The data presented in this map depict the vegetative cover types currently present across the conterminous United States. These data were first developed by integrating two pre-existing remotely sensed vegetation classifications. The 1990 Land Cover Characteristics database (LCC) developed by USGS EROS Data Center was used for all non-forest cover types, and the 1992 Resources Planning Act map of Forest Types of the United States developed by the Southern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, was used for all forest cover types. The two remotely sensed classifications were based on biweekly composites of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) derived from daily Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) satellite images collected during one vegetative growing season. These biweekly NDVI composites were clustered into areas of similar seasonal profiles, then classified into vegetation classes.

Seven regional expert panels then integrated the biophysical classification of Potential Natural Vegetation and the Historical Natural Fire Regimes with the Current Cover Types data to create generalized successional pathway diagrams. These successional pathways diagrams and local knowledge were used to refine the integrated Current Cover Type map.

Narrative Document

Development of Coarse-Scale Spatial Data for Wildland Fire and Fuel Management

GIS Spatial Data

Unix (tar, compressed) ct2000.tar.Z
Windows (zipped) ct2000.zip

Map Graphics

ct2000 JPG (Views Nicely; Prints Poorly), 8.5 x 11
ct2000 Acrobat Reader PDF (Prints Nicely), 8.5 x 11

Metadata

Current Cover Types, v2000