Statewide Woody Vegetation Cover Classification from 1988

Vegetation cover datasets classify perennial woody vegetation across the state annually using Landsat imagery at 30-meter resolution. Landgate produces these datasets, which include two structural classes: forest meeting 20% cover density and 2m height, and sparse woody vegetation with 5-20% cover. The time series begins in 1988 and is updated to the present.

Use Cases

• Analyze long-term trends in forest and sparse woody vegetation classes using annual classification layers.
• Model vegetation structural changes by applying the 20% cover density and 2m height criteria to Landsat imagery.
• Assess state-wide land cover dynamics by tracking the two perennial woody vegetation categories over time.

Strengths

• Annual production provides a consistent time series for trend analysis.
• Classification uses a defined structural requirement of 20% cover density and 2m height for the forest category.
• State-wide spatial coverage offers a complete jurisdictional view.

Limitations

• Specific row, column, and sample size metrics are unavailable for assessing dataset scale.
• The classification is limited to two broad woody vegetation classes, lacking finer species or health detail.
• Reliance on 30m Landsat pixels may miss finer-scale vegetation patterns.

Provenance

Source

Landgate

Collection Method

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

Time Range

1988 to present

Freshness

Updated annually to current; metadata last updated March 2026.

Geography

State-wide coverage