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Map Layer Info

     
 
Land Cover Diversity

What this map layer shows:

Six classes indicating relative land cover variety, where the darkest colors on the map indicate the greatest level of land cover diversity.
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Background Information
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Land cover diversity data describe the variety of land covers surrounding a particular location. If only a few land cover types are found nearby, the diversity index is low. If many types of land cover are found nearby, the diversity index is high. Both natural and manmade land covers are considered when measuring diversity, and the intent is to map diversity over large areas. These data are used for a wide variety of national and regional applications, including watershed management, environmental inventories, and studies of biodiversity. The Land Cover Diversity map layer shows land cover diversity in North America, excluding Hawaii, the eastern part of Greenland, southern Mexico, and Central America. It was compiled by the U.S. Geological Survey from Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) data, as part of the Global Land Cover Characterization Program.

The Land Cover Diversity map layer is an image showing six classes, or index values, that indicate the level of land cover variety surrounding a particular location. The higher the index value, the higher the level of diversity.

 

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What is AVHRR?