Terrestrial Condition Assessment Drought Impacts 2017-2019

A map service provides average moisture deficit as a z-score for current conditions from 2017-2019 against a 1900-2017 reference period. Data are summarized at the USFS National Hierarchy Subsection scale and applied to corresponding LTAs. The dataset is maintained by the Department of Agriculture.

Use Cases

• Analyze spatial patterns of moisture deficit z-scores across USFS ecological subsections to identify drought severity.
• Model the relationship between current moisture conditions (2017-2019) and long-term reference data (1900-2017) for climate impact studies.
• Assess drought impacts on terrestrial conditions by integrating z-score data with other ecological unit attributes.

Strengths

• Data is derived from a long-term reference period spanning 117 years (1900-2017).
• Spatial analysis is structured using the standardized USFS National Hierarchy of Ecological Units.
• Dataset was updated in April 2025, indicating recent maintenance.

Limitations

• Data is limited to a two-year snapshot of current conditions (2017-2019), which may not represent recent trends.
• The specific data format (ArcGIS REST API) requires GIS software or specialized libraries for access and analysis.

Provenance

Source

Department of Agriculture

Collection Method

Calculated average moisture deficit as a z-score from reference and current conditions, summarized at ecological subsection scale.

Time Range

Reference period: 1900-2017; Current conditions: 2017-2019

Freshness

Last updated 2025-04 21.

Geography

United States, based on USFS National Hierarchy of Ecological Units.