The authors intend that this classification system be sufficiently flexible and detailed to enable the classification of vegetation utilizing various identification techniques, from field investigations to remote sensing. The resulting classification system is hierarchical, designating up to six levels with lower levels of the classification (e.g. level 6) being more specific classifications nested within higher levels (e.g. level 5):

The different levels of this classification system represent distinctions in ecological communities, taxonomy, individual species, and physical characteristics such as density and height. The appropriate level of classification to use depends on the needs of the project and level of detail discernable from the methods used. For example, it is expected that field investigations will allow for levels 5 & 6 to be classified while satellite remote sensing may only allow for the broadest levels of this classification system to be used. It should be understood that this document is not a complete list of south Florida plants and vegetative communities. Note that location fields aren't complete for all Levels because of lack of information as to where these categories are located within the system. This classification system will remain dynamic with additional revisions occurring to incorporate new research or conditions found in the field.

The CERP RECOVER vegetation mapping project is utilizing 1:24000 scale color-infrared aerial photography. A one-quarter hectare grid (50 x 50 meter) was generated and superimposed over the aerial photography. Vegetation within each individual grid cell is being photointerpreted utilizing analytical stereo-plotters and each grid cell is labeled with the majority vegetation category observed. The vegetation classification allows for additional modifying categories to be assigned as well as the dominant vegetation classification. For example, the classification system allows for exotic species to be identified within each grid cell using a density class. The density classes are: "monotypic" (greater than or equal to 90%), "dominant mix" (50% - 89%), or "sparse mix" (10% - 49%). A grid cell labeled with a majority category such as FSB-Bayhead Forest may also have a "sparse mix" modifier such as EIS- Lygodium Sparse. Cattail (Typha spp.), although not an exotic, is also mapped using the same density class criteria. Presence of a Tree Island is another modifying category.

The classification system is presented in Table 1.