PLEASE NOTE: This is the Version 1.2 release of the Australia/Pacific land cover characteristics data base. It has not yet been validated and is subject to review. Following validation, the data base will be modified based on the lessons learned.
The Australia/Pacific land cover data base is one portion of a global land cover characteristics data base that is being developed on a continent-by-continent basis. All continents in the global data base share the same map projections (Interrupted Goode Homolosine and Lambert Azimuthal Equal Area), have 1-km nominal spatial resolution, and are based on 1-km AVHRR data spanning April 1992 through March 1993. Each continental data base has unique elements that are based on the salient geographic aspects of the specific continent. In addition, a core set of derived thematic maps produced through the aggregation of seasonal land cover regions are included in each continental data base. These are:
The legends for each of these derived data sets can be found in Section 4.2 - 4.7.
For a description of the methodology for the global data base, see the global readme file found under the EROS Data Center DAAC home page (http://edcwww.cr.usgs.gov/landdaac/glcc/glcc.html).
The Australia/Pacific land cover characteristics data are in a flat, headerless raster format. The pixel values correspond to class numbers defined in the appropriate land cover classification scheme legend. Data are distributed as compressed and uncompressed single-band images. The files can be obtained either by anonymous file transfer protocol (ftp) or downloaded from the EDC Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC) World Wide Web site: (http://edcwww.cr.usgs.gov/landdaac/glcc/af_int.html). The instructions for accessing these files are contained in the following two sections.
1.1 Anonymous FTP for PC or UNIX Users
1.2 Downloading from the World Wide Web Site
From the Australia/Pacific Land Cover page, select either data in Interrupted Goode Homolosine projection or data in Lambert Azimuthal Equal Area projection. The selection will link to a page that contains links to all documentation files and the image files (both compressed and uncompressed). NOTE: World Wide Web browsers can vary in how the files will be downloaded. On PCs, some browsers will allow a user to interactively select the location where the file will be saved and to edit the file name. However, on certain browsers files may be automatically downloaded to a default storage location on the local system.
The Australia/Pacific data base is available in two different map projections: the Interrupted Goode Homolosine and the Lambert Azimuthal Equal Area (see Steinwand, 1994, and Steinwand and others, 1995, for complete descriptions of these projections).
2.1 Interrupted Goode Homolosine Projection Parameters
The data dimensions of the Interrupted Goode Homolosine projection for the Australia/Pacific land cover characteristics data set are 7,700 lines (rows) and 9,100 samples (columns) resulting in a data set size of approximately 70 megabytes for 8-bit (byte) images. The following is a summary of the map projection parameters used for this projection:
Projection Type: Interrupted Goode Homolosine
Units of measure: meters
Pixel Size: 1000 meters
XY corner coordinates (center of pixel) in projection units (meters):
Lower left: (10084000, -5325000)
Upper left: (10084000, 2374000)
Upper right: (19183000, 2374000)
Lower right: (19183000, -5325000)
2.2 Lambert Azimuthal Equal Area Projection Parameters
The data dimensions of the Lambert Azimuthal Equal Area projection for the Australia/Pacific land cover characteristics data set are 8,000 lines (rows) and 9,300 samples (columns) resulting in a data set size of approximately 74 megabytes for 8-bit (byte) images. The following is a summary of the map projection parameters used for this projection:
Projection Type: Lambert Azimuthal Equal Area
Units of Measure: meters
Pixel Size: 1000 meters
Radius of sphere: 6370997 m
Longitude of origin: 135 00 00 E
Latitude of origin: 15 00 00 S
False easting: 0.0
False northing: 0.0
XY corner coordinates (center of pixel) in projection units (meters):
Lower left: (-5000000, -3944891)
Upper left: ( -5000000, 4054109)
Upper right: ( 4299000, 4054109)
Lower right: ( 4299000, -3944891)
FILE (OR DIRECTORY) DATA DESCRIPTION TYPE/pub/data/glcc/ap Australia/Pacific
'pub/data/glcc/ap/goode Goode's Interrupted Homolosine Projection
apdoc1_2.txt ascii Australia/Pacific readme text apslcr1_2.leg ascii Australia/Pacific Seasonal land cover regions legend bats.leg ascii BATS legend igbp.leg ascii IGBP legend oge.leg ascii Global Ecosystems legend sib.leg ascii SIB legend sib2.leg ascii SIB2 legend usgs.leg ascii USGS land use/land cover legend apbats1_2g.img.gz byte BATS image apdemg.img.gz I*2 DEM image apigbp1_2g.img.gz byte IGBP image apoge1_2g.img.gz byte Global Ecosystems image apsib1_2g.img.gz byte SIB image apsib21_2g.img.gz byte SIB2 image apslcr1_2g.img.gz byte Seasonal land cover regions image apurbang.img.gz byte Digital Chart of the World urban image apusgs1_2g.img.gz byte USGS land use/land cover image
/pub/data/glcc/ap/goode/ndvimon Monthly NDVI Composite Images
apaprndg.img.gz byte April, 1992 NDVI image apmayndg.img.gz byte May, 1992 NDVI image apjunndg.img.gz byte June, 1992 NDVI image apjulndg.img.gz byte July, 1992 NDVI image apaugndg.img.gz byte August, 1992 NDVI image apsepndg.img.gz byte September, 1992 NDVI image apoctndg.img.gz byte October, 1992 NDVI image apnovndg.img.gz byte November, 1992 NDVI image apdecndg.img.gz byte December, 1992 NDVI image apjanndg.img.gz byte January, 1993 NDVI image apfebndg.img.gz byte February, 1993 NDVI image apmarndg.img.gz byte March, 1993 NDVI image
/pub/data/glcc/ap/lambert Lambert Azimuthal Equal Area Projection
apdoc1_2.txt ascii Australia/Pacific readme text apslcr1_2.leg ascii Australia/Pacific seasonal land cover regions legend bats.leg ascii BATS legend igbp.leg ascii IGBP legend oge.leg ascii Global Ecosystems legend sib.leg ascii SIB legend sib2.leg ascii SIB2 legend usgs.leg ascii USGS land use/land cover legend apbats1_2l.img.gz byte BATS image apdeml.img.gz I*2 DEM image apigbp1_2l.img.gz byte IGBP image apoge1_2l.img.gz byte Global Ecosystems image apsib1_2l.img.gz byte SIB image apsib21_2l.img.gz byte SIB2 image apslcr1_2l.img.gz byte Seasonal land cover regions image apurbanl.img.gz byte DCW urban image apusgs1_2l.img.gz byte USGS land use/land cover image
/pub/data/glcc/ap/lambert/ndvimon Monthly NDVI Composite Images
apaprndl.img.gz byte April, 1992 NDVI image apmayndl.img.gz byte May, 1992 NDVI image apjunndl.img.gz byte June, 1992 NDVI image apjulndl.img.gz byte July, 1992 NDVI image apaugndl.img.gz byte August, 1992 NDVI image apsepndl.img.gz byte September, 1992 NDVI image apoctndl.img.gz byte October, 1992 NDVI image apnovndl.img.gz byte November, 1992 NDVI image apdecndl.img.gz byte December, 1992 NDVI image apjanndl.img.gz byte January, 1993 NDVI image apfebndl.img.gz byte February, 1993 NDVI image apmarndl.img.gz byte March, 1993 NDVI image
4.1 Australia/Pacific Seasonal Land Cover Regions Legend
Australia/Pacific, v. 1.2
Value Description
1 CROPLAND (RICE, RUBBER, COFFEE, COCONUT)
2 DEFORESTED, HEAVILY DISTURBED GRASS, SHIFTING CULTIVATION
3 CROPLAND (RICE, RUBBER, COFFEE, COCONUT)
4 RICE, SHIFTING CULTIVATION
5 CROPLAND (RICE, RUBBER, COFFEE, COCONUT)
6 DEFORESTED, HEAVILY DISTURBED GRASS, SHIFTING CULTIVATION
7 RICE, SHIFTING CULTIVATION
8 DEFORESTED, SHIFTING CULTIVATION, RICE, RUBBER
9 CROPLAND (RUBBER, COFFEE, COCONUT, TEA)
10 RICE, COFFEE, SHIFTING CULTIVATION
11 RICE, COFFEE, SHIFTING CULTIVATION
12 CROPLAND (RUBBER, RICE, SUGAR, COFFEE)
13 PASTURE, CROPLAND (WINTER WHEAT, WINTER BARLEY)
14 RICE, COFFEE, SHIFTING CULTIVATION
15 RICE, SHIFTING CULTIVATION
16 DEFORESTED, SHIFTING CULTIVATION, COFFEE, RICE
17 CROPLAND, PASTURE
18 SHIFTING CULTIVATION
19 CROPLAND, SHIFTING CULTIVATION
20 CROPLAND AND PASTURE (WINTER WHEAT, WINTER BARLEY)
21 SHIFTING CULTIVATION, COFFEE, RICE
22 PLANTATIONS, SHIFTING CULTIVATION, COCONUT
23 RICE, PLANTATIONS, SHIFTING CULTIVATION
24 RICE, PLANTATIONS
25 CROPLAND AND PASTURE (ORCHARDS, VINEYARDS)
26 CROPLAND WITH GRASSLAND (COCONUT, RICE, SUGAR CANE, CORN, VEGETABLES)
27 RICE, SHIFTING CULTIVATION
28 PASTURE/CROPLAND
29 SHIFTING CULTIVATION, RICE, COCONUT
30 SHIFTING CULTIVATION, COCONUT, COFFEE
31 CROPLAND (RICE, COCONUT)
32 PLANTATIONS (RUBBER, COCONUT, PALM)
33 SAVANNA/SHIFTING CULTIVATION, DEFORESTED
34 FRAGMENTED FOREST/SHRUB SAVANNA WITH SHIFTING CULTIVATION, RICE, CORN
35 FRAGMENTED FOREST, SHIFTING CULTIVATION, RICE
36 FRAGMENTED FOREST, SHIFTING CULTIVATION
37 FRAGMENTED FOREST, SHIFTING CULTIVATION
38 FRAGMENTED FOREST, RICE, PLANTATIONS, COCONUT
39 FRAGMENTED FOREST, CROPLAND (PLANTATIONS, RICE, COCONUT)
40 FRAGMENTED FOREST, RICE, PLANTATIONS, COCONUT, SUGAR CANE
41 FRAGMENTED TROPICAL FOREST, COCONUT PLANTATIONS
42 GRASSLAND/CROPLAND
43 CROPLAND/GRASSLANDS (PLANTATIONS, RICE)
44 IMPROVED PASTURE WITH CROPS AND SCRUB
45 MONTANE GRASSLAND
46 MONTANE GRASSLAND
47 TUSSOCK GRASSLAND
48 GRASSLAND (MITCHELL GRASS)
49 TROPICAL MONTANE GRASSLAND WITH HEATH SCRUB
50 MONTANE GRASSLAND
51 TUSSOCK GRASSLAND WITH SCRUB
52 GRASSLAND
53 GRASSLAND WITH SHRUBLAND
54 SHRUBLAND/GRASSLAND (ACACIA, SPINIFEX)
55 GRASSLAND/SHRUBLAND (ACACIA, SPINIFEX) WITH EUCALYPTUS WOODLAND
56 GRASSLAND/SCRUB AND FERN BRACKEN
57 IMPROVED PASTURE/GRASSLAND AND MIXED SCRUB MOSAIC
58 PASTURE (IMPROVED AND UNIMPROVED)/GRASSLAND/SCRUB MOSAIC WITH CROPLAND
59 SHRUBLAND/GRASSLAND (ACACIA, "MULGA")
60 OPEN ACACIA SHRUBLAND WITH SPINIFEX
61 OPEN ACACIA SHRUBLAND WITH EUCALYPTUS WOODLAND
62 SHRUBLAND (ACACIA) WITH GRASS
63 CHENOPOD SHRUBLAND WITH OPEN WOODLAND (EUCALYPTUS)
64 OPEN SHRUBLAND (ACACIA)
65 SHRUBLAND (TALL SHRUBS, "MALLEE")
66 ACACIA SHRUBLAND
67 TALL SHRUBS
68 GRASSLAND (MITCHELL GRASS) WITH WOODLAND (EUCALYPTUS)
69 DEFORESTED, TROPICAL MONTANE SAVANNA
70 TALL SHRUB/SAVANNA (ACACIA, EUCALYPTUS)
71 SAVANNA (EUCALYPTUS, MELALEUCA)
72 SAVANNA (EUCALYPTUS)
73 SAVANNA (EUCALYPTUS)
74 SAVANNA
75 SAVANNA (MELALEUCA)
76 TROPICAL WET SAVANNA
77 GRASSLAND/SCRUB MOSAIC WITH BEECH AND PODOCARP FOREST
78 LOWLAND TROPICAL RAIN FOREST
79 TROPICAL EVERGREEN RAINFOREST
80 TROPICAL EVERGREEN RAINFOREST
81 TROPICAL EVERGREEN RAINFOREST WITH RUBBER PLANTATIONS
82 TROPICAL EVERGREEN RAINFOREST
83 TROPICAL RAINFOREST
84 TROPICAL EVERGREEN RAINFOREST
85 TROPICAL EVERGREEN RAINFOREST
86 TROPICAL EVERGREEN MONTANE FOREST
87 TROPICAL EVERGREEN FOREST WITH RUBBER PLANTATIONS
88 TROPICAL EVERGREEN RAINFOREST
89 TROPICAL EVERGREEN FOREST
90 TROPICAL EVERGREEN FOREST
91 LOWLAND TROPICAL EVERGREEN FOREST WITH MANGROVES
92 TEMPERATE MOIST BROADLEAF EVERGREEN FOREST (PODOCARP, BEECH)
93 PODOCARP, BROADLEAF, BEECH FOREST
94 TROPICAL EVERGREEN FOREST
95 TROPICAL EVERGREEN FOREST
96 TROPICAL EVERGREEN FOREST
97 TROPICAL EVERGREEN FOREST
98 TROPICAL EVERGREEN RAINFOREST
99 TROPICAL EVERGREEN RAINFOREST
100 TROPICAL EVERGREEN RAINFOREST
101 TEMPERATE BROADLEAF EVERGREEN FOREST (EUCALYPTUS)
102 TROPICAL EVERGREEN FOREST
103 TROPICAL DRY FOREST (EUCALYPTUS)
104 TROPICAL EVERGREEN FOREST
105 PODOCARP, BROADLEAF, BEECH FOREST
106 TROPICAL EVERGREEN FOREST
107 PODOCARP, BROADLEAF, BEECH FOREST
108 SEASONAL DRY FOREST
109 TEMPERATE/SUBTROPICAL EVERGREEN FOREST (NOTHOFAGUS, EUCALYPTUS)
110 SEASONAL DRY FOREST
111 PODOCARP, BROADLEAF, BEECH FOREST WITH SCRUB AND EXOTIC SPECIES
112 TROPICAL EVERGREEN FOREST
113 TROPICAL EVERGREEN FOREST
114 TROPICAL EVERGREEN FOREST
115 TROPICAL EVERGREEN FOREST
116 TROPICAL EVERGREEN RAINFOREST WITH MANGROVES (COASTAL)
117 TROPICAL EVERGREEN RAINFOREST
118 TROPICAL EVERGREEN FOREST
119 EUCALYPTUS FOREST
120 EUCALYPTUS FOREST
121 TROPICAL EVERGREEN FOREST
122 EUCALYPTUS FOREST
123 EUCALYPTUS WOODLAND
124 WOODY SAVANNA (EUCALYPTUS, MELALEUCA)
125 OPEN EUCALYPTUS WOODLAND
126 EUCALYPTUS WOODLAND
127 EUCALYPTUS WOODLAND
128 EUCALYPTUS WOODLAND WITH PASTURE
129 EUCALYPTUS WOODLAND
130 EVERGREEN FOREST/GRASSLAND/SCRUB MOSAIC (LEPTOSPERMUM, PODOCARP, BEECH)
131 WOODY SAVANNA
132 OPEN EUCALYPTUS FOREST
133 WETLANDS
134 SUBALPINE MEADOWS/SHRUB TUNDRA
135 GLACIERS
136 BARREN (DRY LAKE BEDS)
137 WATER
Value Description
1 Urban
2 Low Sparse Grassland
3 Coniferous Forest
4 Deciduous Conifer Forest
5 Deciduous Broadleaf Forest
6 Evergreen Broadleaf Forests
7 Tall Grasses and Shrubs
8 Bare Desert
9 Upland Tundra
10 Irrigated Grassland
11 Semi Desert
12 Glacier Ice
13 Wooded Wet Swamp
14 Inland Water (see Note 1)
15 Sea Water (see Note 1)
16 Shrub Evergreen
17 Shrub Deciduous
18 Mixed Forest and Field
19 Evergreen Forest and Fields
20 Cool Rain Forest
21 Conifer Boreal Forest
22 Cool Conifer Forest
23 Cool Mixed Forest
24 Mixed Forest
25 Cool Broadleaf Forest
26 Deciduous Broadleaf Forest
27 Conifer Forest
28 Montane Tropical Forests
29 Seasonal Tropical Forest
30 Cool Crops and Towns
31 Crops and Town
32 Dry Tropical Woods
33 Tropical Rainforest
34 Tropical Degraded Forest
35 Corn and Beans Cropland
36 Rice Paddy and Field
37 Hot Irrigated Cropland
38 Cool Irrigated Cropland
39 Cold Irrigated Cropland
40 Cool Grasses and Shrubs
41 Hot and Mild Grasses and Shrubs
42 Cold Grassland
43 Savanna (Woods)
44 Mire, Bog, Fen
45 Marsh Wetland
46 Mediterranean Scrub
47 Dry Woody Scrub
48 Dry Evergreen Woods
49 Volcanic Rock
50 Sand Desert
51 Semi Desert Shrubs
52 Semi Desert Sage
53 Barren Tundra
54 Cool Southern Hemisphere Mixed Forests
55 Cool Fields and Woods
56 Forest and Field
57 Cool Forest and Field
58 Fields and Woody Savanna
59 Succulent and Thorn Scrub
60 Small Leaf Mixed Woods
61 Deciduous and Mixed Boreal Forest
62 Narrow Conifers
63 Wooded Tundra
64 Heath Scrub
65 Coastal Wetland, NW
66 Coastal Wetland, NE
67 Coastal Wetland, SE
68 Coastal Wetland, SW
69 Polar and Alpine Desert
70 Glacier Rock
71 Salt Playas
72 Mangrove
73 Water and Island Fringe
74 Land, Water, and Shore (see Note 1)
75 Land and Water, Rivers (see Note 1)
76 Crop and Water Mixtures
77 Southern Hemisphere Conifers
78 Southern Hemisphere Mixed Forest
79 Wet Sclerophylic Forest
80 Coastline Fringe
81 Beaches and Dunes
82 Sparse Dunes and Ridges
83 Bare Coastal Dunes
84 Residual Dunes and Beaches
85 Compound Coastlines
86 Rocky Cliffs and Slopes
87 Sandy Grassland and Shrubs
88 Bamboo
89 Moist Eucalyptus
90 Rain Green Tropical Forest
91 Woody Savanna
92 Broadleaf Crops
93 Grass Crops
94 Crops, Grass, Shrubs
Note 1: In Version 1.2, all water is mapped to one digital value (14).
Value Description
1 Evergreen Needleleaf Forest
2 Evergreen Broadleaf Forest
3 Deciduous Needleleaf Forest
4 Deciduous Broadleaf Forest
5 Mixed Forest
6 Closed Shrublands
7 Open Shrublands
8 Woody Savannas
9 Savannas
10 Grasslands
11 Permanent Wetlands
12 Croplands
13 Urban and Built-Up
14 Cropland/Natural Vegetation Mosaic
15 Snow and Ice
16 Barren or Sparsely Vegetated
17 Water Bodies
4.4 USGS Land Use/Land Cover System Legend (Modified Level 2)
Value Code Description 1 100 Urban and Built-Up Land 2 211 Dryland Cropland and Pasture 3 212 Irrigated Cropland and Pasture 4 213 Mixed Dryland/Irrigated Cropland and Pasture 5 280 Cropland/Grassland Mosaic 6 290 Cropland/Woodland Mosaic 7 311 Grassland 8 321 Shrubland 9 330 Mixed Shrubland/Grassland 10 332 Savanna 11 411 Deciduous Broadleaf Forest 12 412 Deciduous Needleleaf Forest 13 421 Evergreen Broadleaf Forest 14 422 Evergreen Needleleaf Forest 15 430 Mixed Forest 16 500 Water Bodies 17 620 Herbaceous Wetland 18 610 Wooded Wetland 19 770 Barren or Sparsely Vegetated 20 820 Herbaceous Tundra 21 810 Wooded Tundra 22 850 Mixed Tundra 23 830 Bare Ground Tundra 24 900 Snow or Ice
4.5 Simple Biosphere Model Legend
Value Description
1 Evergreen Broadleaf Trees
2 Broadleaf Deciduous Trees
3 Deciduous and Evergreen Trees
4 Evergreen Needleleaf Trees
5 Deciduous Needleleaf Trees
6 Ground Cover with Trees and Shrubs
7 Groundcover Only
8 Broadleaf Shrubs with Perennial Ground Cover
9 Broadleaf Shrubs with Bare Soil
10 Groundcover with Dwarf Trees and Shrubs
11 Bare Soil
12 Agriculture or C3 Grassland
17 Persistent Wetland
18 Dry Coastal Complexes
19 Water
20 Ice Cap and Glacier
4.6 Simple Biosphere 2 Model Legend
Value Description
1 Broadleaf Evergreen Trees
2 Broadleaf Deciduous Trees
3 Broadleaf and Needleleaf Trees
4 Needleleaf Evergreen Trees
5 Needleleaf Deciduous Trees
6 Short Vegetation/C4 Grassland
7 Shrubs with Bare Soil
8 Dwarf Trees and Shrubs
9 Agriculture or C3 Grassland
10 Water, Wetlands, Ice/Snow
4.7 Biosphere-Atmosphere Transfer Scheme Legend
Value Description
1 Crops, Mixed Farming
2 Short Grass
3 Evergreen Needleleaf Trees
4 Deciduous Needleleaf Tree
5 Deciduous Broadleaf Trees
6 Evergreen Broadleaf Trees
7 Tall Grass
8 Desert
9 Tundra
10 Irrigated Crops
11 Semidesert
12 Ice Caps and Glaciers
13 Bogs and Marshes
14 Inland Water
15 Ocean
16 Evergreen Shrubs
17 Deciduous Shrubs
18 Mixed Forest
19 Interrupted Forest
20 Water and Land Mixtures
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