BOREAS SSA Conifer Forest Biomass Density Image from 1994

A biomass density image covers almost the entire BOREAS Southern Study Area (SSA), focusing on conifer land cover classes. The data represents overstory tree biomass per unit area, derived from a Landsat-5 Thematic Mapper image collected on September 2, 1994. It is provided by ORNL_CLOUD in a binary image file format with companion inventory and thumbnail files.

Use Cases

• Quantifying above-ground carbon stocks in boreal conifer forests using pixel-level biomass density values.
• Calibrating or validating regional biomass models derived from other remote sensing platforms.
• Analyzing the relationship between land cover classification and biomass distribution within the BOREAS SSA.
• Supporting historical baseline studies for forest change and biomass dynamics over time.

Strengths

• Data is derived from a specific, high-quality source: a Landsat-5 TM image collected on 02-Sep-1994.
• Focus on conifer land cover classes provides a targeted estimate of tree biomass for a dominant boreal forest type.
• Cross-platform presence on NASA EarthData and Data.gov signals recognized importance and curation.

Limitations

• Key metadata conflicts exist: the 'last updated' date is reported as both 1994-09-02 and 2026-03-13.
• The dataset's exact spatial resolution, pixel count, and file size are not specified in the provided sources.
• Biomass estimates are limited to overstory (tree) biomass and conifer classes, excluding other vegetation.

Provenance

Source

ORNL_CLOUD

Collection Method

Derived from a Landsat-5 Thematic Mapper image using a technique similar to that used for the physical classification of the SSA.

Time Range

1994-09-02

Freshness

2026-03-13 07:10:18.151744

Geography

BOREAS Southern Study Area (SSA), almost entirely covered.