USGS Home
Contact USGS
Search USGS

Australia/Pacific Land Cover Characteristics Data Base Version 2.0

PLEASE NOTE: This is the Version 2.0 release of the Australia/Pacific land cover characteristics data base. The land cover information has been updated from Version 1.2.  Please read section 5.0 for information about the revision process and what changes have been made to the data. 

Table of Contents

• 1.0 Data Description
• 1.1 Anonymous FTP for UNIX or PC Users
• 1.2 Downloading from the World Wide Web Site
• 2.0 Geometric Characteristics
• 2.1 Interrupted Goode Homolosine Projection Parameters
• 2.2 Lambert Azimuthal Equal Area Projection Parameters
• 3.0 File Listing
• 4.0 Derived Data Sets
• 4.1 Australia/Pacific Seasonal Land Cover Regions Legend
• 4.2 Global Ecosystems Legend
• 4.3 IGBP Land Cover Legend
• 4.4 USGS Land Use/Land Cover System Legend
• 4.5 Simple Biosphere Model Legend
• 4.6 Simple Biosphere 2 Model Legend
• 4.7 Biosphere-Atmosphere Transfer Scheme Legend
• 4.8 Vegetation Lifeforms Legend
• 5.0 Information on Version 2.0
• 6.0 References

The Australia/Pacific land cover data base is one portion of a global land cover characteristics data base that was 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 (Loveland and others, 1999). 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:

• Global Ecosystems (Olson, 1994a, 1994b)
• IGBP Land Cover Classification (Belward, 1996)
• U.S. Geological Survey Land Use/Land Cover System (Anderson and others, 1976)
• Simple Biosphere Model (Sellers and others, 1986)
• Simple Biosphere 2 Model (Sellers and others, 1996)
• Biosphere-Atmosphere Transfer Scheme (Dickinson and others, 1986)
• Vegetation Lifeforms (Running and others, 1994)

For a description of the methodology for the global data base, see the global readme file found under the LP DAAC home page (http://LPDAAC.usgs.gov/glcc/glcc.php).

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 LP Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC) World Wide Web site: (http://LPDAAC.usgs.gov/glcc/ap_int.php). The instructions for accessing these files are contained in the following two sections.

1.1 Anonymous FTP for PC or UNIX Users

1. Contact the FTP server. At your command prompt, use the command: ftp edcftp.cr.usgs.gov
2. Login as an anonymous user and use your email address as the password.
3. Change to the directory pub/data/glcc
4. Change to the Australia/Pacific subdirectory, ap
5. Change to the directory for the projection of interest (i.e., goode for Interrupted Goode Homolosine projection or lambert for Lambert Azimuthal Equal Area Projection).
6. Locate the file of interest (a complete file listing is located in section 3.0 of this readme). The image files were compressed using the GNU 'gzip' software and can be identified by the ".gz" file extension. These files must be uncompressed before use with the 'gunzip' utility, a part of the 'gzip' software. Directions for acquiring the gzip software from GNU can be found on the WWW on the GNU home page (http://www.gnu.org/). If you do not have access to gzip, the ftp server can uncompress the files as they are retrieved.
7. To FTP compressed files:
• Use the FTP command 'binary' to transfer image data.
• Use the FTP command 'get' followed by the file name. Include the .gz extension to receive as a compressed file (e.g., get apbats2_0.img.gz).
8. To FTP uncompressed files:
• Use the FTP command 'binary' to transfer image data.
• Use the FTP command 'get' followed by the file name without the .gz extension to transfer an uncompressed file (e.g., get apbats2_0.img). Please note that the uncompressed files are typically many times larger than the compressed versions and therefore will take much longer to transmit.

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.

1. Select either button, compressed or uncompressed, for the file of interest.
2. A pop-up screen may appear, showing information on the download procedure. At this point, choose the directory in which to save the file.
3. For compressed files, the .gz extension must be added to the filename before downloading. However, if the browser will not accept adding an extension, continue with the download, and then rename the file with the .gz extension when the download is complete.
4. For uncompressed files, leave the .gz extension off. If a pop-up screen shows the filename with a .gz extension either edit the filename, or proceed with the download and rename the file without the extension after the procedure is complete.

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

Radius of sphere: 6370997

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

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)

4.0 Derived Data Sets

4.1 Australia/Pacific Seasonal Land Cover Regions Legend

Australia/Pacific, v. 2.0

Value	Description
1	Lowland Tropical Rain Forest
2	Tropical Evergreen Rainforest
3	Tropical Evergreen Rainforest
4	Tropical Evergreen Rainforest with Rubber Plantations
5	Tropical Evergreen Rainforest
6	Tropical Evergreen Rainforest
7	Tropical Evergreen Rainforest
8	Tropical Evergreen Montane Forest
9	Tropical Evergreen Forest with Rubber Plantations
10	Tropical Evergreen Rainforest
11	Tropical Evergreen Forest
12	Tropical Evergreen Forest
13	Lowland Tropical Evergreen Forest with Mangroves
14	Temperate Moist Broadleaf Evergreen Forest (Podocarp, Beech)
15	Evergreen Broadleaf Forest (Podocarp, Beech)
16	Tropical Evergreen Forest
17	Tropical Evergreen Forest
18	Tropical Evergreen Forest
19	Tropical Evergreen Forest
20	Tropical Evergreen Rainforest
21	Tropical Evergreen Rainforest
22	Tropical Evergreen Rainforest
23	Temperate Broadleaf Evergreen Forest (Eucalyptus)
24	Tropical Evergreen Forest
25	Tropical Evergreen Forest
26	Evergreen Broadleaf Forest (Podocarp, Beech)
27	Tropical Evergreen Forest
28	Evergreen Broadleaf Forest (Podocarp, Beech)
29	Tropical Evergreen Rainforest
30	Seasonal Dry Forest
31	Evergreen Broadleaf Forest (Nothofagus)
32	Seasonal Dry Forest
33	Tropical Evergreen Rainforest
34	Podocarp, Broadleaf, Beech Forest with Scrub And Exotics
35	Tropical Evergreen Forest
36	Tropical Evergreen Forest
37	Tropical Evergreen Forest
38	Tropical Evergreen Forest
39	Eucalyptus Forest
40	Tropical Evergreen Rainforest with Mangroves (Coastal)
41	Tropical Evergreen Rainforest
42	Tropical Evergreen Forest
43	Eucalyptus Forest
44	Eucalyptus Forest
45	Tropical Evergreen Forest
46	Wet Eucalyptus Forest
47	Plantations (Rubber, Coconut, Palm)
48	Closed Shrubs
49	Shrubland/Grassland (Acacia, Spinifex)
50	Grassland/Shrubland (Acacia, Spinifex) with Eucalyptus Woodland
51	Shrubland/Grassland (Acacia, Mulga)
52	Open Acacia Shrubland with Spinifex
53	Shrubland (Acacia) with Grass
54	Tall Open Shrubland (Acacia, Eucalyptus)
55	Chenopod Shrubland with Open Woodland (Eucalyptus)
56	Open Shrubland (Acacia)/Grassland
57	Shrubland (Tall Shrubs, Mallee)
58	Ecalyptus Woodland
59	Woody Savanna (Eucalyptus, Maleleuca)
60	Eucalyptus Woodland (Trees/Tall Shrubs)
61	Eucalyptus Woodland
62	Eucalyptus Woodland with Pasture
63	Tropical Dry Woodland (Eucalyptus)
64	Eucalyptus Woodland
65	Evergreen Forest/Grassland/Scrub Mosaic (Leptospermum, Podocarp, Beech)
66	Fragmented Forest/Shrub Savanna with Shifting Cultivation, Rice, Corn
67	Low Open Savanna (Eucalyptus, Melaleuca)
68	Deforested, Tropical Montane Savanna
69	Savanna (Eucalyptus, Maleleuca)
70	Savanna (Eucalyptus)
71	Savanna (Eucalyptus)
72	Open Eucalyptus Savanna
73	Savanna
74	Savanna
75	Open Eucalyptus Woodland
76	Savanna (Maleleuca)
77	Savanna
78	Tropical Wet Savanna
79	Grassland/Scrub Mosiac with Beech And Podocarp Forest
80	Subalpine Meadows/Shrub Tundra
81	Grassland with Shrubland
82	Montane Grassland
83	Montane Grassland
84	Grassland (Mitchell Grass) with Woodland (Eucalyptus)
85	Tussock Grassland
86	Grassland (Mitchell Grass)
87	Tropical Montane Grassland with Heath Scrub
88	Montane Grassland
89	Tussock Grassland with Scrub
90	Grassland/Scrub And Fern Bracken
91	Improved Pasture with Crops And Scrub
92	Improved Pasture/Grassland And Mixed Scrub Mosaic
93	Grassland And Pasture
94	Pasture (Improved And Unimproved)/Grassland/Scrub Mosaic with Cropland
95	Wetlands
96	Cropland (Rice, Rubber, Coffee, Coconut)
97	Cropland (Rice, Rubber, Coffee, Coconut)
98	Rice, Shifting Cultivation
99	Cropland (Rice, Rubber, Coffee, Coconut)
100	Rice, Shifting Cultivation
101	Deforested, Shifting Cultivation, Rice, Rubber
102	Cropland (Rubber, Coffee, Coconut, Tea)
103	Rice, Coffee, Shifting Cultivation
104	Rice, Coffee, Shifting Cultivation
105	Cropland (Rubber, Rice, Sugar, Coffee)
106	Pasture, Cropland (Winter Wheat, Winter Barley)
107	Rice, Coffee, Shifting Cultivation
108	Rice, Shifting Cultivation
109	Shifting Cultivation
110	Cropland, Shifting Cultivation
111	Plantations, Shifting Cultivation, Coconut
112	Cropland And Pasture (Winter Wheat, Winter Barley)
113	Shifting Cultivation, Coffee, Rice
114	Rice, Plantations, Shifting Cultivation
115	Rice, Plantations
116	Cropland And Pasture (Orchards, Vinyards)
117	Cropland with Grassland (Coconut, Rice, Sugar Cane, Corn, Vegetables)
118	Rice, Shifting Cultivation
119	Pasture/Cropland
120	Pasture/Cropland
121	Deforested, Heavily Disturbed Grass, Shifting Cultivation
122	Savanna/Shifting Cultivation, Deforested
123	Deforested, Heavily Disturbed Grass, Shifting Cultivation
124	Deforested, Shifting Cultivation, Coffee, Rice
125	Grassland/Cropland
126	Fragmented Forest, Shifting Cultivation, Rice
127	Cropland/Grasslands (Plantations, Rice)
128	Seasonal Tropical Forest/Cropland Mosaic
129	Cropland/Grassland Mosaic
130	Fragmented Forest, Shifting Cultivation
131	Fragmented Forest, Shifting Cultivation
132	Fragmented Forest, Rice, Plantations, Coconut
133	Fragmented Forest, Cropland (Plantations, Rice, Coconut)
134	Fragmented Forest, Rice, Plantations, Coconut, Sugar Cane
135	Tropical Forest, Coconut Plantations
136	Glaciers
137	Barren (Dry Lake Beds, Intermittant Wetlands)
138	Inland Water
139	Ocean

4.2 Global Ecosystems Legend

4.3 IGBP Land Cover Legend

4.4 USGS Land Use/Land Cover System Legend (Modified Level 2)

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
11	Ice/Snow

4.7 Biosphere-Atmosphere Transfer Scheme Legend

4.8 Running Vegetation Lifeforms Legend

5.0 Information on Version 2.0

The first version of the global land cover database was completed and released to the public in November, 1997.  We applied the feedback we received from the users of this database (Brown and others, 1999) and broad lessons learned from the validation exercise of the IGBP DISCover land cover data (Scepan, 1999; Muchoney and others, 1999) to the development of this revised version of the database.  Version 2.0 of the Australia/Pacific land cover database contains updated land cover classes and revised labels.  Users can identify the revised images and documentation by observing  "2.0" or "2_0" in file names (for example, apigbp2_0g.img).  Links to the previous version (1.2) of the land cover database are found on glcc_version1.php. Please send any questions to our Land Cover Applications Center ( lcac@usgs.gov ).

We have provided the specific changes to the Australia/Pacific land cover database in the following ascii text file, aplcdbtab2_0.txt .  The file contains 42 fields (columns) and the data are of variable width with tabs as field delimiters.  The first record (row) of the file corresponds to the field titles.  The following records in the file are indexed by the second field to the Australia/Pacific Seasonal Land Cover Regions (Version 2.0).  The field entitled "Update" contains information specific to the action taken in order to revise the particular Seasonal Land Cover Region (for example, the class was split, merged with another region, or relabeled).

6.0 References

Anderson, J.R., Hardy, E.E., Roach J.T., and Witmer R.E., 1976, A land use and land cover classification system for use with remote sensor data: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 964, 28 p.

Belward, A.S., ed., 1996, The IGBP-DIS global 1 km land cover data set (DISCover)-proposal and implementation plans: IGBP-DIS Working Paper No. 13, Toulouse, France, 61 p.

Brown, J.F., Loveland, T.R., Ohlen, D.O., Zhu, Z., 1999. The Global Land-Cover Characteristics Database: The Users' Perspective. Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing , v. 65, no. 9, p. 1,069-1,074.

Dickinson, R.E., Henderson-Sellers, A., Kennedy, P.J., and Wilson, M.F., 1986, Biosphere-atmosphere transfer scheme (BATS) for the NCAR community climate model: NCAR Technical Note NCAR/TN275+STR, Boulder, CO. 69 p.

Loveland, T.R., Zhu, Z., Ohlen, D.O., Brown, J.F., Reed, B.C., and Yang, L., 1999. An Analysis of the IGBP Global Land-Cover Characterization Process. Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing , v. 65, no. 9, p. 1021-1032.

Muchoney, D., Strahler, A., Hodges, J., and LoCastro, J., 1999. The IGBP DISCover Confidence Sites and the System for Terrestrial Ecosystem Parameterization: Tools for Validating Global Land-Cover Data. Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing , v. 65, no. 9, p. 1061-1067.

Olson, J.S., 1994a, Global ecosystem framework-definitions: USGS EROS Data Center Internal Report, Sioux Falls, SD, 37 p.

_____ 1994b, Global ecosystem framework-translation strategy: USGS EROS Data Center Internal Report, Sioux Falls, SD, 39 p.

Running, S.W., Loveland, T.R., and Pierce, L.L., 1994. A Vegetation Classification Logic Based on Remote Sensing for Use in Global Biogeochemical Models, Ambio , v. 23, n. 1, p. 77-81.

Scepan, J., 1999. Thematic Validation of High-Resolution Global Land-Cover Data Sets, Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing , v. 65, no. 9, p. 1051-1060.

Sellers, P.J., Mintz, Y., Sud, Y.C., and Dalcher A., 1986, A simple biosphere model (SiB) for use within general circulation models: Journal of Atmospheric Science , v. 43, p. 505-531.

Sellers, P.J., Randall, D.A., Collatz, G.J., Berry, J.A., Field, C.B., Dazlich, D.A., Zhang, C., Collelo, G.D., and Bounoua, L., 1996, A revised land surface parameterization (SiB2) for atmospheric GCMs - Part I-model formulation: Journal of Climate , v. 9, p. 676-705.

Steinwand, D.R., 1994, Mapping raster imagery to the Interrupted Goode Homolosine projection: International Journal of Remote Sensing , v. 15, no. 17, p. 3,463-3,472.

Steinwand, D.R., Hutchinson, J.A., and Snyder, J.P. ,1995, Map projections for global and continental data sets and an analysis of pixel distortion caused by reprojection: Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing , v. 61, p. 1,487-1,497.