LiDAR-Derived Forest Biomass Maps for Four US Sites, 2011

11 high-resolution GeoTIFF maps estimate aboveground biomass for four forested sites in the US for the nominal year 2011. The data, at 20-50 meter resolution, combine field inventory and LiDAR data with modeling approaches. Uncertainty estimates are provided for the Maryland site using two different methodologies.

Use Cases

• Validating regional or global carbon cycle models based on site-specific biomass maps.
• Assessing forest carbon stocks for climate change mitigation reporting using the provided megagrams of carbon per hectare units.
• Comparing biomass estimation methodologies by analyzing the uncertainty layers provided for the Maryland site.
• Calibrating airborne or satellite-based remote sensing products using the high-resolution LiDAR-derived maps.

Strengths

• Provides uncertainty estimates for one site using two modeling methodologies, supporting error analysis.
• Combines multiple data sources (field inventory and LiDAR) for improved biomass estimation.
• Covers four distinct forested sites across the United States, offering geographic diversity.
• Data is presented as high-resolution (20-50 meter) geospatial raster files.

Limitations

• Metadata completeness is low; column names, row counts, and exact file sizes are not provided.
• The nominal year of data is 2011, which may limit contemporary applications.
• There is a conflict in the 'last updated' metadata between platforms (2011 vs. 2026).

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Generated using a combination of field forest inventory data, LiDAR remote sensing, and modeling approaches.

Time Range

Nominal year 2011.

Freshness

Last updated metadata conflicts: datagov lists 2026-04-10, while nasa_earthdata lists 2011-12 31.

Geography

Four forested sites in the USA: Garcia River Tract, California; Anne Arundel and Howard Counties, Maryland; Parker Tract, North Carolina; Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, New Hampshire.