Montana Landcover Framework (2010 - 2017)
MSDI
This data set may have multiple access options or be a data collection or member.
Please see the
Related Records
tab for other data access options or collection members.
| Data Provider
|
Montana Natural Heritage Program
Sanborn
University of Idaho
|
| Date
|
01/01/2002 - 12/31/2017
|
| Content Type
|
Downloadable data
|
| Abstract
|
The statewide land cover themes contained inside this geodatabase represent a baseline digital map of the natural and human land cover of Montana. The baseline map is adapted from the Northwest ReGAP project land cover classification, which used 30m resolution multi-spectral satellite imagery acquired between 1999 and 2001. Vegetation classes were drawn from the Ecological System Classification developed by NatureServe (Comer et al. 2003). The land cover classes were developed by Anderson et al. (1976). The NWGAP effort encompasses 12 map zones. Montana overlaps seven of these zones. The two NWGAP teams responsible for the initial land cover mapping effort in Montana were Sanborn and NWGAP (University of Idaho). Both Sanborn and NWGAP employed a similar modeling approach in which Classification and Regression Tree (CART) models were applied to Landsat ETM scenes. The Spatial Analysis Lab within the Montana Natural Heritage Program was responsible for developing a seamless Montana land cover map with a consistent statewide legend from these two separate products. Additionally, each Montana land cover layer incorporates several other land cover and land use products (e.g., MSDI Structures and Transportation themes and the Montana Department of Revenue Final Land Unit classification) and reclassifications based on plot-level data and the latest NAIP imagery to improve accuracy and enhance the usability of the theme. Additional updates to improve the accuracy have been conducted on an annual basis (such as including the latest fire perimeters). New MSDI Land Cover themes will be made available through the Montana Geographic Information Clearinghouse, hosted by Montana State Library (MSL) on an annual basis. This geodatabase contains versions 2010 through 2017.
|
| Purpose
|
This geodatabase contains eight consecutive years of Montana landcover rasters, which represent an update of the Gap Analysis Program's mapping and assessment of biodiversity for the five-state region encompassing Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming. Specifically, the primary objective of the update was to identify biotic elements that are underrepresented on lands managed from their long term conservation. Additionally, the updated Montana land cover layers may be used for analyses at the regional, sub-regional, and landscape levels; they may also provide support for management disciplines, including timber, wildlife, fisheries, and recreation.
|
| Supplemental Information
|
|
|
Use of these rasters is not recommended for fine-scale analyses (i.e. less than 1:100,000). It is important to note that the rasters contained inside this geodatabase do not constitute a true time series: even though some updates, such as agriculture or burned areas, have followed a regular schedule, others have resulted from the one-time availability of better data from localized mapping studies (e.g. Charles M Russell National Wildlife Refuge landcover map in 2015).
|
| Distributor
|
Jessica J. Mitchell (MTNHP Spatial Analysis Lab)
Montana State Library
32 Campus Drive, Natural Sciences, Room 313, University of Montana
Missoula,
MT
59812
Telephone:
406-243-5196
TDD/TTY:
Fax:
Email:
Jessica.mitchell@mso.umt.edu
|
| Distribution liability
|
See access and use constraints information.
|
