A dataset of fraction vegetation cover models over different underlying surfaces in China based on literature collection

Fractional vegetation cover (FVC) is a comprehensive quantitative indicator to measure vegetation cover, which provides significant basic data for studying ecological environment, water and soil conservation, and climate change. A scientific and quantitative inversion of the fractional vegetation cover is valuable for guiding ecological environment treatment and eco-system construction. In this study, we collected fractional vegetation cover data for different underlying surfaces in China from 1980 to 2016 based on existing literature, through which to build the FVC remote sensing estimation model dataset. The study covers a spatial range of 24.49°–51.42°N, 80.23°–128.95°E, including northwest regions (Neimenggu, Xinjiang, Qinghai, Xizang, Gansu provinces), northern China (Beijing, Hebei, Shandong, Henan provinces), southwestern and southern regions (Yunnan, Guangxi and Jiang Xi provinces). The dataset covers the major underlying surfaces in typical Chinese terrestrial ecosystems, including forest, shrub, grassland, wetland, desert, farmland, unban land and karst. This dataset provides model statistics for quantitative research of ecology, water conservation, soil, hydraulic engineering and vegetation, as well as for ecosystem service evaluation, regional eco-environmental protection and protection red line delineation.