National Land Cover Database (NLCD)
The National Land Cover Database (NLCD) is a reliable and comprehensive source of land cover information for the United States, developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) at 30 m resolution. For more information visit the National Land Cover Database.
| Variable | Metric | Temporal availability | Description | Source | Layers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tree Canopy Cover | Tree canopy | Annual | Percent tree canopy cover as a continuous variable for each pixel across all land cover types. Generated by the USDA Forest Service from multi-spectral satellite imagery and ancillary ground data. Available for the conterminous United States. | NLCD | |
| Land Cover | Landover | Annual |
Nationwide land cover and land cover change using a 16-class legend based on a modified Anderson Level II classification system. NLCD 2019 provides 8 integrated epochs of land cover. Developed classes are derived from percent impervious surface. Available for the conterminous United States.
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NLCD |
Rangeland Analysis Platform (RAP)
Combines satellite imagery with thousands of on-the-ground vegetation measurements collected by BLM, NPS, and NRCS. For more information visit the Rangeland Analysis Platform. All raw data are available here. These data are primarily intended for rangeland ecosystems and may not be suitable in other ecosystems (e.g., forests, agricultural lands).
| Variable | Metric | Temporal availability | Units | Description | Source | Layers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rangeland Cover | Cover Litter, Cover Shrubs, Cover Trees, Cover Perennial Forbs Grass, Cover Annual Forbs Grass,Cover Bareground | Annual | % cover | Percent aerial cover of rangeland functional groups per pixel (Jones et al. 2018). | RAP | |
| Rangeland Biomass | Biomass Annual Forbs Grass, Biomass Perennial Forbs Grass | Annual | lbs/acre | Annual aboveground biomass partitioned into plant functional types (Jones et al. 2020). Represents annually accumulated new biomass only; does not account for prior-year accumulation. Not suitable for agricultural lands. | RAP |
Cropland Data Layer (CDL)
The USDA NASS Cropland Data Layer (CDL) is a raster, geo-referenced, crop-specific land cover data layer at 30 m resolution. Produced using satellite imagery from Landsat 8/9, ISRO ResourceSat-2 LISS-3, and ESA Sentinel-2A/2B collected during the current growing season, supplemented by USGS NED elevation and NLCD impervious surface data. For more information visit the Cropland Data Layer.
| Variable | Metric | Temporal availability | Description | Source | Layers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crop Type | cdl | Annual | Crop-specific land cover classification produced annually from the current growing season. Covers major crop types and non-crop land covers across the conterminous United States. | USDA NASS |
View data in map viewer
Explore the geospatial layers hosted by the Merkle Research Group and gain valuable insights into ecological and environmental data. The map viewer offers interactive access to a wide range of information, including landcover details and Wyoming hydrography.
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