Vegetation Surveys
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.
Plant populations monitored on the site include taxa listed by Washington State as endangered, threatened, or sensitive (T&E species), and species listed as review group 1 (i.e., taxa in need of additional field work before status can be determined) (Washington Natural Heritage Program 1997).
The document Vascular Plants of the Hanford Site 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. Additional reports on rare plant populations and plant community types are in the "Document" section.
Summary information are published annually in the Hanford Site Environmental Report.
Vegetation Cover Types and Habitats
Rare-Plant Monitoring
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. These maps are 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)