Mapping Process

LANDFIRE assigns disturbance, vegetation, fuel, and fire regime classifications to every pixel within every 30 meters of land in the United States. A good example of these methods is the process of assigning a pixel to an ecological system or to a U.S. National Vegetation Classification group, LANDFIRE’s two vegetation type classifications. LANDFIRE uses the relation between satellite image surface reflectance and field plots to extrapolate vegetation classes to other pixels containing similar information. The satellite reflectance data come primarily from 30-meter Landsat sensors and provide a consistent dataset that has been the basis for LANDFIRE mapping since 2004.

LANDFIRE Data—Essential for National Fire Assessments and Managing Large Wildfires

LANDFIRE data are foundational for wildfire hazard and risk studies. Firesheds, potential operational delineations (commonly known as PODs), wildfire risk assessments (fig. 1), and other national efforts rely on LANDFIRE data to power fire behavior models. Fire Simulation (known as FSim), a frequently used landscape-level fire behavior model, requires LANDFIRE fuel models, canopy information, and topography inputs to begin model runs.

Most large wildfires have a Federal interagency incident command that accesses the Wildland Fire Decision Support System (WFDSS). As part of its capabilities, the WFDSS encompasses several spatial fire behavior models such as Basic Fire Behavior, Near-Term Fire Behavior, and Fire Spread Probability (more commonly known as FSPro). All WFDSS spatial models require LANDFIRE fuel and topography layers as inputs.

LANDFIRE Data Inform Habitat Research

LANDFIRE data also have been used for habitat analyses. Here are a few recent examples:

LANDFIRE—High-Quality Annual Disturbance Maps at the Ready

LANDFIRE annual disturbance mapping (fig. 4) has historically been a “means to an end” to help map vegetation and fuel changes caused by disturbance; however, LANDFIRE’s stand-alone annual disturbance layers ranging from 1999 to 2020 are a rich data source for disturbance history data. Where else can you find detailed disturbance information with the source, cause, severity, and detailed notes on how that information was derived?

LANDFIRE Also Has Fire and Treatment Perimeter Data

LANDFIRE’s Events Geodatabase tracks more than 20 years of vegetation disturbance and treatment data. The scientists supporting LANDFIRE have cultivated relationships with local, State, and Federal agencies, along with nonprofit agencies across the Nation, to provide perimeters of change. These perimeters are used to help create our annual disturbance layers and assign disturbance causes such as mechanical, insect and disease, prescribed fire, wildfire, and weather events. Examples of well-known national data sources included are the Forest Service Activity Tracking System (known as FACTS), the National Fire Plan Operations and Reporting System (known as NFPORS), and the National Interagency Fire Center (known as NIFC).

LANDFIRE’s Plot Data and Machine Learning—Keeping Pace

LANDFIRE uses plot data to train our machine learning models, which in turn, create high-quality data and products. In the age of artificial intelligence, the demands for ground-referenced datasets are increasing. Plot data in the LANDFIRE Reference Database originate from a wide range of sources (table 1) across many years. Our LANDFIRE reference team is always searching for plot data to add to the database, so if you know of a plot dataset that applies to vegetation and structure, LANDFIRE probably has it, and if not, we want it!

Biophysical Settings and Fire Regimes—A Glimpse into the Past

Biophysical settings (BPS) are useful for anyone trying to understand what the landscape might have looked like before Europeans colonized the continent. By incorporating the fire regimes that most likely existed at that time, BPS indicates the most probable succession state that would have been found at any location. LANDFIRE’s Vegetation Departure (VDep) layer gives an estimate of the difference between historical BPS and current LANDFIRE existing vegetation. This assessment of “departure” from the past may help prioritize land management restoration decisions.

LANDFIRE—Your Source for Disturbance, Vegetation, and Fuel Spatial Data

LANDFIRE is a complete, all-lands program run by the Department of the Interior and the Forest Service and operated by the U.S. Geological Survey. The Nature Conservancy partners with LANDFIRE to help answer application questions, manage informational programs, and model ecosystem dynamics. We urge you to explore LANDFIRE spatial data at https://www.landfire.gov if you need disturbance, vegetation, or fuels information. Contact the LANDFIRE help desk with any questions (helpdesk@landfire.gov).