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 BICM Classification Schemes

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The BICM program has developed two habitat classification schemes, which include a detailed 15-class habitat scheme and a general eight-class habitat scheme.

The detailed scheme was developed specifically for this habitat mapping effort (that is, 2008 and 2015/2016) and builds off the classification scheme used in previous BICM habitat mapping efforts (Fearnley and others, 2009). The additional classes developed in the detailed scheme are primarily used to further delineate various dune habitats, separate marsh and mangrove, and distinguish between beach and unvegetated barrier flat habitats. To ensure comparability between this effort and previous BICM map products, we have crosswalked the detailed classes to general habitat classes previously used by older BICM datasets available for 1996/98, 2002, 2004, and 2005.

Table 1 shows the description of the detailed habitat classes along with the detailed to general class crosswalk.

For more information on barrier island mapping methodology, please see Enwright and others (2019) or the metadata for the BICM products produced by the U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center (https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/item/5a32ebe1e4b08e6a89d886b4).

Table 1. BICM detailed and general classification schemes [--, not applicable].

Detailed class Description Description source General class
Beach Beach habitat includes supratidal bare or sparsely vegetated areas (that is, above the extreme high water springs tide level) located along coastlines with high wave energy (that is, Gulf-facing shorelines). Vegetation cover is generally less than 30 percent. Beach transitions into dunes, meadow, or unvegetated flat where overwash is evident. Beach includes the backshore zone of a beach. Modified from Cowardin et al., 1979 Beach
Unvegetated dune Dunes are supratidal features (that is, above the extreme high water springs tide level) developed via Aeolian processes. Dunes are often located above typical storm water levels and have a well-defined relative elevation (that is, upper slope or ridge). Unvegetated dune includes dune habitat that has less than 10 percent vegetation cover. Modified from Psuty, 1989 Bare land
Vegetated dune Dunes are supratidal features (that is, above the extreme high water springs tide level) developed via Aeolian processes. Dunes are often located above typical storm water levels and have a well-defined relative elevation (that is, upper slope or ridge). Vegetated dune includes dune habitat that has greater than 10 percent vegetation cover. Modified from Psuty, 1989 Barrier vegetation
Unvegetated flat Unvegetated barrier flat includes flat or gently sloping supratidal unvegetated or sparsely vegetated areas (that is, areas located above extreme high water springs tide level) that are located on the backslope of dunes, unvegetated washover fans, and along low-energy shorelines. Vegetation coverage should be generally less than 30 percent. Modified from Leatherman, 1979 Beach
Meadow Meadow includes supratidal areas (that is, above the extreme high water springs tide level) with sparse to dense herbaceous vegetation located in areas leading up to dunes and on the barrier flat (that is, backslope of dunes and supratidal, back-barrier habitat). Vegetation coverage should generally be greater than 30 percent. Classification of meadow habitat is restricted by geomorphic settings. Meadow is reserved for areas located on barrier flats of barrier islands, backslopes of dunes, transitional vegetated areas in dune/beach habitats. Modified from Lucas and Carter, 2010 Barrier vegetation
Intertidal Intertidal includes bare or sparsely vegetated areas located between the extreme low water springs and extreme high water springs tide levels. Vegetation cover should generally be less than 30 percent. Intertidal includes the foreshore zone of a beach. Cowardin et al., 1979 Intertidal
Estuarine emergent marsh Estuarine emergent marsh includes intertidal saline emergent marsh (that is, located above extreme low water springs and below extreme high water springs tide levels) and supratidal brackish emergent marsh. Vegetation cover should be generally 30 percent or greater cover by erect, rooted, herbaceous hydrophytes. Note, supratidal emergent vegetation that is located on the backslopes of dunes will be classified as meadow. Cowardin et al., 1979 Estuarine vegetated wetland
Mangrove Mangrove habitat includes areas with black mangrove (Avicennia germinans). Mangrove vegetation coverage should generally be greater than 30 percent. -- Estuarine vegetated wetland
Bare land Bare land includes bare or sparsely vegetated areas that are often located above typical storm water levels and are associated with unvegetated spoil or inland ridges. Vegetation cover should generally be less than 30 percent. Modified from Fearnley et al., 2009 Bare land
Grassland Grassland includes upland areas covered by herbaceous vegetation often located above typical storm water levels and are associated with inland spoil banks with herbaceous vegetation, freshwater emergent marsh, and upland areas along the mainland in the Chenier Plain BICM regions. Modified from Homer et al., 2015 Barrier vegetation
Scrub/shrub Scrub/shrub includes areas where woody vegetation height is greater than about 0.5 meters, but less than 6 meters. Woody vegetation coverage should generally be greater than 30 percent. Cowardin et al., 1979 Barrier vegetation
Forest Forest includes areas where woody vegetation height is greater than 6 meters. Woody vegetation coverage should generally be greater than 30 percent. Cowardin et al., 1979 Barrier vegetation
Shoreline protection Shoreline protection includes any material used to protect shorelines against erosion (for example, breakwater, groins, and jetties). Fearnley et al., 2009 Rip-rap
Developed Developed includes areas dominated by constructed materials (that is, transportation infrastructure, and residential and commercial areas) and open developed areas. Modified from Homer et al., 2015 Structure
Water Water includes areas of open water with generally less than 30 percent cover of vegetation. Modified from Cowardin et al., 1979 Water

  • Cowardin, L.M., Carter, V., Golet, F.C., and LaRoe, E.T., 1979, Classification of wetlands and deepwater habitats of the United States: Washington, D.C., U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Report FWS/OBS–79/31, p. 131.
  • Enwright, N.M., Wang, L., Borchert, S.M., Day, R.H., Feher, L.C. and Osland, M.J., 2019, Advancing barrier island habitat mapping using landscape position information. Progress in Physical Geography: Earth and Environment, v. 43, no. 3, p.425–450.
  • Fearnley, S., Brien, L., Martinez, L., Miner, M., Kulp, M., and Penland, S., 2009, Louisiana Barrier Island Comprehensive Monitoring Program (BICM) Volume 5: Chenier Plain, South-Central Louisiana, and Chandeleur Islands, Habitat Mapping and Change Analysis 1996 to 2005 Part 1: Methods for Habitat Mapping and Change Analysis 1996 to 2005: Pontchartrain Institute for Environmental Sciences. University of New Orleans: New Orleans, LA.
  • Homer, C.G., Dewitz, J.A., Yang, L., Jin, S., Danielson, P., Xian, G., Coulston, J., Herold, N.D., Wickham, J.D., and Megown, K., 2015, Completion of the 2011 National Land Cover Database for the conterminous United States-Representing a decade of land cover change information: Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing, v. 81, no. 5, p. 345–354.
  • Leatherman, S.P., 1979, Barrier Island Handbook: National Park Service Cooperative Research Unit: Amherst. Massachusetts, The Environmental Institute, University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
  • Lucas, K.L., and Carter, G.A., 2010, Decadal changes in habitat-type coverage on Horn Island, Mississippi, U.S.A.: Journal of Coastal Research, v. 26, p. 1142–1148.
  • Psuty, N.P., 1989, An application of Science to management problems in dunes along the Atlantic coast of the USA: Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland, B96, p. 289–307.

 BICM Habitat Change Classification Schemes

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Barrier islands are very dynamic environments due to their position at the land-sea interface. Thus, land managers require information on how habitats on these islands are changing over time. In response, the BICM program has produced spatially explicit habitat change products that depict and summarize habitat change between 2008 and 2015/2016 per BICM reach. The results from these analyses were summarized in two habitat change products. The first product depicts change in land and water coverage and the second product highlights changes based on inundation zones.

BICM detailed habitat classes were used to develop generalized habitat bins for these change analyses (Table 1). Next, change was determined between/amongst these bins (that is, change classes; Table 2).

For more information on the methodology used for the BICM habitat change products, please see the metadata for the BICM products produced by the U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center (https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/item/5a32ebe1e4b08e6a89d886b4).

Table 1. BICM change products bins with associated BICM detailed habitat classes.

BICM habitat change product Generalized classes for change BICM detailed classes
Land/Water Land Bare land, Beach, Developed, Estuarine emergent marsh, Forested, Grassland, Mangrove, Scrub/shrub, Shoreline protection, Unvegetated dune, Unvegetated flat, Vegetated dune
Water Water, Intertidal
Inundation zone-based Water Water
Intertidal-unvegetated Intertidal
Intertidal-vegetated Estuarine emergent marsh, Mangrove
Supratidal Bare land, Beach, Forest, Grassland, Meadow, Scrub/shrub, Unvegetated dune, Unvegetated flat, Vegetated dune
Developed/shoreline protection Developed and Shoreline protection

Table 2. BICM change classes for each BICM habitat change product.

BICM habitat change product Change classes
Land/Water
  1. Land gain
  2. Land loss
  3. Land unchanged
  4. Water unchanged
Inundation zone-based
  1. Intertidal-vegetated to Supratidal
  2. Intertidal-unvegetated to Supratidal
  3. Water to Supratidal
  4. Supratidal to Intertidal-vegetated
  5. Intertidal-unvegetated to Intertidal-vegetated
  6. Water to Intertidal-vegetated
  7. Supratidal to Intertidal-unvegetated
  8. Intertidal-vegetated to Intertidal-unvegetated
  9. Water to Intertidal-unvegetated
  10. Supratidal to Water
  11. Intertidal-vegetated to water
  12. Intertidal-unvegetated to Water
  13. Developed/Shoreline protection gain
  14. Developed/Shoreline protection loss
  15. Unchanged