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Ecological Community Information from the Washington Natural Heritage Program

Known High-Quality / Rare Ecological Communities by County
Lists of the high-quality or rare ecological communities known to occur in each county of Washington state.
Plant Associations in Washington's Puget Trough Ecoregion
Vegetation classification fact sheets, keys, and association tables for plant associations of the Puget Trough Ecoregion.
Plant Associations of Balds and Bluffs of Western Washington
Definitions, processes, management considerations, keys, descriptions, and association tables for plant associations of balds and bluffs in western Washington.
A Riparian Vegetation Classification of the Columbia Basin, Washington
A guide to the riparian and weland vegetation of Washington's Columbia Basin.
Preliminary Classification of Freshwater Wetland Vegetation in Western Washington
Limited copies available by contacting the program.
A Marine and Estuarine Habitat Classification System for Washington State
Limited copies available by contacting the program.
Ecological Communities
in the Continental U.S.

Open NatureServe Explorer and search by common name or scientific name to find information on ecological communities known to occur in the continental U.S.
Natural Heritage Methodology:
Classification of Ecological Communities
Developed by the Natural Heritage Network in conjunction with NatureServe and The Nature Conservancy, this classification is a systematic way of describing and assessing ecological diversity.
Definitions of Listing, Status, and Ranks used in Natural Heritage Data
A list of definitions used in Natural Heritage Methodology.
GIS Data Sets
Spatial information on plant community occurrences is available in the WNHP GIS Data Set. This GIS coverage may be licensed for professional environmental assessment or land management purposes by contacting the Environmental Review Coordinator at (360) 902-1667.
Project Area Report


Information on natural heritage features which have been reported at a specific project location can be provided in a Project Area Report prepared by program staff.

Washington Natural Heritage Program - www.dnr.wa.gov/ResearchScience/Topics/NaturalHeritage/Pages/amp_nh.aspx
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Washington Dept. of Natural Resources, PO Box 47014, Olympia, WA 98504-7014