---
title: "Get all cover methods"
method: GET
path: "/cover-methods"
tags: ["Cover methods"]
---

# Get all cover methods

`GET /cover-methods`

Retrieve a paginated collection of all cover methods recorded in VegBank.

## Query parameters

- `with_nested` boolean
- `limit` integer
- `offset` integer
- `create_parquet` boolean

## Response `200`

Matching cover method(s), with fields based on parameters:
- `detail=full&with_nested=false`: Extended fields, no nested array fields
- `detail=full&with_nested=true`: Extended fields + nested array fields

- union
  - CoverMethodFull
    - `count` integer — Total matching record count
    - `data` CoverMethodFull[] — Data records
  - CoverMethodFullNested
    - `count` integer — Total matching record count
    - `data` object[] — Data records
      - `cm_code` string — VegBank cover method identifier
      - `cover_type` string — Name of the coverclass method (e.g., Braun-Blanquet, Barkman, Domin, Daubenmire, Carolina Vegetation Survey, etc.)
      - `cover_estimation_method` string — How cover is estimated on the observation
      - `rf_code` string — VegBank identifier for the defining cover method reference
      - `rf_label` string — Name/label for the defining cover method reference
      - `cover_indexes` object[]
        - `cv_code` string — VegBank cover index identifier
        - `cover_code` string — Name or label used in the cover class scale for this specific cover class.
        - `lower_limit` number, float — Lower limit, in percent, associated with a specific coverCode. Where a cover scale has a non-quantitative lower or upper value, as in the '+' of the Braun-Blanquet scale, this is an approximation with '0' being the lower limit of the bottom-most class.
        - `upper_limit` number, float — Upper limit, in percent, associated with the specific cover code
        - `cover_percent` number, float — Middle value (usually mean or geometric mean) between the upper_limit and lower_limit for each taxon observation and used for all cover class conversions and interpretations; assigned by the author of the cover class schema
        - `index_description` string — Description of the specific coverclass; this is particularly helpful in the case that there is no numeric value that can be applied.

## Other responses

- `400` — Invalid Parameters

## Changes

> 50 revisions in range; 1 not diffed, 13 could not be searched.

- **2026-01-18** `2e123831df6e` — 2 breaking, 5 warning, 8 info
  - added `#/components/schemas/cover_method_full, #/components/schemas/cover_method_full_nested` to the response body `oneOf` list for the response status `200`
  - the response's body type/format changed from `object`/`` to ``/`` for status `200`
  - deleted the `query` request parameter `accession_code`
  - removed the optional property `accession_code` from the response with the `200` status
  - …11 more
- **2025-05-24** `16a2946a00d0` — 1 info
  - endpoint added
- **2025-04-29** `c9e23cb778c9` — 1 breaking
  - api path removed without deprecation

[Change history](https://skmtc.dev/nceas/apis/vegbankapi/changes/cover-methods/get.md)

---

[API](https://skmtc.dev/nceas/apis/vegbankapi.md) · [All operations](https://skmtc.dev/nceas/apis/vegbankapi/llms.txt) · [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc-service-production.skmtc.workers.dev/v1/apis/nceas/vegbankapi/revisions/852fd165e202/schema)