Landscape Fire and Resource Management Planning Tools (LANDFIRE), Earth Resources Observation and Science Center (EROS), U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and Hatten, T.D., 2023, LANDFIRE 2022 (230) Update: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P974JF8W.
Summary
LANDFIRE's (LF) 2022 update (LF 2022) Existing Vegetation Type (EVT) represents the current distribution of the terrestrial ecological systems classification developed by NatureServe for the western hemisphere. In this context, a terrestrial ecological system is defined as a group of plant community types that tend to co-occur within landscapes with similar ecological processes, substrates, and/or environmental gradients. EVT also includes ruderal or semi-natural vegetation types within the U.S. National Vegetation Classification [(NVC) https://usnvc.org/]. See the EVT product page (https://www.landfire.gov/evt.php) for more information about ecological systems and NVC classifications. EVT is mapped using decision tree models, field [...]
Summary
LANDFIRE's (LF) 2022 update (LF 2022) Existing Vegetation Type (EVT) represents the current distribution of the terrestrial ecological systems classification developed by NatureServe for the western hemisphere. In this context, a terrestrial ecological system is defined as a group of plant community types that tend to co-occur within landscapes with similar ecological processes, substrates, and/or environmental gradients. EVT also includes ruderal or semi-natural vegetation types within the U.S. National Vegetation Classification [(NVC) https://usnvc.org/]. See the EVT product page (https://www.landfire.gov/evt.php) for more information about ecological systems and NVC classifications. EVT is mapped using decision tree models, field data, Landsat imagery, topography, and biophysical gradient data. Decision tree models are developed separately for tree, shrub, and herbaceous lifeforms which are then used to produce a lifeform specific EVT product. These models are generated for each Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Level III Ecoregion (https://www.epa.gov/eco-research/ecoregions). Riparian, alpine, sparse, and other site-specific EVTs are constrained by predetermined masks. Urban and developed areas are derived from the National Land Cover Database (NLCD), and the latest Microsoft Building Footprint dataset. Agricultural lands originate from the 2022 Cropland Data Layer (CDL) and the 2019 California Statewide Crop Mapping layer. Burnable developed classes are identified from building footprint dataset thresholds. LF 2022 retains circa 2016 EVT labels except where shifts in urban, agriculture, and developed classes occur. While Existing Vegetation Cover (EVC) and Height (EVH) are updated using transition rulesets with ST-Sim to account for disturbances, EVT remains unchanged, therefore EVT lifeform is not synchronized to the EVC/EVH lifeform as in some previous versions. LF uses EVT as an input for LF 2022 Fuel Vegetation Type (FVT).
The LANDFIRE 2022 Update (LF 2022) is designed to produce vegetation, disturbance, and fuels products that inform wildland fire and ecological decision systems. LF 2022 is another update to the LF 2016 Remap base map and LF 2020, it includes adjustments to vegetation and fuels in disturbed areas for disturbances recorded in 2021 and 2022. Disturbances in 2022 represent the first full fiscal year of disturbance. Transition rulesets for vegetation account for disturbances from 2017 to 2022 while fuel updates utilize 2012 to 2022 disturbances. In LF 2022 Existing Vegetation Type (EVT) Ecological Systems classifications are the same as LF 2020, except in areas where agriculture or urban areas have changed. LF 2022 contains the first application of the "zero to one" Time Since Disturbance (TSD) rules for EVC and EVH transition rules. Both LF Existing Vegetation Cover (EVC) and Height (EVH), as well as all fuels products, are 2023 capable in disturbed areas. LF 2022 products are designed to facilitate national and regional level strategic fire and resource management planning and reporting of management activities. The principal purposes of the products include providing, 1) national level, landscape scale geospatial products to support fire and fuels management planning, and 2) consistent fuels products to support fire planning, analysis, and budgeting to evaluate fire management alternatives. Products are created at a 30 meter raster; however, the applicability of products varies by location and specific use. LF products were designed to support 1) national (all states) strategic planning, 2) regional (single large states or groups of smaller states), and 3) strategic/tactical planning for large sub regional landscapes and Fire Management Units (FMUs) (such as significant portions of states or multiple federal administrative entities). The applicability of LF products to support fire and land management planning on smaller areas will vary by product, location, and specific use. Managers and planners must evaluate LF products according to the scale and requirements specific to their needs.