Land Cover and Change
Tracking Land, From Past to Present
Tracking Land, From Past to Present
Land cover describes the physical material on Earth’s surface, such as forests, grasslands, wetlands, and urban areas. Tracking how these patterns shift over time helps us understand where, how, and why landscapes are changing. Using remote sensing and spatial data, the USGS documents both historical and current land changes and evaluates their effects on society and natural systems at local, regional, and national scales. This research supports better land management practices and informed decision-making for the future.
Annual National Land Cover Database
Annual National Land Cover Database
USGS Sagebrush Science
USGS Sagebrush Science
Mapping Grassland Bird Community Distribution
Mapping Grassland Bird Community Distribution
Rangeland Condition Monitoring, Assessment, and Projection (RCMAP)
Rangeland Condition Monitoring, Assessment, and Projection (RCMAP)
Global Croplands Data
Global Croplands Data
Applied Landscape Ecology and Remote Sensing
We focus on landscape studies of natural and working lands, in particular coastal and inland wetlands and rangelands. We quantify ecosystem benefits, find areas vulnerable to future change, and identify potential for climate mitigation and resilience. We conduct research by scaling field measurements to the regional, state and national scale with remote sensing, geospatial analysis, and modeling...
Aridland Water Harvesting Study
Most of western North America has been severely grazed by cattle, causing grasslands to deteriorate and desert scrub expansion. Climate in arid and semi-arid regions is often typified by short, intense rainfall events which contribute to short-term flooding and erosion. Associated arroyo cutting occurs when ephemeral creek beds are carved into the floodplain when erratic overland flow occurs; this...
Buffelgrass
Mapping When and Where Invasive Buffelgrass is Green at Saguaro National Park in Arizona.
Ecosystem Modelling and Decision Support
The Ecosystem Modelling and Decision Support Project seeks to understand how drivers of ecosystem change like wildfire, drought, and land use affected past spatial and temporal patterns of vegetation communities and wildlife. Research methods involve 1) analyzing field-collected information (e.g. long-term plot/transect data, repeat photography) on soils, vegetation, and/or wildlife with...
Applied Landscape Ecology and Remote Sensing
We focus on landscape studies of natural and working lands, in particular coastal and inland wetlands and rangelands. We quantify ecosystem benefits, find areas vulnerable to future change, and identify potential for climate mitigation and resilience. We conduct research by scaling field measurements to the regional, state and national scale with remote sensing, geospatial analysis, and modeling...
Aridland Water Harvesting Study
Most of western North America has been severely grazed by cattle, causing grasslands to deteriorate and desert scrub expansion. Climate in arid and semi-arid regions is often typified by short, intense rainfall events which contribute to short-term flooding and erosion. Associated arroyo cutting occurs when ephemeral creek beds are carved into the floodplain when erratic overland flow occurs; this...
Buffelgrass
Mapping When and Where Invasive Buffelgrass is Green at Saguaro National Park in Arizona.
Ecosystem Modelling and Decision Support
The Ecosystem Modelling and Decision Support Project seeks to understand how drivers of ecosystem change like wildfire, drought, and land use affected past spatial and temporal patterns of vegetation communities and wildlife. Research methods involve 1) analyzing field-collected information (e.g. long-term plot/transect data, repeat photography) on soils, vegetation, and/or wildlife with...