]>
Maps Librarian                          Phone: 513-529-1726
Miami University Libraries
Oxford, Ohio  45056  USA

-----Original Message-----
From: Maps, Air Photo, GIS Forum - Map Librarianship
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Angie Cope, American
Geographical Society Library, UW Milwaukee
Sent: Thursday, October 25, 2012 12:20 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: maps showing types of trees

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: maps showing types of trees
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2012 11:12:00 -0500
From: Coombs, James <[log in to unmask]>
To: 'Maps, Air Photo, GIS Forum - Map Librarianship'
<[log in to unmask]>


I just had a request for world or regional maps that show the various
types of trees. The closest we could find were natural vegetation maps
in atlases.  Do any of you know if such maps or GIS data exists?

Thanks,
Jim

Jim Coombs
Map Librarian
Duane G Meyer Library
Missouri State University