-------- Original Message --------
Subject: National Land Cover Database (NLCD 2006) Released
Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2011 10:58:30 -0600 (CST)
From: Linda R Zellmer <[log in to unmask]>
To: geonet <[log in to unmask]>, Map & Air Photo Discussion List
<[log in to unmask]>
Hello,
This USGS press release came across my RSS feeds this morning:
"The latest edition of the National Land Cover Database (NLCD 2006) is
now publicly available. This massive database updates our knowledge of
the Nation’s land cover and documents precisely where land cover change
has occurred between 2001 and 2006. NLCD is used for thousands of
applications in such diverse investigations as ecosystem status and
health, spatial patterns of biodiversity, indications of climate change,
and best practices in land management.
“Periodic updating of the NLCD can be compared to taking a new census of
the state of our land cover,” said U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
Director Marcia McNutt. “Just as repeating the census reveals
demographic trends that provide a wealth of information for social
science research, monitoring land cover change can similarly serve many
purposes in natural science and land management.”
Based on Landsat satellite imagery taken in 2006, the broad, yet
meticulous database was constructed in a five-year collaborative effort
by the 11-member federal interagency Multi‑Resolution Land
Characteristics Consortium (MRLC).
“The long-term collaboration that the MRLC demonstrates is a model of
cooperation among government entities,” Director McNutt continued.
“Their teamwork in producing the multi-purpose NLCD helps accelerate
science and it saves taxpayer money. That’s a synergy everyone can applaud.”
The carefully calibrated data describes the land surface condition of
each 30-meter cell of land in the conterminous United States and
identifies which ones have changed since the year 2001. Nearly six such
cells — each 98 feet long and wide — would fit on a football field. This
release of NLCD marks the first time land cover change has been captured
for the Nation in such a detailed way, requiring several years of new
methodological research to accomplish this goal.
The range and authoritative accuracy of this information will enable
managers of public and private lands, urban planners, agricultural
experts, and scientists with many different interests (for instance,
invasive species or hydrogeography) to identify critical characteristics
of the land and patterns of land cover change, informing a variety of
investigations from monitoring forests to modeling runoff in urban areas.
Land cover is broadly defined as the biophysical pattern of natural
vegetation, agriculture, and urban areas. It is shaped by both natural
processes and human influences. NLCD 2006 data portrays 16 classes of
land cover in the lower 48 states and the degree of surface
imperviousness in urban areas. The density of non-transpiring,
impervious surfaces — usually composed of concrete, asphalt, stone, and
metal — is widely recognized as a key indicator of environmental quality
in urban areas.
For more information and to download NLCD data, visit the National Land
Cover Database website."
The web site is at: http://www.mrlc.gov/
Linda Zellmer
--
Linda Zellmer
Government Information & Data Services Librarian
415 Malpass Library
Macomb, IL 61455
[log in to unmask]
Phone: 309-298-2723
Fax: 309-298-2791
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