Global Forest Change (GFC) 2000–2023 — GFC-2023-v1.11
type: Dataset
comment: This dataset metadata was generated with the use of AI and reviewed by an expert. If you see any mistakes please file an issue on GitHub at https://github.com/earthcube/communityCollections/issues.
description: Global Forest Change (GFC) provides results from time-series analysis of Landsat imagery to characterize global forest extent and change from 2000 through 2023. The direct-download package is organized as 10×10 degree GeoTIFF tiles at ~30 m resolution (1 arc-second per pixel). Core layers include: tree canopy cover for year 2000 (percent canopy closure for vegetation >5 m), forest gain (2000–2012), year of gross forest cover loss (coded by loss year for 2001–2023), a data mask for land/water/no-data, and reference Landsat cloud-free composites for the first and last available years (typically ~2000 and ~2023) in red, NIR, SWIR1, and SWIR2 bands. Version 1.11 adds 2023 loss-year updates and updated multispectral imagery and includes methodological updates (including Landsat 8/9 use and reprocessing from 2011 onward).
version: GFC-2023-v1.11
creator: Matthew C. Hansen
creator: Peter V. Potapov
creator: Rebecca Moore
creator: Matt Hancher
creator: Svetlana A. Turubanova
creator: Alexandra Tyukavina
creator: David Thau
creator: Stephen V. Stehman
creator: Scott J. Goetz
creator: Thomas R. Loveland
creator: Arun Kommareddy
creator: Andrey Egorov
creator: Lydia Chini
creator: Christopher O. Justice
creator: John R. G. Townshend
publisher: Hansen/UMD/Google/USGS/NASA
publisher: Global Land Analysis and Discovery (GLAD) Laboratory, University of Maryland
keywords: forest monitoring
keywords: deforestation
keywords: forest loss
keywords: forest gain
keywords: tree canopy cover
keywords: Global Forest Change
keywords: GFC
keywords: Landsat
keywords: remote sensing
keywords: GLAD
keywords: University of Maryland
keywords: Google Earth Engine
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
encoding format: image/tiff
encoding format: application=geotiff
encoding format: text/plain
variable measured: Tree Canopy Cover in 2000
  type: PropertyValue
  alternate name: treecover2000
  unit text: percent
  description: Tree canopy cover for year 2000, defined as canopy closure for vegetation taller than 5 m.
  temporal coverage: 2000-01-01/2023-12-31
  spatial coverage: Global (granules provided for 180W–180E, 80N–60S)
    type: Place
    geo: GeoShape
      box: -180,-60 180,80
  temporal resolution: not detected
  spatial resolution: QuantitativeValue
    value: 30
    unit code: MTR
    description: Approx. 30 m (1 arc-second per pixel; Earth Engine catalog lists ~30.92 m pixel size).
variable measured: Forest Cover Gain
  type: PropertyValue
  alternate name: gain
  unit text: binary
  description: Forest gain during 2000-2012.
  temporal coverage: 2000-01-01/2023-12-31
  spatial coverage: Global (granules provided for 180W–180E, 80N–60S)
    type: Place
    geo: GeoShape
      box: -180,-60 180,80
  temporal resolution: not detected
  spatial resolution: QuantitativeValue
    value: 30
    unit code: MTR
    description: Approx. 30 m (1 arc-second per pixel; Earth Engine catalog lists ~30.92 m pixel size).
variable measured: Year of Gross Forest Cover Loss
  type: PropertyValue
  alternate name: lossyear
  unit text: year code
  description: Year of gross forest cover loss event; 0 indicates no loss and 1-23 correspond primarily to 2001-2023.
  temporal coverage: 2000-01-01/2023-12-31
  spatial coverage: Global (granules provided for 180W–180E, 80N–60S)
    type: Place
    geo: GeoShape
      box: -180,-60 180,80
  temporal resolution: not detected
  spatial resolution: QuantitativeValue
    value: 30
    unit code: MTR
    description: Approx. 30 m (1 arc-second per pixel; Earth Engine catalog lists ~30.92 m pixel size).
variable measured: Data Mask
  type: PropertyValue
  alternate name: datamask
  unit text: class code
  description: Data mask classes for no data, mapped land surface, and persistent water bodies.
  temporal coverage: 2000-01-01/2023-12-31
  spatial coverage: Global (granules provided for 180W–180E, 80N–60S)
    type: Place
    geo: GeoShape
      box: -180,-60 180,80
  temporal resolution: not detected
  spatial resolution: QuantitativeValue
    value: 30
    unit code: MTR
    description: Approx. 30 m (1 arc-second per pixel; Earth Engine catalog lists ~30.92 m pixel size).
variable measured: First Reference Landsat Composite
  type: PropertyValue
  alternate name: first
  unit text: digital number
  description: Circa year-2000 Landsat cloud-free composite in red, NIR, SWIR1, and SWIR2 bands.
  temporal coverage: 2000-01-01/2023-12-31
  spatial coverage: Global (granules provided for 180W–180E, 80N–60S)
    type: Place
    geo: GeoShape
      box: -180,-60 180,80
  temporal resolution: not detected
  spatial resolution: QuantitativeValue
    value: 30
    unit code: MTR
    description: Approx. 30 m (1 arc-second per pixel; Earth Engine catalog lists ~30.92 m pixel size).
variable measured: Last Reference Landsat Composite
  type: PropertyValue
  alternate name: last
  unit text: digital number
  description: Circa year-2023 Landsat cloud-free composite in red, NIR, SWIR1, and SWIR2 bands.
  temporal coverage: 2000-01-01/2023-12-31
  spatial coverage: Global (granules provided for 180W–180E, 80N–60S)
    type: Place
    geo: GeoShape
      box: -180,-60 180,80
  temporal resolution: not detected
  spatial resolution: QuantitativeValue
    value: 30
    unit code: MTR
    description: Approx. 30 m (1 arc-second per pixel; Earth Engine catalog lists ~30.92 m pixel size).
variable measured: Gross Forest Cover Loss
  type: PropertyValue
  alternate name: loss
  unit text: derived binary
  description: Derived indicator for pixels where lossyear is greater than 0.
  temporal coverage: 2000-01-01/2023-12-31
  spatial coverage: Global (granules provided for 180W–180E, 80N–60S)
    type: Place
    geo: GeoShape
      box: -180,-60 180,80
  temporal resolution: not detected
  spatial resolution: QuantitativeValue
    value: 30
    unit code: MTR
    description: Approx. 30 m (1 arc-second per pixel; Earth Engine catalog lists ~30.92 m pixel size).
measurement technique: Time-series analysis of Landsat imagery to map forest extent and change
measurement technique: Change detection for stand-replacement disturbance (forest to non-forest)
measurement technique: Annual updating of loss-year and reference imagery layers
distribution: Direct download page (tile selection map and links)
  type: DataDownload
  description: Interactive download instructions and example granule URLs for 10×10 degree GeoTIFF tiles.
  encoding format: text/html
distribution: Example tile (treecover2000) — 40N 080W
  type: DataDownload
  description: Example GeoTIFF granule for tree canopy cover in year 2000; filenames encode the tile top-left corner.
  encoding format: image/tiff
  encoding format: application=geotiff
distribution: Example tile (gain) — 40N 080W
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: image/tiff
  encoding format: application=geotiff
distribution: Example tile (lossyear) — 40N 080W
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: image/tiff
  encoding format: application=geotiff
distribution: Example tile (datamask) — 40N 080W
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: image/tiff
  encoding format: application=geotiff
distribution: Example tile (first composite) — 40N 080W
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: image/tiff
  encoding format: application=geotiff
distribution: Example tile (last composite) — 40N 080W
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: image/tiff
  encoding format: application=geotiff
distribution: Layer-wide URL list: treecover2000
  type: DataDownload
  description: Text file listing URLs for all granules for the treecover2000 layer.
  encoding format: text/plain
distribution: Layer-wide URL list: gain
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: text/plain
distribution: Layer-wide URL list: lossyear
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: text/plain
distribution: Layer-wide URL list: datamask
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: text/plain
distribution: Layer-wide URL list: first
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: text/plain
distribution: Layer-wide URL list: last
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: text/plain
distribution: Google Earth Engine access (asset)
  type: DataDownload
  description: Analyze the dataset directly in Google Earth Engine using asset ID UMD/hansen/global_forest_change_2023_v1_11.
  encoding format: text/html
distribution: Web visualization (recommended linking URL)
  type: DataDownload
  description: Interactive visualization site recommended by the dataset providers for linking/citation.
  encoding format: text/html
citation: High-Resolution Global Maps of 21st-Century Forest Cover Change
about: Forest monitoring
about: Deforestation
about: Land cover change
about: Remote sensing
about: Landsat

PropertyValue
property ID: doi
value: 10.1126/science.1244693

High-Resolution Global Maps of 21st-Century Forest Cover Change
type: ScholarlyArticle
is part of: Science
date published: 2013-11-15

Forest monitoring
type: Thing

Deforestation
type: Thing

Land cover change
type: Thing

Remote sensing
type: Thing

Landsat
type: Thing