Rangeland Monitoring, Assessment, and Projection (RCMAP) provides critical information on subtle vegetation changes in western US rangelands.
Detailed Description
Rangeland managers need information on the current vegetation condition and how the landscape has changed through time. To address this need, scientsist from the USGS and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) developed the Rangeland Condition Monitoring Assessment and Projection (RCMAP) project. These data classify U.S. rangelands as fractional (0-100%) cover of then ground cover components (annual herbaceous, bare ground, herbaceous, litter, non-sagebrush shrub, perennial herbaceous, sagebrush, shrub, tree, and shrub height). Maps are produced for each year in a time-series stretching from 1985-2023. This long-term perspective is key to understanding vegetation response to climate change, altered management practices, and to disturbance.
Sources/Usage
Public Domain.
Rangeland managers need information on the current vegetation condition and how the landscape has changed through time. To address this need, scientsist from the USGS and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) developed the Rangeland Condition Monitoring Assessment and Projection (RCMAP) project. These data classify U.S. rangelands as fractional (0-100%) cover of then ground cover components (annual herbaceous, bare ground, herbaceous, litter, non-sagebrush shrub, perennial herbaceous, sagebrush, shrub, tree, and shrub height). Maps are produced for each year in a time-series stretching from 1985-2023. This long-term perspective is key to understanding vegetation response to climate change, altered management practices, and to disturbance.