NALCMS products can be used for a variety of applications, including: carbon sequestration analysis, wildlife habitat mapping, ecosystem monitoring, environmental planning, water quality assessments, and evaluation of biofuels production potential.
The maps produced under this initiative represent land cover in 2005, 2010, and 2015, and are based on either Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite imagery monthly composites at 250 m spatial resolution; Landsat-7; or RapidEye satellite imagery at 30 m spatial resolution.
The NALCMS’ nineteen land cover classes are based on the Land Cover Classification System (LCCS) standard developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.