ISSAQUAH, Wash., Sept. 15, 2015 — EarthDefine, a provider of high resolution spatial data products, has created comprehensive tree datasets that seamlessly map the location of all trees and tree heights across Ohio and Pennsylvania in unprecedented detail. The new 1 meter resolution Ohio and Pennsylvania SpatialCover Tree Canopy datasets will enable multiple applications for land management and quantification of the ecosystem services provided by trees.
EarthDefine Maps High Resolution Tree Cover for Ohio and Pennsylvania
The Ohio and Pennsylvania datasets fill existing gaps between high resolution datasets that cover very small geographical regions and coarse-grained national tree canopy data sources like the National Land Cover Database (NLCD). Existing coarse resolution datasets underestimate trees in agricultural and urban landscapes where the tree canopy exists in small and narrow spatial configurations. EarthDefine’s tree canopy datasets map tree cover with over 95% accuracy and 30 times the resolution of existing state level datasets. These datasets provide the most accurate data source for assessing tree canopy at the regional level while also supporting detailed analysis down to the neighborhood level.
EarthDefine used multiple terabytes of color infrared imagery flown in the summer of 2010 and 2013 along with three-dimensional point cloud data from LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) flown between 2006 and 2014 for most of Pennsylvania and Ohio to create the statewide tree cover datasets. LIDAR is a remote sensing technology that enables accurate measurement of elevation for different ground surface types based on the light pulses reflected from the earth. The LIDAR data was also used to create Canopy Height Models for Ohioand Pennsylvania.
EarthDefine has previously released high resolution tree canopy datasets that provide statewide coverage for Indiana, Minnesota andCalifornia. EarthDefine will continue to grow its SpatialCover Tree Canopy data 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.
SOURCE EarthDefine
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