Tree cover gain (20 year cummulative)

Identifies areas of tree cover gain.

This data set from the GLAD (Global Land Analysis & Discovery) lab at the University of Maryland measures areas of tree cover gain from the year 2000 to 2020 across the globe at 30 × 30 meter resolution, displayed as a 20-year cumulative layer. Tree cover gain was determined using tree height information from the years 2000 and 2020. Tree height was modeled by the integration of the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) lidar forest structure measurements and Landsat analysis-ready data time-series. The NASA GEDI is a spaceborne lidar instrument operating onboard the International Space Station since April 2019. It provides point-based measurements of vegetation structure, including forest canopy height at latitudes between 52°N and 52°S globally. Gain was identified where pixels had tree height ≥5 m in 2020 and tree height <5 m in 2000.

Tree cover gain may indicate a number of potential activities, including natural forest growth, the tree crop rotation cycle, or tree plantation management.

When zoomed out (< zoom level 12), pixels of gain are shaded according to the density of gain at the 30 x 30 meter scale. Pixels with darker shading represent areas with a higher concentration of tree cover gain, whereas pixels with lighter shading indicate a lower concentration of tree cover gain. There is no variation in pixel shading when the data is at full resolution (≥ zoom level 12).