VegScape - Vegetation Condition Explorer

Metadata:

Identification_Information:
Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service
Publication_Date: 20160212
Title: VegScape - Vegetation Condition Explorer
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: digital document
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Washington, DC
Publisher: USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service
Online_Linkage: http://nassgeodata.gmu.edu/VegScape/
Description:
Abstract:
VegScape <http://nassgeodata.gmu.edu/VegScape/> delivers interactive vegetation indices so that web users can explore, visualize, query, and disseminate current vegetative cover maps and data without the need for specialized expertise, software, or high end computers. New satellite-based data are loaded on a weekly basis during the growing season. One can compare year-to-year change since the year 2000, compare conditions at a given times to mean, median and ratio vegetative cover, and can overlay a crop mask to help identify crop land versus non-crop land, among many functions. Vegetation indices, such as the NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), and mean, median, and ratio comparisons to prior years have proven useful for assessing crop condition and identifying the land area impacted by floods, drought, major weather anomalies, and vulnerabilities of early/late season crops. The National Aeronautics Space Administration's MODIS satellite is used for this project and provides imaging at 250 meter (15 acres) per pixel resolution. Additionally, the data can be directly exported to Google Earth for mashups or delivered to other applications via web services.
NASS developed both the CropScape and VegScape web services in cooperation with the Center for Spatial Information Science and Systems, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA.
Purpose:
VegScape users can explore, visualize, query, and disseminate current vegetative cover maps and data without the need for specialized expertise, software, or high end computers. New satellite-based data are loaded on a weekly basis during the growing season. One can compare year-to-year change since the year 2000, compare conditions at a given times to mean, median and ratio vegetative cover, and can overlay a crop mask to help identify crop land versus non-crop land, among many functions. Vegetation indices, such as the NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), and mean, median, and ratio comparisons to prior years have proven useful for assessing crop condition and identifying the land area impacted by floods, drought, major weather anomalies, and vulnerabilities of early/late season crops.
Supplemental_Information:
The data is available free for viewing and download through VegScape at <http://nassgeodata.gmu.edu/VegScape/>.

Status:
Progress: Complete
Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: biweekly, weekly and daily updates
Keywords:
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: ISO 19115 Topic Category
Theme_Keyword: farming, 001
Theme_Keyword: environment, 007
Theme_Keyword: imageryBaseMapsEarthCover, 010
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords
Theme_Keyword: Earth Science > Biosphere > Vegetation > Vegetation Index
Theme_Keyword:
Earth Science > Biosphere > Terrestrial Ecosystems > Agricultural Lands

Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Instrument Keywords
Theme_Keyword: MODIS > Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer

Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: None

Theme_Keyword: vegetative condition
Theme_Keyword: vegetation indices
Theme_Keyword: vegetation index
Theme_Keyword: NDVI
Theme_Keyword: VCI
Theme_Keyword: crop mask
Theme_Keyword: cropland
Theme_Keyword: agriculture
Theme_Keyword: MODIS
Theme_Keyword: VegScape
Place:
Place_Keyword: United States
Place_Keyword: Alabama
Place_Keyword: Arizona
Place_Keyword: Arkansas
Place_Keyword: California
Place_Keyword: Colorado
Place_Keyword: Connecticut
Place_Keyword: Delaware
Place_Keyword: Florida
Place_Keyword: Georgia
Place_Keyword: Idaho
Place_Keyword: Illinois
Place_Keyword: Indiana
Place_Keyword: Iowa
Place_Keyword: Kansas
Place_Keyword: Kentucky
Place_Keyword: Louisiana
Place_Keyword: Maine
Place_Keyword: Maryland
Place_Keyword: Massachusetts
Place_Keyword: Michigan
Place_Keyword: Minnesota
Place_Keyword: Mississippi
Place_Keyword: Missouri
Place_Keyword: Montana
Place_Keyword: Nebraska
Place_Keyword: Nevada
Place_Keyword: New Hampshire
Place_Keyword: New Jersey
Place_Keyword: New Mexico
Place_Keyword: New York
Place_Keyword: North Carolina
Place_Keyword: North Dakota
Place_Keyword: Ohio
Place_Keyword: Oklahoma
Place_Keyword: Oregon
Place_Keyword: Pennsylvania
Place_Keyword: Rhode Island
Place_Keyword: South Carolina
Place_Keyword: South Dakota
Place_Keyword: Tennessee
Place_Keyword: Texas
Place_Keyword: Utah
Place_Keyword: Vermont
Place_Keyword: Virginia
Place_Keyword: Washington
Place_Keyword: West Virginia
Place_Keyword: Wisconsin
Place_Keyword: Wyoming
Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: ISO
Access_Constraints: none
Use_Constraints:
The data offered on the VegScape website is provided to the public as is and is considered public domain and free to redistribute. The USDA, NASS does not warrant any conclusions drawn from these data.
Point_of_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization: USDA, NASS, Spatial Analysis Research Section
Contact_Person: USDA, NASS, Spatial Analysis Research Section staff
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical address
Address: 3251 Old Lee Highway, Room 305
City: Fairfax
State_or_Province: Virginia
Postal_Code: 22030-1504
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 703-877-8000
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 703-877-8044
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: HQ_RDD_GIB@nass.usda.gov
Spatial_Domain:
Bounding_Coordinates:
West_Bounding_Coordinate: -127.8873
East_Bounding_Coordinate: -74.1585
North_Bounding_Coordinate: 47.9580
South_Bounding_Coordinate: 23.1496
Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Range_of_Dates/Times:
Beginning_Date: 20000101
Ending_Date: 20151231
Currentness_Reference: 2015 growing season
Spatial_Data_Organization_Information:
Direct_Spatial_Reference_Method: Raster
Entity_and_Attribute_Information:
Overview_Description:
Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:
The data offered on VegScape is based on National Aeronautics Space Administration's MODIS satellite which has a spatial resolution of 250 meters. Currently, there are five vegetative indices offered; Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Vegetative Condition Index (VCI), Ratio VCI (RVCI), Ratio Median VCI (RMVCI), and Mean VCI (MVCI).
The calculations and value ranges for each indices are available on the VegScape website. More information can be found at <http://www.nass.usda.gov/Education_and_Outreach/Reports,_Presentations_and_Conferences/Presentations/Mueller_AgOutlook13_VegScape.pdf>.
Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation:
The data offered on VegScape is based on National Aeronautics Space Administration's MODIS satellite which has a spatial resolution of 250 meters. Currently, there are five vegetative indices offered; Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Vegetative Condition Index (VCI), Ratio VCI (RVCI), Ratio Median VCI (RMVCI), and Mean VCI (MVCI).
The calculations and value ranges for each indices are available on the VegScape website. More information can be found at <http://www.nass.usda.gov/Education_and_Outreach/Reports,_Presentations_and_Conferences/Presentations/Mueller_AgOutlook13_VegScape.pdf>.
Distribution_Information:
Distributor:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization: USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service
Contact_Person: USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service Staff
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical address
Address: 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Room 5038-S
City: Washington
State_or_Province: District of Columbia
Postal_Code: 20250-9410
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 800-727-9540
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 703-877-8044
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: HQ_RDD_GIB@nass.usda.gov
Contact_Instructions:
Please visit the official website <http://www.nass.usda.gov/Research_and_Science/Cropland/SARS1a.php> for additional details. The Cropland Data Layer is available free for download at <http://nassgeodata.gmu.edu/CropScape/>.
Resource_Description: VegScape - Vegetation Condition Explorer
Distribution_Liability:
Disclaimer: Users of the VegScape and CropScape are solely responsible for interpretations made from these products. The data are provided 'as is' and the USDA, NASS does not warrant results you may obtain using the data. Contact our staff at (HQ_RDD_GIB@nass.usda.gov) if technical questions arise.
Metadata_Reference_Information:
Metadata_Date: 20160212
Metadata_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization: USDA, NASS, Spatial Analysis Research Section
Contact_Person: USDA, NASS, Spatial Analysis Research Section Staff
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical address
Address: 3251 Old Lee Highway, Room 305
City: Fairfax
State_or_Province: Virginia
Postal_Code: 22030-1504
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 703-877-8000
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 703-877-8044
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: HQ_RDD_GIB@nass.usda.gov
Metadata_Standard_Name: FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata
Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001-1998
Metadata_Access_Constraints: No restrictions on the distribution or use of the metadata file
Metadata_Use_Constraints: No restrictions on the distribution or use of the metadata file
Generated by mp version 2.9.32 on Mon Feb 22 14:00:50 2016