LiDAR Forest Biomass Maps for Northwestern USA at 30-Meter Resolution

Northwestern US forest aboveground biomass maps cover Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana at a 30-meter spatial resolution. The dataset integrates 3,805 field plots with LiDAR imagery from 176 collections, using random forest modeling to estimate biomass from LiDAR, climate, and topographic metrics. NASA compiled this data from 29 stakeholder sources, with LiDAR acquisitions spanning 2002 to 2016.

Use Cases

• Modeling regional carbon stocks using aboveground biomass (AGB) estimates in Mg/ha.
• Assessing forest structure and health via LiDAR-derived height and density metrics.
• Quantifying model prediction uncertainty using the mapped standard deviation of AGB estimates.
• Analyzing relationships between biomass, climate, and topography using integrated gridded metrics.

Strengths

• Model incorporates 3,805 field plots for training, providing a substantial ground-truth foundation.
• Includes pixel-level uncertainty estimates via the standard deviation of random forest predictions.
• Integrates multiple data sources: LiDAR metrics, gridded climate data, and SRTM topographic estimates.

Limitations

• AGB estimates represent a single snapshot in time and may not be representative of the larger study area.
• Conflicting last-updated dates exist between platforms (2016-12 vs. 2026-03), indicating potential metadata inconsistency.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Plot-level AGB calculated from tree measurements using Forest Vegetation Simulator equations, then modeled via random forest algorithm from LiDAR, climate, and topographic metrics.

Time Range

2002 to 2016

Freshness

2026-03-13 00:56:21.324848

Geography

Portions of Northwestern United States, including Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana.