Program Information

Ecologists at the Montana Natural Heritage Program systematically collect information to help identify and understand our state's diverse natural communities. We use the National Vegetation Classification Standard (NVCS), which provides a hierarchical classification framework that is scientifically sound, consistent and flexible. Complementary to the NVCS, natural resource agencies have developed other methods to classify and map ecosystems of the United States and Montana. This information helps with effective management of thousands of species and interactions that would be impossible to manage individually.

Land Cover Information

Land cover is the representation of the physical coverage of land, typically dominant vegetation types but some man-made types are usually included.

Natural communities are assemblages of species that respond similarly to environmental conditions such as climate, soil, topography, geology, and hydrology. Communities, also called habitat types, are commonly identified by the dominant and/or characteristic plant species - but they also represent the myriad biological and environmental interactions that are inherently a part of each unique natural system.