MODIS/Terra VCF: Global Vegetation Cover at 250m Resolution

Global land surface data representing vegetation cover as gradations of percent tree cover, percent non-tree cover, and percent non-vegetated (bare). The MOD44B Version 6.1 product from NASA provides this quantitative portrayal at a 250 meter pixel resolution, with annual periods starting around March 5-6. The data layers include percent cover estimates, cloud cover, and quality indicators.

Use Cases

• Modeling land surface changes based on continuous percent cover estimates.
• Monitoring deforestation and afforestation trends based on percent tree cover data.
• Enhancing inputs for climate and environmental models based on sub-pixel vegetation components.
• Assessing global vegetation health and distribution based on annual, high-resolution cover layers.

Strengths

• Provides a continuous, quantitative portrayal of land cover at 250 meter pixel resolution.
• Includes multiple data layers: percent tree cover, non-tree cover, non-vegetated, cloud cover, and quality indicators.
• Product version 6.1 incorporates specific calibration improvements for Terra MODIS instruments.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Known issues exist, requiring users to consult external quality assessment websites.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing from the MODIS/Terra instrument.

Time Range

Annual periods starting around day of year 65 (March 5-6).

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-12 23:36:18.690823; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Global