Department of Conservation and Recreation
Conserve. Protect. Enjoy.
Department of Conservation and Recreation
Welcome to the ecology group home page at the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation's (DCR) Natural Heritage Program (VANHP). Here you will find information about the wealth of natural communities in the Commonwealth, the latest version of the Virginia state community classification, and PDF downloads of special presentations and documents.
Our group is part of the Inventory section at VANHP. We are vegetation ecologists, but work closely with zoologists, geologists, soil scientists, hydrologists, and other specialists to understand the complex interactions between plants, animals, and the physical environment. Our primary mission is to inventory the full range of natural communities in Virginia, develop a formal classification of ecological communities, and identify outstanding examples of all community types as priorities for protection. We hope this ongoing work will assist land owners and resource managers in understanding the landscape ecology of Virginia and conserving important ecosystems. We also work closely with our colleagues at NatureServe to ensure that the information we generate is incorporated into the National Vegetation Classification and other larger-scale projects.
In addition to conducting general inventories across Virginia, we have a long and successful track record of providing contract services to federal and local agencies and private organizations. Click here for more information about these projects and our services.
The Third Approximation (Version 3.3) of The Natural Communities of Virginia: Classification of Ecological Community Groups is now on line. This is a refined, expanded, and more fully illustrated update to the hard-copy First Approximation (2001) and web-based Second Approximation (2010).
The following PDF downloads are available. Others will be made available periodically. Please check back often. These documents require the free Adobe reader.
We welcome and appreciate comments or feedback on our work, as well as information or questions concerning Virginia's natural communities. Please direct inquiries to any member of the VANHP Ecology Staff:
| Karen Patterson Senior Vegetation Ecologist (804) 786-5990 Karen.Patterson@dcr.virginia.gov |
Joey Thompson Vegetation Ecologist (804)786-9122 Joey.Thompson@dcr.virginia.gov |
Kristin Taverna Field Ecologist (804) 692-0252 Kristin.Taverna@dcr.virginia.gov |
