Annual Woody Vegetation Cover Classification For Western Australia

State-wide vegetation cover datasets classify perennial woody vegetation annually from 1988 onward. The data is derived from Landsat imagery with a 30-meter ground pixel resolution and distinguishes between forest and sparse woody vegetation categories. It is produced by Landgate, the Western Australian land information authority.

Use Cases

• Classify forest areas meeting the 20% cover density and 2m height structural requirement from satellite imagery.
• Monitor changes in sparse woody vegetation (5-20% cover) over time for land management.
• Analyze long-term trends in perennial woody vegetation cover across Western Australia starting from 1988.
• Integrate annual vegetation classification layers into broader land cover or environmental change models.

Strengths

• Annual time series provides consistent data from 1988 to the present for trend analysis.
• State-wide spatial coverage offers a complete view of Western Australia's vegetation.
• Clear classification criteria define two distinct woody vegetation categories based on cover density and height.

Limitations

• The classification is limited to two woody vegetation classes, lacking detail on species or other land cover types.
• The 30-meter pixel resolution may not capture fine-scale vegetation patterns or changes.

Provenance

Source

Landgate, the Western Australian land information authority.

Collection Method

Derived from classification of Landsat satellite imagery.

Time Range

1988 to present.

Freshness

Updated annually, with metadata indicating a recent update in March 2026.

Geography

State-wide coverage of Western Australia.