About the Data
For a full discussion on spatial data processing of the state-level National Land Cover Pattern Database, refer to the Ecological Archives Data Paper E081-004:
Kurt H. Riitters, James D. Wickham, James E. Vogelmann, and K. Bruce Jones. 2000.
National land-cover pattern data. Ecology 81: 604.
This data was created as part of a national analysis
of land cover pattern. A series of derived maps (different
indices, different window sizes) is available. They are
proposed for consideration by landscape analysts, as
independent variables (e.g., covariates, stratification
rules), and as "context" information for finer-scale
investigations, for example field plots.
Forest Area Density at 7 hectare Scale
This dataset is a grid map at 30 meter
resolution. Each pixel value represents an index of
forest area density for the surrounding 7.29 ha.(9 x 9 pixel)
analysis window. The dataset was created by applying a
spatial filter to a published map of land cover from the
Multi-Resolution Land
Characteristics (MRLC) Consortium.
The spatial filter computed the index from the surrounding
proportions of forest and non-forest land cover types.
The [0,1] continuous index was discretized, and a byte
representation [1,255] was stored at the center location
(i.e., at the center pixel) in a new map. Each pixel in
the new map is an index of forest area density, for the
surrounding 7.29 ha window, for the corresponding pixel
in the original land cover map.
Caveats include: Maps in this series are naturally correlated
since all came from one map. No warranty or claim is made of the
utility of this map for any particular purpose, this is considered
to be a research dataset. The forest area density map
portrays relative area density, considering only forest versus
non-forest cover types.
Forest Fragmentation at 7 hectare Scale
This dataset is a grid maps at 30 meter
Resolution. Each pixel value represents an index of
forest fragmentation for the surrounding 7.29 ha.(9x9 pixel)
analysis window. The dataset was created by applying a
spatial filter to a published map of land cover from the
Multi-Resolution Land
Characteristics (MRLC) Consortium.
The spatial filter computed an index of forest fragmentation
from the attribute adjacency table of forest and non-forest
land cover types.
The [0,1] continuous index was discretized, and a byte
representation [1,255] was stored at the center location
(i.e., at the center pixel) in a new map. Each pixel in
the new map is an index of forest fragmentation, for the
surrounding 7.29 ha window, for the corresponding pixel
in the original land cover map.
Caveats include: Maps in this series are naturally correlated
since all came from one map. No warranty or claim is made of the
utility of this map for any particular purpose, this is considered
to be a research dataset. The forest fragmentation map
portrays relative fragmentation, at one scale, considering only
forest and non-forest cover types.
Landscape Pattern Types at 590 hectare Scale
This dataset is a grid map at 30 meter
resolution. Each pixel value represents an index of landscape
pattern type (LPT) for the surrounding 590.49 ha.(81x81 pixel)
analysis window. The dataset was created by applying a
spatial filter to a published map of land cover from the
Multi-Resolution Land
Characteristics (MRLC) Consortium.
The spatial filter computed the index from the surrounding
proportions of forest, agriculture, and urban land cover types,
using the relative proportions to assign a categorical LPT
value [1, 19] to the pixel at the center location in each window.
Each pixel in the new map characterizes the LPT of the surrounding
590.49 ha window, for the corresponding pixel in the original
land cover map.
Caveats include: Maps in this series are naturally correlated
since all came from one map. No warranty or claim is made of the
utility of this map for any particular purpose, this is considered
to be a research dataset. The LPT map considers one scale, three
general cover types, and arbitrary rules for classifying LPTs.
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