A dataset of fractional vegetation cover with 1 km spatial resolution in the Loess Plateau from 2000 to 2019

The Loess Plateau, characterized by its ecological fragility, serves as an important indicator of the region's ecosystem restoration and health. This dataset, derived from MODIS satellite data products, encompasses annual Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) values for the Loess Plateau from 2000 to 2019. Processing steps such as format conversion, image clipping, projection transformation, and annual data synthesis were applied to the raw data. Additionally, Fractional Vegetation Cover (FVC) was computed using the pixel dichotomy method. Accuracy validation was conducted using SPOT NDVI data, yielding an R² of 0.86 and an RMSE of 0.03, demonstrating the dataset's suitability for vegetation cover analysis in the study area. This dataset provides insights into the spatial and temporal variations in vegetation cover over the 20-year period following the implementation of the Grain for Green Project in 1999. It serves as a crucial data source for investigating the effects of vegetation restoration on various environmental processes, including the hydrologic cycle, soil erosion, carbon sequestration, and ecosystem dynamics on the Loess Plateau.