Western Australia Woody Vegetation Cover From 1988 Landsat Imagery

Western Australia's state-wide vegetation cover dataset classifies perennial woody vegetation from annual Landsat imagery at 30-meter resolution. Landgate produces this data, which includes two structural classes for forest and sparse woody vegetation, with records starting in 1988.

Use Cases

• Analyze long-term trends in forest cover density using the 20% cover and 2m height structural class.
• Model changes in sparse woody vegetation areas identified by the 5-20% cover category over time.
• Integrate annual classification layers with other spatial data for land cover change detection in Western Australia.

Strengths

• Annual production provides a consistent time series for trend analysis.
• State-wide coverage offers a complete spatial picture for Western Australia.
• 30-meter ground pixel resolution from Landsat imagery provides detailed spatial data.
• Data record extends from 1988, enabling multi-decadal environmental studies.

Limitations

• Classification is limited to two woody vegetation classes, lacking finer species or health detail.
• Data relies on satellite imagery interpretation, which can be affected by cloud cover and atmospheric conditions.

Provenance

Source

Landgate

Collection Method

Derived from Landsat satellite imagery (30m ground pixel) classification.

Time Range

1988 to present

Freshness

Updated annually; last metadata update was 2026-03-10.

Geography

State of Western Australia