![USGS/NLCD_RELEASES/2023_REL/RCMAP/V6/COVER](https://developers.google.com/earth-engine/datasets/images/USGS/USGS_NLCD_RELEASES_2023_REL_RCMAP_V6_COVER_sample.png)

Dataset Availability
:   1985-01-01T00:00:00Z--2023-12-31T00:00:00Z

Dataset Producer
:


    [United States Geological Survey and Bureau of Land Management](https://www.mrlc.gov/)

Cadence
:   1 Year

Tags
:
    [climate-change](https://developers.google.com/earth-engine/datasets/tags/climate-change) [disturbance](https://developers.google.com/earth-engine/datasets/tags/disturbance) [landsat-derived](https://developers.google.com/earth-engine/datasets/tags/landsat-derived) [landuse-landcover](https://developers.google.com/earth-engine/datasets/tags/landuse-landcover) [nlcd](https://developers.google.com/earth-engine/datasets/tags/nlcd) [rangeland](https://developers.google.com/earth-engine/datasets/tags/rangeland) [trends](https://developers.google.com/earth-engine/datasets/tags/trends)

#### Description

'The RCMAP (Rangeland Condition Monitoring Assessment and Projection)
dataset quantifies the percent cover of rangeland components across
western North America using Landsat imagery from 1985-2023. The RCMAP
product suite consists of ten fractional components: annual herbaceous,
bare ground, herbaceous, litter, non-sagebrush shrub, perennial herbaceous,
sagebrush, shrub, tree, and shrub height in addition to the temporal
trends of each component. Several enhancements were made to the RCMAP
process relative to prior generations. First, high-resolution training
was revised using an improved neural-net classifier and modelling approach.
These data serve as foundation to the RCMAP approach. The training
database was further improved by incorporating additional datasets. Next,
the Landsat compositing approach was improved to better capture the range
of conditions from across each year and through time. These composites are
based on Collection 2 Landsat data with improved geolocation accuracy and
dynamic range. Finally, the Canadian portion of the sagebrush biome was
included, which expanded the study area by 29,199 km2.

Processing efficiency has been increased using open-source software and
USGS High-Performance Computing (HPC) resources. The mapping area included
eight regions which were subsequently mosaicked. These data can be used to
answer critical questions regarding the influence of climate change and
the suitability of management practices. Component products can be
downloaded at
[Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics Consortium](https://www.mrlc.gov/data).

See also:

- Rigge, M., H. Shi, C. Homer, P. Danielson, and B. Granneman. 2019.
  Long-term trajectories of fractional component change in the Northern
  Great Basin, USA. Ecosphere 10(6):e02762.
  [doi:10.1002/ecs2.2762](https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.2762)

- Rigge, M., C. Homer, L. Cleeves, D. K. Meyer, B. Bunde, H. Shi, G. Xian,
  S. Schell, and M. Bobo. 2020. Quantifying western U.S. rangelands as
  fractional components with multi-resolution remote sensing and in situ
  data. Remote Sensing 12.
  [doi:10.3390/rs12030412](https://doi.org/10.3390/rs12030412)

- Rigge, M., C. Homer, H. Shi, D. Meyer, B.
  Bunde, B. Granneman, K. Postma, P. Danielson, A. Case, and G. Xian. 2021.
  Rangeland Fractional Components Across the Western United States
  from 1985 to 2018. Remote Sensing 13:813.
  [doi:10.3390/rs13040813](https://doi.org/10.3390/rs13040813).',

### Bands

**Bands**

Pixel size: 30 meters (all bands)

| Name | Units | Min | Max | Pixel Size | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| `rangeland_annual_herbaceous` | % | 0 | 100 | 30 meters | Percent of the pixel covered by annual herbaceous vegetation. |
| `rangeland_bare_ground` | % | 0 | 100 | 30 meters | Percent of the pixel covered by bare ground. |
| `rangeland_non_sagebrush_shrub` | % | 0 | 100 | 30 meters | Percent of the pixel covered by non-sagebrush shrubs. |
| `rangeland_herbaceous` | % | 0 | 100 | 30 meters | Percent of the pixel covered by herbaceous vegetation. |
| `rangeland_litter` | % | 0 | 100 | 30 meters | Percent of the pixel covered by litter. |
| `rangeland_sagebrush` | % | 0 | 100 | 30 meters | Percent of the pixel covered by sagebrush (*Artemisia* spp). |
| `rangeland_shrub` | % | 0 | 100 | 30 meters | Percent of the pixel covered by shrub. |
| `rangeland_shrub_height` | cm | 0 | 500 | 30 meters | Average height of shrubs in centimeters. |
| `rangeland_perennial_herbaceous` | % | 0 | 100 | 30 meters | Percent of the pixel covered by perennial herbaceous vegetation. |
| `rangeland_tree` | % | 0 | 100 | 30 meters | Percent of the pixel covered by tree. |

### Terms of Use

**Terms of Use**

This work was authored as part of the Contributor's official duties as an
Employee of the United States Government and is therefore a work of the
United States Government. In accordance with 17 U.S.C. 105, no copyright
protection is available for such works under U.S. Law. This is an Open
Access article that has been identified as being free of known restrictions
under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights
(https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/). You can copy, modify,
distribute and perform the work, even for commercial purposes, all without
asking permission.

### Citations

Citations:

- Rigge, M.B., Bunde, B., Postma, K., and Shi, H., 2024,
  Rangeland Condition Monitoring Assessment and Projection (RCMAP)
  Fractional Component Time-Series Across the Western U.S. 1985-2023:
  U.S. Geological Survey data release,
  [doi:10.5066/P9SJXUI1](https://doi.org/10.5066/P9SJXUI1).

### Explore with Earth Engine

> [!NOTE]
> **Important:** Earth Engine is a platform for petabyte-scale scientific analysis and visualization of geospatial datasets, both for public benefit and for business and government users. Earth Engine is free to use for research, education, and nonprofit use. To get started, please [register for Earth Engine access.](https://console.cloud.google.com/earth-engine)

### Code Editor (JavaScript)

```javascript
// Import the NLCD RCMAP collection.
var dataset = ee.ImageCollection('USGS/NLCD_RELEASES/2023_REL/RCMAP/V6/COVER');

// Filter the collection to the 2021 product.
var nlcd2021 = dataset.filter(ee.Filter.eq('system:index', '2021')).first();

// Each product has multiple bands for different rangeland categories.
print('Bands:', nlcd2021.bandNames());

// Select the rangeland_annual_herbaceous band.
var percentCover = nlcd2021.select('rangeland_annual_herbaceous');

var vis = {
  // Map 0..100.
  'palette': [
    '000000', 'f9e8b7', 'f7e3ac', 'f0dfa3', 'eedf9c', 'eada91', 'e8d687',
    'e0d281', 'ddd077', 'd6cc6d', 'd3c667', 'd0c55e', 'cfc555', 'c6bd4f',
    'c4ba46', 'bdb83a', 'bbb534', 'b7b02c', 'b0ad1f', 'adac17', 'aaaa0a',
    'a3a700', '9fa700', '9aa700', '92a700', '8fa700', '87a700', '85a700',
    '82aa00', '7aaa00', '77aa00', '70aa00', '6caa00', '67aa00', '5fa700',
    '57a700', '52a700', '4fa700', '4aa700', '42a700', '3ca700', '37a700',
    '37a300', '36a000', '369f00', '349d00', '339900', '339900', '2f9200',
    '2d9100', '2d8f00', '2c8a00', '2c8800', '2c8500', '2c8400', '2b8200',
    '297d00', '297a00', '297900', '277700', '247400', '247000', '29700f',
    '2c6d1c', '2d6d24', '336d2d', '366c39', '376c44', '396a4a', '396a55',
    '3a6a5f', '3a696a', '396774', '3a6782', '39668a', '376292', '34629f',
    '2f62ac', '2c5fb7', '245ec4', '1e5ed0', '115cdd', '005ae0', '0057dd',
    '0152d6', '0151d0', '014fcc', '014ac4', '0147bd', '0144b8', '0142b0',
    '0141ac', '013da7', '013aa0', '01399d', '013693', '013491', '012f8a',
    '012d85', '012c82', '01297a'
  ]
};

// Display the image on the map.
Map.setCenter(-114, 38, 6);
Map.addLayer(percentCover, vis, 'Rangeland Annual Herbaceous %');
```
[Open in Code Editor](https://code.earthengine.google.com/?scriptPath=Examples:Datasets/USGS/USGS_NLCD_RELEASES_2023_REL_RCMAP_V6_COVER) [RCMAP Rangeland Component Timeseries (1985-2023), v06](https://developers.google.com/earth-engine/datasets/catalog/USGS_NLCD_RELEASES_2023_REL_RCMAP_V6_COVER) 'The RCMAP (Rangeland Condition Monitoring Assessment and Projection) dataset quantifies the percent cover of rangeland components across western North America using Landsat imagery from 1985-2023. The RCMAP product suite consists of ten fractional components: annual herbaceous, bare ground, herbaceous, litter, non-sagebrush shrub, perennial herbaceous, sagebrush, shrub, tree, and shrub height ... USGS/NLCD_RELEASES/2023_REL/RCMAP/V6/COVER, climate-change,disturbance,landsat-derived,landuse-landcover,nlcd,rangeland,trends 1985-01-01T00:00:00Z/2023-12-31T00:00:00Z 26.5157 -128.0026 51.5761 -99.6758 Google Earth Engine https://developers.google.com/earth-engine/datasets

- [](https://doi.org/https://www.mrlc.gov/)
- [](https://doi.org/https://developers.google.com/earth-engine/datasets/catalog/USGS_NLCD_RELEASES_2023_REL_RCMAP_V6_COVER)
- [](https://doi.org/https://developers.google.com/earth-engine/datasets/catalog/USGS_NLCD_RELEASES_2023_REL_RCMAP_V6_COVER)