LBA Regional Land Cover from AVHRR, 1-Degree, 1987

1987 land cover classification for the Amazon Basin, derived from AVHRR satellite data. This dataset is a regional subset of the University of Maryland's 1-degree global product, created for the Large Scale Biosphere-Atmosphere Experiment (LBA). It uses a supervised classification of eleven cover types representing major world biomes, based on monthly NDVI composites averaged to a one-by-one degree resolution.

Use Cases

• Modeling regional biosphere-atmosphere exchanges based on classified land cover types.
• Analyzing broad-scale vegetation patterns and biome distributions in the Amazon.
• Providing a historical baseline for 1987 land cover to assess subsequent change.
• Calibrating or validating other land cover products at a coarse, one-degree resolution.

Strengths

• Provides a specific, scientifically relevant subset for the Amazonian LBA study area.
• Based on a supervised classification of eleven distinct global biome cover types.
• Derived from a consistent, global 1987 AVHRR satellite data composite.

Limitations

• Metadata completeness is low: column names, row counts, and exact file sizes are unknown across all platforms.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates: one platform lists 2026-04-10 (likely a metadata refresh), while another lists the intrinsic data date of 1987-12 31.
• Coarse spatial resolution (one degree) limits analysis of fine-scale land cover patterns.

Provenance

Source

University of Maryland Laboratory for Global Remote Sensing Studies (LGRSS), distributed via the NASA DAAC and Global Land Cover Facility.

Collection Method

Supervised classification of eleven land cover types based on 1987 Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) monthly NDVI composites, averaged to one-degree resolution.

Time Range

1987

Freshness

2026-04-10 01:37:19.066359

Geography

South America, specifically longitude 85°W to 30°W, latitude 25°S to 10°N (Amazon Basin LBA study area).