MEaSUREs VCF: Global Vegetation Cover Fractions at 0.05 Degrees, 1982-2016

NASA's MEaSUREs Vegetation Continuous Fields (VCF) Version 1 provides global fractional vegetation cover at 0.05 degree (5,600 meter) spatial resolution for yearly intervals from 1982 to 2016. The data product is derived from a bagged linear model algorithm using Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) observations compiled in the Long Term Data Record Version 4. It includes three bands for percent tree cover, non-tree vegetation, and bare ground, with a water mask applied.

Use Cases

• Modeling global forest cover change based on percent tree cover data.
• Analyzing vegetation density trends for climate-related applications using fractional vegetation cover.
• Incorporating land surface parameters into carbon and biomass models based on the three cover bands.
• Studying long-term landscape dynamics from 1982 to 2016 using the yearly time series.

Strengths

• Global coverage at a consistent 0.05 degree (5,600 meter) spatial resolution.
• Yearly temporal coverage spanning 35 years from 1982 to 2016.
• Derived from a standardized algorithm using the Long Term Data Record Version 4 (LTDR V4).

Limitations

• Data for years 1994 and 2000 were excluded due to lack of source data.
• Known issues and constraints are documented in a separate Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document, requiring additional review.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Derived from a bagged linear model algorithm using AVHRR observations from the Long Term Data Record Version 4 (LTDR V4).

Time Range

1982 to 2016 (excluding 1994 and 2000)

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 00:33:38.824576; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Global