Thirty years of the U.S. National Land Cover Database: Impacts and future direction
| Authors: | Terry Sohl, Suming Jin, Jon Dewitz, James Wickham, Jesslyn Brown, Stephen Stehman, Nathaniel Herold, Karen G. Schleeweis, Heather Tollerud, Carol Deering |
| Year: | 2025 |
| Type: | Scientific Journal |
| Station: | Rocky Mountain Research Station |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.14358/PERS.25-00121R2 |
| Source: | Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing |
Abstract
The National Land Cover Database (NLCD), developed through the Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics Consortium, was initiated 30 years ago and has continually provided critical, Landsat-based land-cover and land-change information for the United States. Originally launched to address the lack of national-scale, moderate-resolution land-cover data, NLCD has evolved from the pioneering 1992 dataset into a comprehensive, annually updated product suite. Key innovations include the introduction of impervious surface mapping, forest canopy mapping, standardized Landsat mosaics, national-scale accuracy assessments, continual evolution of deep learning and artificial intelligence methodologies, and a transition toward operational, change-focused monitoring. The NLCD has become an essential resource for scientific research, land management, and policy development, with extensive adoption across federal, state, and local agencies; academia; and the private sector. The NLCD data underpin a wide array of applications, including biodiversity conservation, urban planning, hydrology, human health studies, and natural hazard assessment. As new global and high-resolution commercial land-cover products emerge, the NLCD continues to distinguish itself through its temporal depth, federal backing, and thematic consistency. Moving forward, the NLCD will maintain its niche as the leading, moderate-resolution, long-term land-cover and land-change dataset for the United States, ensuring continued support for broad national applications while complementing higher-resolution and global-mapping efforts.