Natural Community Classification Key

A key to the four classification keys

Use this key to determine which of the four natural community keys you need. You can click on any link under the column "Go To" to take you to that couplet number in the key, or to a particular key.

Number	Description	Go To
1	Trees over 10 feet tall form ≥ 30% cover: forests and woodlands	2
1	Trees over 10 feet tall form < 30% cover; some small islands of trees may be present: open vegetation	3
2	UPLAND: soils are not saturated or seasonally flooded. Exception: in summit or ledgy types the "soil" may be thin pockets of peat in bedrock depressions and may be saturated; these are treated as uplands	Wooded Uplands Key
2	WETLAND: soils are saturated or seasonally flooded; usually basins or streamsides	Wooded Wetlands Key
3	UPLAND: soils are not saturated or seasonally flooded. Exception: sometimes in open summit or other ledgy types the "soil" is thin peat pockets over bedrock, and often saturated; these are treated as uplands	Open Uplands Key
3	WETLAND: soils are saturated or seasonally flooded; usually basins or streamsides	Open Wetlands Key