North America Land Cover 2010 250m

Overview This dataset shows North American land cover for 2005 at a spatial resolution of 250 meters, based on Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite imagery. It provides a harmonized view of the physical cover of Earth's surface across the continent, classified into nineteen Level II land cover classes defined using the Land Cover Classification System (LCCS) standard developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. The dataset was produced as part of the North American Land Change Monitoring System (NALCMS), a trilateral effort between Natural Resources Canada, the United States Geological Survey, and three Mexican organizations: the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía), the National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad), and the National Forestry Commission of Mexico (Comisión Nacional Forestal). The collaboration is facilitated by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), an international organization created by the governments of Canada, Mexico, and the United States under the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation to promote environmental collaboration between the three countries. Land Cover Classes The raster attribute table provides 19 thematic land cover classes: 1: Temperate or sub-polar needleleaf forest 2: Sub-polar taiga needleleaf forest 3: Tropical or sub-tropical broadleaf evergreen forest 4: Tropical or sub-tropical broadleaf deciduous forest 5: Temperate or sub-polar broadleaf deciduous forest 6: Mixed forest 7: Tropical or sub-tropical shrubland 8: Temperate or sub-polar shrubland 9: Tropical or sub-tropical grassland 10: Temperate or sub-polar grassland 11: Sub-polar or polar shrubland-lichen-moss 12: Sub-polar or polar grassland-lichen-moss 13: Sub-polar or polar barren-lichen-moss 14: Wetland 15: Cropland 16: Barren land 17: Urban and built-up 18: Water 19: Snow and ice Geographic Coverage This dataset covers Canada, Alaska, the conterminous United States, and Mexico. Data Sources and Licensing This dataset represents the baseline North American Land Cover product for 2005, later updated to produce the 2010 edition. This version (3.0) supersedes Edition 2.0, correcting labeling and classification errors identified after the initial release, and removes the water buffer along the coastline of North America to ensure consistent statistics for the water class. The dataset is produced by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), derived from national land cover maps provided by Natural Resources Canada, the National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity, the National Institute of Statistics and Geography, the National Forestry Commission; and the United States Geological Survey. The compiled dataset is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), allowing redistribution and adaptation with appropriate attribution. Update frequency: As needed Limitations of use: Intended for continental-scale reference. Vintage: 2005 Applications (Intended Use) Land cover review and continental- to national-scale mapping. Environmental monitoring and change detection over time. Spatial analysis and integration with other thematic layers in the North American Environmental Atlas. Supporting cross-border environmental cooperation and policy-making among North American nations. Files Download

Overview This 30-meter dataset reflects land cover information for 2010 from Mexico and Canada, and 2011 for Alaska and the conterminous United States. Each country developed its own classification method to identify land cover classes and provided an input layer to produce a continental land cover map across North America. The main inputs for image classification were 30-meter Landsat data; image selection varied by country according to site-specific requirements. Canada selected most images from 2010, with a few from 2009 and 2011; the United States primarily used 2011 imagery; and Mexico used all available images from 2010. National maps were generated for Canada by the Canada Centre for Remote Sensing (CCRS); for Mexico by the National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad), National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía), and National Forestry Commission of Mexico (Comisión Nacional Forestal); and for the United States by the United States Geological Survey. Each country used its own approach, ancillary data, and mapping methodology, and the national datasets were then combined by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) into a seamless North American product, merging four map sections: Alaska, Canada, the conterminous United States, and Mexico. The current version (version 3) includes updated data over Canada, provided by the CCRS and the Canada Centre for Mapping and Earth Observation (CCMEO) in February 2024, along with updated 2011 land cover datasets for Alaska and the conterminous United States, provided by the USGS in February 2024. The main change in Alaska relates to the inclusion of an improved road network. No updates were performed over Mexico for this version. Land Cover Classes The raster attribute table provides 19 thematic land cover classes plus a background value, with class names in English, Spanish, and French: 1: Temperate or sub-polar needleleaf forest 2: Sub-polar taiga needleleaf forest 3: Tropical or sub-tropical broadleaf evergreen forest 4: Tropical or sub-tropical broadleaf deciduous forest 5: Temperate or sub-polar broadleaf deciduous forest 6: Mixed forest 7: Tropical or sub-tropical shrubland 8: Temperate or sub-polar shrubland 9: Tropical or sub-tropical grassland 10: Temperate or sub-polar grassland 11: Sub-polar or polar shrubland-lichen-moss 12: Sub-polar or polar grassland-lichen-moss 13: Sub-polar or polar barren-lichen-moss 14: Wetland 15: Cropland 16: Barren lands 17: Urban and built-up 18: Water 19: Snow and ice Geographic Coverage The service covers Canada, the United States, and Mexico, including Alaska. Data Sources and Licensing This dataset is produced by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), derived from national land cover maps provided by Natural Resources Canada, the National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity, the National Institute of Statistics and Geography, the National Forestry Commission; and the United States Geological Survey. The compiled dataset is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), allowing redistribution and adaptation with appropriate attribution. Update frequency: Irregular Limitations of use: Intended for continental-scale reference. Vintage: 2010 Applications (Intended Use) Land cover review and continental- to national-scale mapping. Environmental monitoring and change detection over time. Spatial analysis and integration with other thematic layers in the North American Environmental Atlas. Supporting cross-border environmental cooperation and policy-making among North American nations. Files Download

Overview This 30-meter dataset reflects land cover information for 2020 from Mexico and Canada, and 2021 over the conterminous United States and Alaska. Each country developed its own classification method to identify land cover classes and provided an input layer to produce a continental land cover map across North America. The main inputs for image classification were 30-meter Landsat 8 Collection 2 Level 1 data across the three countries; image selection and spectral band reduction varied by country according to site-specific requirements. Canada selected most images from 2020, with a few from 2019 and 2021; the conterminous United States and Alaska relied mainly on 2021 imagery; and the Mexico map was based on change detection between 2015 and 2020 Landsat 8 mosaics. National maps were generated for Canada by the Canada Centre for Remote Sensing (CCRS); for Mexico by the National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad), National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía), and National Forestry Commission of Mexico (Comisión Nacional Forestal); and for the United States by the United States Geological Survey. Each country used its own approach, ancillary data, and mapping methodology, and the national datasets were then combined by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) into a seamless North American product, merging four map sections: Alaska, Canada, the conterminous United States, and Mexico. The current version (version 2) integrates updated land cover information for the conterminous United States, Alaska, and Canada, based on national maps updated in February 2024 by the USGS and CCRS. Unlike version 1, where the conterminous United States represented 2019 conditions, this version corresponds to 2021. Land Cover Classes The raster attribute table provides 19 thematic land cover classes plus a background value, with class names in English, Spanish, and French: 1: Temperate or sub-polar needleleaf forest 2: Sub-polar taiga needleleaf forest 3: Tropical or sub-tropical broadleaf evergreen forest 4: Tropical or sub-tropical broadleaf deciduous forest 5: Temperate or sub-polar broadleaf deciduous forest 6: Mixed forest 7: Tropical or sub-tropical shrubland 8: Temperate or sub-polar shrubland 9: Tropical or sub-tropical grassland 10: Temperate or sub-polar grassland 11: Sub-polar or polar shrubland-lichen-moss 12: Sub-polar or polar grassland-lichen-moss 13: Sub-polar or polar barren-lichen-moss 14: Wetland 15: Cropland 16: Barren lands 17: Urban and built-up 18: Water 19: Snow and ice Geographic Coverage The service covers Canada, the United States, and Mexico, including Alaska. Data Sources and Licensing This dataset is produced by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), derived from national land cover maps provided by Natural Resources Canada, the National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity, the National Institute of Statistics and Geography, the National Forestry Commission; and the United States Geological Survey. The compiled dataset is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), allowing redistribution and adaptation with appropriate attribution. Update frequency: Irregular Limitations of use: Intended for continental-scale reference. Vintage: 2020 Applications (Intended Use) Land cover review and continental- to national-scale mapping. Environmental monitoring and change detection over time. Spatial analysis and integration with other thematic layers in the North American Environmental Atlas. Supporting cross-border environmental cooperation and policy-making among North American nations. Files Download

Overview This layer shows North America classified into "anthropogenic biomes," also known as "anthromes" or "human biomes." Biomes are major global ecosystem types, characterized by particular climate and soil conditions and distinctive forms of life adapted to these conditions. Incorporating the significant role of humans in altering ecosystems, this layer offers a new way of classifying the parts of the earth in which life exists.  Geographic Coverage The coverage spans the entire North American continent, including Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Data Sources and Licensing Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), based on the anthropogenic biomes classification developed by Erle C. Ellis and Navin Ramankutty in 2008, Putting people in the map: Anthropogenic biomes of the world. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 6, doi:10.1890/070062. The data is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), allowing redistribution and adaptation, including for commercial purposes, with appropriate attribution. Update frequency: Not planned Limitations of use: None. Acknowledgment of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation and/or Ellis & Ramankutty (2008) would be appreciated in products derived from these data. Vintage: 2008 Applications (Intended Use) Research on human influence on terrestrial ecosystems and biodiversity. Land use and land cover analysis integrating human population patterns. Conservation planning that accounts for the degree of human alteration of natural systems. Integration with other thematic layers in the North American Environmental Atlas for comprehensive continental analysis. Files Download

Overview This layer, prepared by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), represents mean monthly temperature values for the month of November across North America for the 1981–2010 climatological reference period, in degrees Celsius. The layer is part of a 12-raster-file (one per month) dataset derived from a kilometer-scale climate product generated using the CHELSA downscaling model, and represents long-term climatological means. The North American monthly temperature layers were derived from the CHELSA Climatologies v2.1 dataset, which is based on statistically downscaled temperature and precipitation data at a spatial resolution of 30 arc-seconds (~1 km). CHELSA (Climatologies at High Resolution for the Earth's Land Surface Areas) applies a statistical downscaling approach to atmospheric temperature fields to produce high-resolution climate surfaces. Additional technical details on the downscaling methodology and derived climate predictors are provided in: Karger, D. N., Conrad, O., Böhner, J., Kawohl, T., Kreft, H., Soria-Auza, R. W., Zimmermann, N. E., Linder, H. P., & Kessler, M. (2017). Climatologies at high resolution for the Earth's land surface areas. Scientific Data, 4, 170122. https://doi.org/10.1038/sdata.2017.122 Geographic Coverage The coverage spans North America, including Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Data Sources and Licensing Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC). Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL). Karger et al. (2017). The data is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), allowing redistribution and adaptation with appropriate attribution. Update frequency: Irregular Limitations of use: None. Acknowledgment of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation and the (CHELSA) initiative at the Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL (Land Change Science group) would be appreciated in products derived from these data. Vintage: 1981-2010 Applications (Intended Use) Analyzing spatial and seasonal patterns of monthly temperature across North America. Supporting climate, hydrological, and water-resource research and planning. Informing agricultural and ecological modeling and land-use planning. Integration with other thematic layers in the North American Environmental Atlas for continental-scale analysis. Supporting environmental cooperation and policy-making among Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Files Download

Overview This layer, prepared by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), represents mean monthly temperature values for the month of October across North America for the 1981–2010 climatological reference period, in degrees Celsius. The layer is part of a 12-raster-file (one per month) dataset derived from a kilometer-scale climate product generated using the CHELSA downscaling model, and represents long-term climatological means. The North American monthly temperature layers were derived from the CHELSA Climatologies v2.1 dataset, which is based on statistically downscaled temperature and precipitation data at a spatial resolution of 30 arc-seconds (~1 km). CHELSA (Climatologies at High Resolution for the Earth's Land Surface Areas) applies a statistical downscaling approach to atmospheric temperature fields to produce high-resolution climate surfaces. Additional technical details on the downscaling methodology and derived climate predictors are provided in: Karger, D. N., Conrad, O., Böhner, J., Kawohl, T., Kreft, H., Soria-Auza, R. W., Zimmermann, N. E., Linder, H. P., & Kessler, M. (2017). Climatologies at high resolution for the Earth's land surface areas. Scientific Data, 4, 170122. https://doi.org/10.1038/sdata.2017.122 Geographic Coverage The coverage spans North America, including Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Data Sources and Licensing Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC). Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL). Karger et al. (2017). The data is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), allowing redistribution and adaptation with appropriate attribution. Update frequency: Irregular Limitations of use: None. Acknowledgment of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation and the (CHELSA) initiative at the Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL (Land Change Science group) would be appreciated in products derived from these data. Vintage: 1981-2010 Applications (Intended Use) Analyzing spatial and seasonal patterns of monthly temperature across North America. Supporting climate, hydrological, and water-resource research and planning. Informing agricultural and ecological modeling and land-use planning. Integration with other thematic layers in the North American Environmental Atlas for continental-scale analysis. Supporting environmental cooperation and policy-making among Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Files Download