ISSAQUAH, Wash.,Aug. 18, 2015EarthDefine, a provider of high-resolution spatial data products, has created a seamless tree canopy dataset that mapsMinnesotastrees in unprecedented detail.
TheMinnesota SpatialCover Tree Canopydataset maps trees with 98% accuracy and 30 times the resolution of existing state level datasets forMinnesota. This 1-meter resolution dataset will enable users to accurately measure and understand tree cover at regional and local levels, especially in mixed urban and agricultural landscapes.
EarthDefine used theMinnesotatree cover data to create an interactive map oftree canopy for all cities in Minnesotathat can be used to quickly compare woody vegetation between different cities. Anothermap of per capita tree cover in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan regionillustrates how the data can be used to understand urban forest patterns in relation to a citys demographics. TheMinnesotatree data can help planners assess urban tree canopy for any city in the state and also supports other applications like biomass estimation, wildfire risk monitoring, studying interactions between public health and tree cover, quantification of ecosystem services and improved modeling of stormwater flows.
EarthDefine used multiple terabytes of color infrared imagery flown in the summer of 2013 along with three-dimensional point cloud data from LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) available for most ofMinnesotato create the seamless tree cover dataset. The LIDAR data was also used to create aCanopy Height Model (CHM) datasetthat maps canopy heights across 73 counties in the state.
EarthDefine has previously released high-resolution tree canopy datasets that provide statewide coverage forIndianaandCalifornia. EarthDefine will continue to grow itsSpatialCover Tree Canopydata product to cover more states over the next year by building on the best available orthoimagery and LIDAR data. For more information on EarthDefine products, please visitwww.earthdefine.com.