Roger has been involved with regional and national land-use and land-cover (LULC) change research since 1999 as a member of the Land Cover Trends project and now the LCMAP initiative.
I have been involved with regional and national land-use and land-cover (LULC) change research since 1999 as a member of the Land Cover Trends project and now the LCMAP initiative. I have extensive knowledge of land change across the United States and the driving forces influencing change. My research bridges remote sensing change detection with non-remote sensing geographical analysis. I have been involved in publishing national and regional land change information, with an emphasis on regional analysis and driving forces of change. Regional works include diverse areas such as the northern Great Plains, the northeast urban corridor, the forested Southeast, and the Corn Belt. Current research includes testing and writing up LCMAP results in use for national and regional land change reporting.
Science and Products
Eyes on Earth Episode 13 – Land Use
Eyes on Earth is a podcast on remote sensing, Earth observation, land change and science, brought to you by the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center. In this episode, we hear about how satellites are used to study changes in land use and its impacts.
LCMAP CONUS Geographic Assessment Data Tables v1.0 1985-2016
This is a collection of data tables supporting the LCMAP CONUS Geographic Assessment v1.0. The data used to generate these tables come from the USGS LCMAP reference dataset and the map products released by LCMAP. Tables include annual land cover class composition and annual rate of land cover change metrics developed with a post-stratified estimator. Other tables including annual gross change of s
LCMAP Hawaii Reference Data Product land cover, land use and change process attributes
The LCMAP Hawaii Reference Data Product was utilized for evaluation and validation of the Land Change Monitoring, Assessment, and Projection (LCMAP) land cover and land cover change products for Hawaii. The LCMAP Hawaii Reference Data Product includes the collection of an independent dataset of 600 30-meter by 30-meter plots across Hawaii. This dataset was collected via manual image interpretation
LCMAP CONUS Intensification Reference Data Product 1984–2019 land cover, land use and change process attributes
The LCMAP Intensification Reference Data Product was utilized for evaluation and validation of the Land Change Monitoring, Assessment, and Projection (LCMAP) land cover and land cover change products. The LCMAP Intensification Reference Data Product includes the collection of an independent dataset of 2,000 30-meter by 30-meter plots selected via stratified random sampling across the conterminous
Land Cover Assignments of 300 locations in the Pacific Northwest in 2000
Area estimates of land cover and land cover change are often based on reference class labels determined by analysts interpreting satellite imagery and aerial photography. Different interpreters may assign different reference class labels to the same sample unit. This dataset include land cover attributes for the year 2000 assigned by 7 image analysts, working independently of each other, to a set
Data release for the Land Change Causes for the United States Interior Highlands (2001 to 2006 and 2006 to 2011 time intervals)
These data were created to describe the causes of land cover change that occurred in the Interior Highland region of the United States for the time intervals of 2001 to 2006 and 2006 to 2011. This region, which covers approximately 17.5 million hectares, includes portions of the U.S. states of Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Kansas. Most of the area is covered by gently rolling hills of forests
Filter Total Items: 38
Assessment of public and private land cover change in the United States from 1985–2018
An assessment of annual land cover on publicly and privately managed lands across the conterminous United States (CONUS) from 1985–2018 was performed, including land cover conversions within their management category, to inform future policy and land-use decision-making in natural resource management. Synthesizing land cover data with land management delineations aids our ability to address effect
Authors
Nathan C. Healey, Janis L. Taylor, Roger F. Auch
Trends in tree cover change over three decades related to interannual climate variability and wildfire in California
The U.S. State of California has experienced frequent drought events, hotter temperatures and other disruptions to the climate system whose effects on ecosystems have been widely reported in recent decades. Studies primarily confined to specific vegetation communities or species, individual drought incidents, or analysis over a relatively short intervals, has limited our understanding of the broad
Authors
Francis K Dwomoh, Roger F. Auch, Jesslyn F. Brown, Heather J. Tollerud
Tree regrowth duration map from LCMAP collection 1.0 land cover products in the conterminous United States, 1985–2017
Forest covers about one-third of the land area of the conterminous United States (CONUS) and plays an important role in offsetting carbon emissions and supporting local economies. Growing interest in forests as relatively cost-effective nature-based climate solutions, particularly restoration and reforestation activities, has increased the demand for information on forest regrowth and recovery fol
Authors
Qiang Zhou, George Z. Xian, Josephine Horton, Danika F. Wellington, Grant Domke, Roger F. Auch, Congcong Li, Zhe Zhu
Conterminous United States land-cover change (1985-2016): New insights from annual time series
Sample-based estimates augmented by complete coverage land-cover maps were used to estimate area and describe patterns of annual land-cover change across the conterminous United States (CONUS) between 1985 and 2016. Most of the CONUS land cover remained stable in terms of net class change over this time, but a substantial gross change dynamic was captured by the annual and cumulative time interval
Authors
Roger F. Auch, Danika Fay Wellington, Janis L. Taylor, Stephen V Stehman, Heather J. Tollerud, Jesslyn F. Brown, Thomas Loveland, Bruce Pengra, Josephine Horton, Zhe Zhu, Alemayehu Midekisa, Kristi Sayler, George Xian, Christopher Barnes, Ryan R. Reker
Implementation of the CCDC algorithm to produce the LCMAP Collection 1.0 annual land surface change product
The increasing availability of high-quality remote sensing data and advanced technologies have spurred land cover mapping to characterize land change from local to global scales. However, most land change datasets either span multiple decades at a local scale or cover limited time over a larger geographic extent. Here, we present a new land cover and land surface change dataset created by the Land
Authors
George Z. Xian, Kelcy Smith, Danika F. Wellington, Josephine Horton, Qiang Zhou, Congcong Li, Roger F. Auch, Jesslyn F. Brown, Zhe Zhu, Ryan R. Reker
Monitoring and characterizing multi-decadal variations of urban thermal condition using time-series thermal remote sensing and dynamic land cover data
Urban development and associated land cover and land use change alter the thermal, hydrological, and physical properties of the land surface. Assessments of surface urban heat island (UHI) usually focused on using remote sensing and land cover data to quantify UHI intensity and spatial distribution within a certain period. However, the mechanisms and complex interactions in landscape dynamics and
Authors
George Z. Xian, Hua Shi, Qiang Zhou, Roger F. Auch, Kevin Gallo, Zhuoting Wu, Michael Kolian
Urban heat island and its regional impacts using remotely sensed thermal data – A review of recent developments and methodology
Many novel research algorithms have been developed to analyze urban heat island (UHI) and UHI regional impacts (UHIRIP) with remotely sensed thermal data tables. We present a comprehensive review of some important aspects of UHI and UHIRIP studies that use remotely sensed thermal data, including concepts, datasets, methodologies, and applications. We focus on reviewing progress on multi-sensor ima
Authors
Hua Shi, George Z. Xian, Roger F. Auch, Kevin Gallo, Qiang Zhou
Hotter drought escalates tree cover declines in blue oak woodlands of California
California has, in recent years, become a hotspot of interannual climatic variability, recording devastating climate-related disturbances with severe effects on tree resources. Understanding the patterns of tree cover change associated with these events is vital for developing strategies to sustain critical habitats of endemic and threatened vegetation communities. We assessed patterns of tree cov
Authors
Francis K Dwomoh, Jesslyn F. Brown, Heather J. Tollerud, Roger F. Auch
The effects of urban land cover dynamics on urban heat Island intensity and temporal trends
Assessments of surface urban heat island (UHI) have focused on using remote sensing and land cover data to quantify UHI intensity and spatial distribution within a certain time period by including land cover information. In this study, we implemented a prototype approach to characterize the spatiotemporal variations of UHI using time series of Landsat land surface temperature products and annual l
Authors
George Z. Xian, Hua Shi, Roger F. Auch, Kevin Gallo, Qiang Zhou, Zhuoting Wu, Michael Kolian
Causes of land change in the U.S. Interior Highlands, 2001–2011
The causes of land change from 2001 through 2011 for the Interior Highlands region of the south-central United States were assessed using satellite imagery, historical land-use and land-cover data, and digital orthophotos. The study was designed to develop improved regional land-use and land-cover change information, including identification of the proximate causes of change. The four leading caus
Authors
Mark A. Drummond, Michael P. Stier, Jamie L. McBeth, Roger F. Auch, Janis L. Taylor, Jodi L. Riegle
Land change monitoring, assessment, and projection
There is a pressing need to monitor and understand the rapid land change happening around the world. The U.S. Geological Survey is developing a new capability, called Land Change Monitoring, Assessment, and Projection (LCMAP), to innovate the understanding of land change. This capability is the Earth Resources Observation and Science Center's foundation for an integrated U.S. Geological Survey-wid
Authors
Jennifer Rover, Jesslyn F. Brown, Roger F. Auch, Kristi Sayler, Terry L. Sohl, Heather J. Tollerud, George Xian
Conterminous United States land cover change patterns 2001–2016 from the 2016 National Land Cover Database
The 2016 National Land Cover Database (NLCD) product suite (available on www.mrlc.gov), includes Landsat-based, 30 m resolution products over the conterminous (CONUS) United States (U.S.) for land cover, urban imperviousness, and tree, shrub, herbaceous and bare ground fractional percentages. The release of NLCD 2016 provides important new information on land change patterns across CONUS from 2001
Authors
Collin G. Homer, Jon Dewitz, Suming Jin, George Xian, Catherine Costello, Patrick Danielson, Leila Gass, Michelle Funk, James Wickham, Steven Stehman, Roger F. Auch, Kurt H. Riitters
Science and Products
- Science
Eyes on Earth Episode 13 – Land Use
Eyes on Earth is a podcast on remote sensing, Earth observation, land change and science, brought to you by the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center. In this episode, we hear about how satellites are used to study changes in land use and its impacts.
- Data
LCMAP CONUS Geographic Assessment Data Tables v1.0 1985-2016
This is a collection of data tables supporting the LCMAP CONUS Geographic Assessment v1.0. The data used to generate these tables come from the USGS LCMAP reference dataset and the map products released by LCMAP. Tables include annual land cover class composition and annual rate of land cover change metrics developed with a post-stratified estimator. Other tables including annual gross change of sLCMAP Hawaii Reference Data Product land cover, land use and change process attributes
The LCMAP Hawaii Reference Data Product was utilized for evaluation and validation of the Land Change Monitoring, Assessment, and Projection (LCMAP) land cover and land cover change products for Hawaii. The LCMAP Hawaii Reference Data Product includes the collection of an independent dataset of 600 30-meter by 30-meter plots across Hawaii. This dataset was collected via manual image interpretationLCMAP CONUS Intensification Reference Data Product 1984–2019 land cover, land use and change process attributes
The LCMAP Intensification Reference Data Product was utilized for evaluation and validation of the Land Change Monitoring, Assessment, and Projection (LCMAP) land cover and land cover change products. The LCMAP Intensification Reference Data Product includes the collection of an independent dataset of 2,000 30-meter by 30-meter plots selected via stratified random sampling across the conterminousLand Cover Assignments of 300 locations in the Pacific Northwest in 2000
Area estimates of land cover and land cover change are often based on reference class labels determined by analysts interpreting satellite imagery and aerial photography. Different interpreters may assign different reference class labels to the same sample unit. This dataset include land cover attributes for the year 2000 assigned by 7 image analysts, working independently of each other, to a setData release for the Land Change Causes for the United States Interior Highlands (2001 to 2006 and 2006 to 2011 time intervals)
These data were created to describe the causes of land cover change that occurred in the Interior Highland region of the United States for the time intervals of 2001 to 2006 and 2006 to 2011. This region, which covers approximately 17.5 million hectares, includes portions of the U.S. states of Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Kansas. Most of the area is covered by gently rolling hills of forests - Multimedia
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 38
Assessment of public and private land cover change in the United States from 1985–2018
An assessment of annual land cover on publicly and privately managed lands across the conterminous United States (CONUS) from 1985–2018 was performed, including land cover conversions within their management category, to inform future policy and land-use decision-making in natural resource management. Synthesizing land cover data with land management delineations aids our ability to address effectAuthorsNathan C. Healey, Janis L. Taylor, Roger F. AuchTrends in tree cover change over three decades related to interannual climate variability and wildfire in California
The U.S. State of California has experienced frequent drought events, hotter temperatures and other disruptions to the climate system whose effects on ecosystems have been widely reported in recent decades. Studies primarily confined to specific vegetation communities or species, individual drought incidents, or analysis over a relatively short intervals, has limited our understanding of the broadAuthorsFrancis K Dwomoh, Roger F. Auch, Jesslyn F. Brown, Heather J. TollerudTree regrowth duration map from LCMAP collection 1.0 land cover products in the conterminous United States, 1985–2017
Forest covers about one-third of the land area of the conterminous United States (CONUS) and plays an important role in offsetting carbon emissions and supporting local economies. Growing interest in forests as relatively cost-effective nature-based climate solutions, particularly restoration and reforestation activities, has increased the demand for information on forest regrowth and recovery folAuthorsQiang Zhou, George Z. Xian, Josephine Horton, Danika F. Wellington, Grant Domke, Roger F. Auch, Congcong Li, Zhe ZhuConterminous United States land-cover change (1985-2016): New insights from annual time series
Sample-based estimates augmented by complete coverage land-cover maps were used to estimate area and describe patterns of annual land-cover change across the conterminous United States (CONUS) between 1985 and 2016. Most of the CONUS land cover remained stable in terms of net class change over this time, but a substantial gross change dynamic was captured by the annual and cumulative time intervalAuthorsRoger F. Auch, Danika Fay Wellington, Janis L. Taylor, Stephen V Stehman, Heather J. Tollerud, Jesslyn F. Brown, Thomas Loveland, Bruce Pengra, Josephine Horton, Zhe Zhu, Alemayehu Midekisa, Kristi Sayler, George Xian, Christopher Barnes, Ryan R. RekerImplementation of the CCDC algorithm to produce the LCMAP Collection 1.0 annual land surface change product
The increasing availability of high-quality remote sensing data and advanced technologies have spurred land cover mapping to characterize land change from local to global scales. However, most land change datasets either span multiple decades at a local scale or cover limited time over a larger geographic extent. Here, we present a new land cover and land surface change dataset created by the LandAuthorsGeorge Z. Xian, Kelcy Smith, Danika F. Wellington, Josephine Horton, Qiang Zhou, Congcong Li, Roger F. Auch, Jesslyn F. Brown, Zhe Zhu, Ryan R. RekerMonitoring and characterizing multi-decadal variations of urban thermal condition using time-series thermal remote sensing and dynamic land cover data
Urban development and associated land cover and land use change alter the thermal, hydrological, and physical properties of the land surface. Assessments of surface urban heat island (UHI) usually focused on using remote sensing and land cover data to quantify UHI intensity and spatial distribution within a certain period. However, the mechanisms and complex interactions in landscape dynamics andAuthorsGeorge Z. Xian, Hua Shi, Qiang Zhou, Roger F. Auch, Kevin Gallo, Zhuoting Wu, Michael KolianUrban heat island and its regional impacts using remotely sensed thermal data – A review of recent developments and methodology
Many novel research algorithms have been developed to analyze urban heat island (UHI) and UHI regional impacts (UHIRIP) with remotely sensed thermal data tables. We present a comprehensive review of some important aspects of UHI and UHIRIP studies that use remotely sensed thermal data, including concepts, datasets, methodologies, and applications. We focus on reviewing progress on multi-sensor imaAuthorsHua Shi, George Z. Xian, Roger F. Auch, Kevin Gallo, Qiang ZhouHotter drought escalates tree cover declines in blue oak woodlands of California
California has, in recent years, become a hotspot of interannual climatic variability, recording devastating climate-related disturbances with severe effects on tree resources. Understanding the patterns of tree cover change associated with these events is vital for developing strategies to sustain critical habitats of endemic and threatened vegetation communities. We assessed patterns of tree covAuthorsFrancis K Dwomoh, Jesslyn F. Brown, Heather J. Tollerud, Roger F. AuchThe effects of urban land cover dynamics on urban heat Island intensity and temporal trends
Assessments of surface urban heat island (UHI) have focused on using remote sensing and land cover data to quantify UHI intensity and spatial distribution within a certain time period by including land cover information. In this study, we implemented a prototype approach to characterize the spatiotemporal variations of UHI using time series of Landsat land surface temperature products and annual lAuthorsGeorge Z. Xian, Hua Shi, Roger F. Auch, Kevin Gallo, Qiang Zhou, Zhuoting Wu, Michael KolianCauses of land change in the U.S. Interior Highlands, 2001–2011
The causes of land change from 2001 through 2011 for the Interior Highlands region of the south-central United States were assessed using satellite imagery, historical land-use and land-cover data, and digital orthophotos. The study was designed to develop improved regional land-use and land-cover change information, including identification of the proximate causes of change. The four leading causAuthorsMark A. Drummond, Michael P. Stier, Jamie L. McBeth, Roger F. Auch, Janis L. Taylor, Jodi L. RiegleLand change monitoring, assessment, and projection
There is a pressing need to monitor and understand the rapid land change happening around the world. The U.S. Geological Survey is developing a new capability, called Land Change Monitoring, Assessment, and Projection (LCMAP), to innovate the understanding of land change. This capability is the Earth Resources Observation and Science Center's foundation for an integrated U.S. Geological Survey-widAuthorsJennifer Rover, Jesslyn F. Brown, Roger F. Auch, Kristi Sayler, Terry L. Sohl, Heather J. Tollerud, George XianConterminous United States land cover change patterns 2001–2016 from the 2016 National Land Cover Database
The 2016 National Land Cover Database (NLCD) product suite (available on www.mrlc.gov), includes Landsat-based, 30 m resolution products over the conterminous (CONUS) United States (U.S.) for land cover, urban imperviousness, and tree, shrub, herbaceous and bare ground fractional percentages. The release of NLCD 2016 provides important new information on land change patterns across CONUS from 2001AuthorsCollin G. Homer, Jon Dewitz, Suming Jin, George Xian, Catherine Costello, Patrick Danielson, Leila Gass, Michelle Funk, James Wickham, Steven Stehman, Roger F. Auch, Kurt H. Riitters - News