ISLSCP II: Global Vegetation Cover Continuous Fields, 1992-1993

ISLSCP II Continuous Fields of Vegetation Cover provides global, sub-pixel estimates of land cover proportions derived from AVHRR satellite data and NDVI. The dataset includes continuous fields for tree, herbaceous, bare ground, and water cover, with additional layers for tree leaf longevity and morphology. It is part of a larger collection of 50 global time-series datasets for 1986-1995, formatted for climate and carbon cycle modeling.

Use Cases

• Modeling carbon dynamics based on sub-pixel proportions of tree, herbaceous, and bare ground cover.
• Analyzing climate-vegetation interactions using continuous fields of leaf longevity (evergreen/deciduous) and morphology (broadleaf/needleleaf).
• Calibrating land surface models with globally consistent, peer-reviewed vegetation data at 0.25, 0.5, and 1.0-degree resolutions.
• Studying long-term vegetation change as part of a ten-year global time series from 1986 to 1995.

Strengths

• Data and documentation have undergone two peer reviews, indicating a level of quality assurance.
• Part of a consistent collection of 50 global datasets designed specifically for modelers.
• Provides sub-pixel continuous fields, offering more detail than simple land cover classifications.

Limitations

• Key metadata such as row count, column names, and specific license terms are not provided across sources.
• There is a conflict in the 'last updated' date (1993 vs. 2026), casting doubt on metadata maintenance.
• The dataset's primary temporal coverage (1992-1993) is a subset of the broader ISLSCP II period, limiting analysis to a short window.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), compiled for the International Satellite Land-Surface Climatology Project, Initiative II (ISLSCP II).

Collection Method

Derived from multi-temporal Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) data and NDVI, resampled to common grids.

Time Range

1986 to 1995 (ISLSCP II collection), with this dataset covering 1992-1993.

Freshness

2026-04-10 02:04:25.832687

Geography

Global