Hanford Site Vegetation Data
Data gathered on the numbers and/or extent of Hanford's vegetation resources provide information for DOE planning processes and land-use policy development. The degree of protection from disturbance afforded to the Hanford Site over the past 50 years has resulted in an "island of biodiversity" for plant resources. Surveys and mapping document the occurrence and extent of plant community types and rare plant populations on the Hanford Site.
Native plant communities on the Hanford Site that remain in good condition are termed 'element occurrences' by the Washington Natural Heritage Program and provide important habitat. Results of current surveys and historical data are maintained by EMC in a geographical information system and database.
The document Vascular Plants of the Hanford Site(pdf) provides a comprehensive description of Hanford Site plant communities, listings of culturally important plants and noxious weeds, and occurrence and distribution information for the more than 725 species of plants known to occur on the Hanford Site.
Rare Plant Populations
The occurrence and extent of rare plant populations and special plant community types on the Hanford Site is used in the DOE planning processes and land-use policy development. Records and data are maintained to describe rare plant populations and special habitat locations.
More than 100 rare plant populations of 32 different taxa are located on the site. Six of these 32 taxa (including two species endemic to the Hanford Site, Eriogonum codium and Lesquerella tuplashensis) are designated as species of concern in the Columbia River Basin Ecoregion by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Hanford Site Annual Baseline Survey Maps
The following maps depict the plant associations found within the industrial areas of the Hanford Site. Plant communities are mapped on a scale that is useful for determining impacts to habitat units, approximately 100 m2, based on pedestrian surveys conducted annually during the spring when plant species can be reliably identified. Community boundaries are mapped using GPS. Boundaries are remapped as needed, for example, if construction activities encroach on a habitat, and species composition records are kept on an annual basis.
2006 Survey Maps
Previous years
(1998-2004)