Beginning with the new base map of LF 2016 Remap (LF Remap), products were created using recent advances in image compositing, tiling algorithms, and faster computing hardware to ensure that LF products remained relevant. LF Remap leveraged the Landsat archive, lidar data, and user contributed field plot data compiled into the LF Reference Database (LFRDB), to create new vegetation products.
Reference resources included, but were not limited to, Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program plot data (USFS
https://www.fia.fs.usda.gov/), Landsat Dynamic Surface Water Extent [(DSWE) USGS
https://www.usgs.gov/landsat-missions], the National Land Cover Database [(NLCD) USGS
https://www.mrlc.gov/data], and National Agricultural Statistics Service [(NASS) USDA -
https://www.nass.usda.gov/].
For LF 2022 reference resources included, but were not limited to, Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity [(MTBS) USGS
https://mtbs.gov/], Burned Area Reflectance Classification [(BARC) USFS and USGS] and Rapid Assessment of Vegetation Condition after Wildfire [(RAVG)
https://burnseverity.cr.usgs.gov/ravg/], National Agricultural Statistics Service [(NASS) USDA -
https://www.nass.usda.gov/] for 2022, PAD 3.0 for federal and protected lands identification [
https://doi.org/10.5066/P9Q9LQ4B], and a rasterized version of the Microsoft building footprint for 2022 to update developed areas [
https://github.com/Microsoft/USBuildingFootprints]. Disturbances in LF 2022 were also identified with LF's remote sensing of landscape change (RSLC), which identifies spectral change in vegetation using automated algorithms and image analyst review of the entire country with Landsat imagery. Burned Area (BA) data from Landsat was also used and national events (polygons) were used to identify areas and types of disturbance.
To read more about LF reference resources go to
https://www.landfire.gov/reference.php. Information about LF 2022 product testing is available by request or via the website at
https://www.landfire.gov.