USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2008 Colorado Cropland Data Layer

Metadata:

Identification_Information
Data_Quality_Information
Spatial_Data_Organization_Information
Spatial_Reference_Information
Entity_and_Attribute_Information
Distribution_Information
Metadata_Reference_Information

Identification_Information:

Citation:

Citation_Information:

Originator:

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Research and Development Division (RDD), Geospatial Information Branch (GIB), Spatial Analysis Research Section (SARS)

Publication_Date: 20090301

Title:

USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2008 Colorado Cropland Data Layer

Edition: 2008 Edition

Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: raster digital data

Publication_Information:

Publication_Place:: USDA, NASS Marketing and Information Services Office, Washington, D.C.
Publisher: USDA, NASS

Other_Citation_Details:

NASS maintains a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) section on the CDL website at <http://www.nass.usda.gov/research/Cropland/SARS1a.htm>. The data is available free for download through CropScape at <http://nassgeodata.gmu.edu/CropScape/>. The data is also available free for download through the Geospatial Data Gateway at <http://datagateway.nrcs.usda.gov/>. See the 'Ordering Instructions' section of this metadata file for detailed Geospatial Data Gateway download instructions.

Online_Linkage: <http://nassgeodata.gmu.edu/CropScape/CO>

Description:

Abstract:

The USDA, NASS Cropland Data Layer (CDL) is a raster, geo-referenced, crop-specific land cover data layer. The 2008 CDL has a ground resolution of 56 meters. The CDL is produced using satellite imagery from the Landsat 5 TM sensor, Landsat 7 ETM+ sensor, and the Indian Remote Sensing RESOURCESAT-1 (IRS-P6) Advanced Wide Field Sensor (AWiFS) collected during the current growing season.
Some CDL states used additional satellite imagery and ancillary inputs to supplement and improve the classification. These additional sources can include the United States Geological Survey (USGS) National Elevation Dataset (NED), the USGS National Land Cover Database 2001 (NLCD 2001), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) 250 meter 16 day Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) composites.
Agricultural training and validation data are derived from the Farm Service Agency (FSA) Common Land Unit (CLU) Program. The NLCD 2001 is used as non-agricultural training and validation data.
Please refer to the 'Supplemental_Information' Section of this metadata file for a complete list of all imagery, ancillary data, and training/validation data used to generate this state's CDL.
The strength and emphasis of the CDL is agricultural land cover. Please note that no farmer reported data are derivable from the Cropland Data Layer.

Purpose:

The purpose of the Cropland Data Layer Program is to use satellite imagery to (1) provide acreage estimates to the Agricultural Statistics Board for the state's major commodities and (2) produce digital, crop-specific, categorized geo-referenced output products.

Supplemental_Information:

If the following table does not display properly, then please visit the following website to view the original metadata file <http://www.nass.usda.gov/research/Cropland/metadata/meta.htm>.

USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service 2008 Colorado Cropland Data Layer

CLASSIFICATION INPUTS:
AWIFS DATE 20080418 PATH 265 ROW(S)&QUADRANT(S) 35BD 40ABCD 45ABD 49B 50AB
AWIFS DATE 20080422 PATH 261 ROW(S)&QUADRANT(S) 35D 40BD
AWIFS DATE 20080511 PATH 260 ROW(S)&QUADRANT(S) 35BD 40BD 45BD
AWIFS DATE 20080512 PATH 265 ROW(S)&QUADRANT(S) 40BCD 45ABD
AWIFS DATE 20080520 PATH 257 ROW(S)&QUADRANT(S) 35D 45BD
AWIFS DATE 20080613 PATH 257 ROW(S)&QUADRANT(S) 35D 40D 45BD
AWIFS DATE 20080614 PATH 262 ROW(S)&QUADRANT(S) 35BD 40BD 45B
AWIFS DATE 20080708 PATH 262 ROW(S)&QUADRANT(S) 35CD 40BD
AWIFS DATE 20080713 PATH 263 ROW(S)&QUADRANT(S) 35ABCD 40ABD 45B
AWIFS DATE 20080722 PATH 260 ROW(S)&QUADRANT(S) 34B 35B 40BD 45B
AWIFS DATE 20080801 PATH 262 ROW(S)&QUADRANT(S) 35ABCD 40BD 45B
AWIFS DATE 20080802 PATH 267 ROW(S)&QUADRANT(S) 35D 40ABCD 45ABD
AWIFS DATE 20080824 PATH 257 ROW(S)&QUADRANT(S) 35BD 40D
AWIFS DATE 20080825 PATH 262 ROW(S)&QUADRANT(S) 35BD 40D
AWIFS DATE 20080830 PATH 263 ROW(S)&QUADRANT(S) 35BD 40BD 45B
AWIFS DATE 20080913 PATH 261 ROW(S)&QUADRANT(S) 40BD

MODIS 16 DAY NDVI COMPOSITE DATE 20071101
MODIS 16 DAY NDVI COMPOSITE DATE 20071117
MODIS 16 DAY NDVI COMPOSITE DATE 20080406
MODIS 16 DAY NDVI COMPOSITE DATE 20080422
MODIS 16 DAY NDVI COMPOSITE DATE 20080508
MODIS 16 DAY NDVI COMPOSITE DATE 20080524
MODIS 16 DAY NDVI COMPOSITE DATE 20080609

USGS, NATIONAL ELEVATION DATASET ELEVATION
USGS, NATIONAL LAND COVER DATABASE 2001 TREE CANOPY
USGS, NATIONAL LAND COVER DATABASE 2001 IMPERVIOUSNESS

TRAINING AND VALIDATION:
USDA, FARM SERVICE AGENCY 2008 COMMON LAND UNITS
USGS, NATIONAL LAND COVER DATABASE 2001

NOTE: The final extent of the CDL is clipped to the state boundary
even though the raw input data may encompass a larger area.

Time_Period_of_Content:

Time_Period_Information:

Range_of_Dates/Times:

Beginning_Date: 20070925
Ending_Date: 20081230

Currentness_Reference: 2008 growing season

Status:

Progress: Complete
Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: None planned

Spatial_Domain:

Bounding_Coordinates:

West_Bounding_Coordinate: -109.2797
East_Bounding_Coordinate: -102.0440
North_Bounding_Coordinate: 40.9922
South_Bounding_Coordinate: 36.9560

Keywords:

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: ISO 19115 Topic Category
Theme_Keyword: farming, 001
Theme_Keyword: environment, 007
Theme_Keyword: imageryBaseMapsEarthCover, 010

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords
Theme_Keyword:: Earth Science > Biosphere > Terrestrial Ecosystems > Agricultural Lands
Theme_Keyword: Earth Science > Land Surface > Land Use/Land Cover > Land Cover

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Instrument Keywords
Theme_Keyword: MODIS > Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Theme_Keyword: crop cover
Theme_Keyword: cropland
Theme_Keyword: agriculture
Theme_Keyword: land cover
Theme_Keyword: crop estimates
Theme_Keyword: AWiFS
Theme_Keyword: MODIS
Theme_Keyword: Landsat
Theme_Keyword: Cropscape

Place:

Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Location Keywords
Place_Keyword: Continent > North America > United States of America > Colorado

Place:

Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Place_Keyword: Colorado
Place_Keyword: CO

Temporal:

Temporal_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Temporal_Keyword: 2008

Access_Constraints: None

Use_Constraints:

The USDA, NASS Cropland Data Layer is provided to the public as is and is considered public domain and free to redistribute. The USDA, NASS does not warrant any conclusions drawn from these data. If the user does not have software capable of viewing GEOTIF (.tif) file formats then we suggest using the Cropscape website <http://nassgeodata.gmu.edu/CropScape/> or the freeware browser ESRI ArcGIS Explorer <http://www.esri.com/>.

Point_of_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Organization_Primary:

Contact_Organization: USDA, NASS, Spatial Analysis Research Section
Contact_Person: USDA, NASS, Spatial Analysis Research Section staff

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: mailing and physical address
Address: 3251 Old Lee Highway, Room 305
City: Fairfax
State_or_Province: Virginia
Postal_Code: 22030-1504
Country: USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone: 703-877-8000

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 703-877-8044

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: HQ_RDD_GIB@nass.usda.gov

Data_Set_Credit: USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service

Security_Information:

Security_Classification_System: None
Security_Classification: Unclassified
Security_Handling_Description: None

Native_Data_Set_Environment:

Microsoft Windows XP; Leica Geosystems ERDAS Imagine Versions 9.1 and 9.2 <http://gi.leica-geosystems.com/>; ESRI ArcGIS Version 9.1 and 9.2 with Service Pack 3 <http://www.esri.com/>; Rulequest See5.0 Release 2.05 <http://www.rulequest.com/>; NLCD Mapping Tool <http://www.mrlc.gov/>.
ERDAS Imagine is used in the pre- and post- processing of all raster-based data. ESRI ArcGIS is used to prepare the vector-based Farm Service Agency (FSA) Common Land Unit (CLU) training and validation data. Rulequest See5.0 is used to create a decision-tree based classifier. The NLCD Mapping Tool is used to apply the See5.0 decision-tree via ERDAS Imagine. This is a departure from older versions of the CDL that were created using in-house software (Peditor) based upon a maximum likelihood classifier approach. Check this section and the 'Process Description' section of the specific state and year metadata file to verify what methodology was used.

Data_Quality_Information:

Attribute_Accuracy:

Attribute_Accuracy_Report:

If the following table does not display properly, then please visit this internet site <http://www.nass.usda.gov/research/Cropland/metadata/meta.htm> to view the original metadata file.

USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2008 Colorado Cropland Data Layer
STATEWIDE AGRICULTURAL ACCURACY REPORT

Crop-specific covers only  *Correct  Accuracy   Error   Kappa
-------------------------   -------  --------  ------   -----
OVERALL ACCURACY             754914    81.12%  18.88%  0.7563


Cover              Attribute  *Correct  Producer's  Omission            User's  Commission  Cond'l
Type                    Code    Pixels   Accuracy     Error    Kappa  Accuracy      Error    Kappa
----                    ----    ------   --------     -----    -----  --------      -----    -----
Corn                       1    163641     87.19%    12.81%   0.8661    85.36%     14.64%   0.8470
Sorghum                    4     18723     40.99%    59.01%   0.4048    49.50%     50.50%   0.4897
Soybeans                   5       579     39.63%    60.37%   0.3962    82.83%     17.17%   0.8283
Sunflowers                 6     13810     42.61%    57.39%   0.4229    56.24%     43.76%   0.5592
Sweet corn                12       272     88.89%    11.11%   0.8889    98.19%      1.81%   0.9819
Popcorn                   13        40     35.09%    64.91%   0.3509    97.56%      2.44%   0.9756
Barley                    21      3831     82.49%    17.51%   0.8248    93.58%      6.42%   0.9357
Durum wheat               22       229     97.03%     2.97%   0.9703    99.57%      0.43%   0.9957
Spring wheat              23      2099     82.96%    17.04%   0.8296    91.78%      8.22%   0.9177
Winter wheat              24    238285     87.07%    12.93%   0.8617    83.42%     16.58%   0.8232
Other grains              25       201      8.43%    91.57%   0.0842    41.27%     58.73%   0.4124
Rye                       27       293     31.61%    68.39%   0.3160    83.71%     16.29%   0.8371
Oats                      28      1460     53.89%    46.11%   0.5388    88.00%     12.00%   0.8800
Millet                    29     21888     68.02%    31.98%   0.6779    71.42%     28.58%   0.7120
Speltz                    30         5    100.00%     0.00%   1.0000    83.33%     16.67%   0.8333
Canola                    31         0      0.00%   100.00%   0.0000     0.00%    100.00%   0.0000
Safflower                 33       357     89.70%    10.30%   0.8970    98.62%      1.38%   0.9862
Alfalfa                   36     35343     84.12%    15.88%   0.8397    86.67%     13.33%   0.8654
Beets                     41      2381     78.79%    21.21%   0.7878    94.26%      5.74%   0.9426
Dry beans                 42      4452     82.23%    17.77%   0.8221    85.80%     14.20%   0.8578
Potatoes                  43      1034     81.16%    18.84%   0.8116    92.32%      7.68%   0.9232
Other crops               44        72     80.00%    20.00%   0.8000    80.00%     20.00%   0.8000
Misc. vegetables          47        33     22.00%    78.00%   0.2200    35.87%     64.13%   0.3587
Watermelon                48         0      0.00%   100.00%   0.0000     0.00%    100.00%   0.0000
Onions                    49        21     15.91%    84.09%   0.1591    72.41%     27.59%   0.7241
Clover / Wildflowers      58         0      0.00%   100.00%   0.0000       n/a        n/a      n/a
Seed / Sod Grass          59        75      7.96%    92.04%   0.0796    76.53%     23.47%   0.7653
Idle / Fallow             61    245790     84.71%    15.29%   0.8341    71.63%     28.37%   0.6963
Cherry Orchards           66         8    100.00%     0.00%   1.0000   100.00%      0.00%   1.0000
Peaches                   67        18     94.74%     5.26%   0.9474   100.00%      0.00%   1.0000
Apples                    68         0      0.00%   100.00%   0.0000       n/a        n/a      n/a
Christmas trees           70         0      0.00%   100.00%   0.0000       n/a        n/a      n/a
Other trees fruits        73         0      0.00%   100.00%   0.0000       n/a        n/a      n/a

*Correct Pixels represents the total number of independent validation pixels correctly identified
in the error matrix.

The above accuracy assessment information is for agricultural land cover classes only. The accuracy of the non-agricultural land cover classes within the Cropland Data Layer is entirely dependent upon the USGS, National Land Cover Database (NLCD 2001). Thus, the USDA, NASS recommends that users consider the NLCD for studies involving non-agricultural land cover. For more information on the accuracy of the NLCD please reference <http://www.mrlc.gov/>.

Quantitative_Attribute_Accuracy_Assessment:

Attribute_Accuracy_Value:: Classification accuracy is generally 85% to 95% correct for the major crop-specific land cover categories. See the 'Attribute Accuracy Report' section of this metadata file for the detailed accuracy report.
Attribute_Accuracy_Explanation:: The strength and emphasis of the CDL is crop-specific land cover categories. The accuracy of the CDL non-agricultural land cover classes is entirely dependent upon the USGS, National Land Cover Database (NLCD 2001). Thus, the USDA, NASS recommends that users consider the NLCD for studies involving non-agricultural land cover.

These definitions of accuracy statistics were derived from the following book: Congalton, Russell G. and Kass Green. Assessing the Accuracy of Remotely Sensed Data: Principles and Practices. Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press, Inc. 1999. The 'Producer's Accuracy' is calculated for each cover type in the ground truth and indicates the probability that a ground truth pixel will be correctly mapped (across all cover types) and measures 'errors of omission'. An 'Omission Error' occurs when a pixel is excluded from the category to which it belongs in the validation dataset. The 'User's Accuracy' indicates the probability that a pixel from the CDL classification actually matches the ground truth data and measures 'errors of commission'. The 'Commission Error' represent when a pixel is included in an incorrect category according to the validation data. It is important to take into consideration errors of omission and commission. For example, if you classify every pixel in a scene to 'wheat', then you have 100% Producer's Accuracy for the wheat category and 0% Omission Error. However, you would also have a very high error of commission as all other crop types would be included in the incorrect category. The 'Kappa' is a measure of agreement based on the difference between the actual agreement in the error matrix (i.e., the agreement between the remotely sensed classification and the reference data as indicated by the major diagonal) and the chance agreement which is indicated by the row and column totals. The 'Conditional Kappa Coefficient' is the agreement for an individual category within the entire error matrix.

Logical_Consistency_Report:

The Cropland Data Layer (CDL) has been produced using training and independent validation data from the Farm Service Agency (FSA) Common Land Unit (CLU) Program (agricultural data) and United States Geological Survey (USGS) National Land Cover Database 2001 (NLCD 2001). More information about the FSA CLU Program can be found at <http://www.fsa.usda.gov/>. More information about the NLCD 2001 can be found at <http://www.mrlc.gov/>. The CDL encompasses the entire state unless noted otherwise in the 'Completeness Report' section of this metadata file.

Completeness_Report: The entire state is covered by the Cropland Data Layer.

Positional_Accuracy:

Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy:

Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Report:: The Cropland Data Layer retains the spatial attributes of the input imagery. The Landsat 5 TM and Landsat 7 ETM imagery was obtained via download from the USGS Global Visualization Viewer (Glovis) website <http://glovis.usgs.gov/>. Please reference the metadata on the Glovis website for each Landsat scene for positional accuracy. The majority of the Landsat data is available at Level 1T (precision and terrain corrected). The AWiFS imagery used in the production of the Cropland Data Layer is purchased with an orthorectified level of processing. Thus, the CDL will retain the input imagery's positional accuracy of 60 meters at the circular error at the 90 percent confidence level (CE90). CE90 is a standard metric often used for horizontal accuracy in map products and can be interpreted as 90% of well-defined points tested must fall within a certain radial distance.

Lineage:

Source_Information:

Source_Citation:

Citation_Information:

Originator:

Indian Remote-Sensing Satellite series of ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization)

Title: RESOURCESAT-1 (IRS-P6) Advanced Wide Field Sensor (AWiFS)

Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: remote-sensing image

Publication_Information:

Publisher: GeoEye
Publication_Place: Dulles, Virginia 20166

Publication_Date: 2008 growing season

Other_Citation_Details:

The RESOURCESAT-1 (IRS-P6) AWiFS satellite sensor operates in four spectral bands at a spatial resolution of 56 meters. Additional information about AWiFS data can be obtained at <http://www.isro.org/programmes.htm>. The AWiFS imagery used in the Cropland Data Layer is obtained through a partnership with the USDA, Foreign Agricultural Service, International Production Assessment (IPA) Program. Acquisition begins April 1 and ends September 30 of the current growing season. Refer to the 'Supplemental Information' Section of this metadata file for specific scene date, path, row and quadrants used as classification inputs.

Source_Scale_Denominator: 56 meter

Type_of_Source_Media: CD-ROM and/or DVD

Source_Time_Period_of_Content:

Time_Period_Information:

Range_of_Dates/Times:

Beginning_Date: 20080401
Ending_Date: 20080930

Source_Currentness_Reference: ground condition

Source_Contribution: Raw data used in land cover spectral signature analysis

Source_Information:

Source_Citation:

Citation_Information:

Originator:

United States Geological Survey (USGS) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center (LP DAAC)

Title:

Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), 250 meter resolution 16-day composite Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) from the Terra satellite (MOD13Q1v4)

Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: vegetation indices based on remote-sensing imagery

Publication_Information:

Publisher: USGS Center for Earth Resources Observation and Sciences (EROS)
Publication_Place: Sioux Falls, South Dakota 57198 USA

Publication_Date:

late 2007 growing season (used to improve winter wheat identification) and the entire 2008 growing season

Other_Citation_Details:

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), 250 meter resolution 16-day composite Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data products from the Terra satellite (MOD13Q1v4) are downloaded from <http://edcdaac.usgs.gov/modis/dataproducts.asp>. Often late-season MODIS NDVI data are used from the previous growing season in an effort to improve winter wheat detection. Refer to the 'Supplemental Information' Section of this metadata file for specific dates used as classification inputs.

Source_Scale_Denominator: 250 meter

Type_of_Source_Media: online download

Source_Time_Period_of_Content:

Time_Period_Information:

Range_of_Dates/Times:

Beginning_Date: 20071001
Ending_Date: 20080930

Source_Currentness_Reference: ground condition

Source_Contribution: NDVI data used in land cover spectral signature analysis

Source_Information:

Source_Citation:

Citation_Information:

Originator:

United States Geological Survey (USGS) Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Data Center

Title: The National Elevation Dataset (NED)

Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: remote-sensing image

Publication_Information:

Publisher: USGS, EROS Data Center
Publication_Place: Sioux Falls, South Dakota 57198 USA

Publication_Date: Continuously updated

Other_Citation_Details:

The USGS NED Digital Elevation Model (DEM) is used as an ancillary data source in the production of the Cropland Data Layer. Slope and Aspect derived from the DEM are also used as additional classification inputs. More information on the USGS NED can be found at <http://ned.usgs.gov/>. Refer to the 'Supplemental Information' Section of this metadata file for the complete list of ancillary data sources used as classification inputs.

Source_Scale_Denominator: 30 meter

Type_of_Source_Media: online

Source_Time_Period_of_Content:

Time_Period_Information:

Single_Date/Time:

Calendar_Date: unknown

Source_Currentness_Reference: ground condition

Source_Contribution:

spatial and attribute information used in land cover spectral signature analysis

Source_Information:

Source_Citation:

Citation_Information:

Originator:

United States Geological Survey (USGS) Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Data Center

Title: National Land Cover Database 2001 (NLCD 2001)

Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: remote-sensing image

Publication_Information:

Publisher: USGS, EROS Data Center
Publication_Place: Sioux Falls, South Dakota 57198 USA

Publication_Date: 2006

Other_Citation_Details:

The NLCD 2001 was used as ground training and validation for non-agricultural categories. Additionally, the USGS NLCD 2001 Imperviousness and Tree Canopy layers were used as ancillary data sources in the Cropland Data Layer classification process. More information on the NLCD 2001 can be found at <http://www.mrlc.gov/>. Refer to the 'Supplemental Information' Section of this metadata file for the complete list of ancillary data sources used as classification inputs.

Source_Scale_Denominator: 30 meter

Type_of_Source_Media: online

Source_Time_Period_of_Content:

Time_Period_Information:

Single_Date/Time:

Calendar_Date: unknown

Source_Currentness_Reference: ground condition

Source_Contribution:

spatial and attribute information used in the spectral signature training and validation of non-agricultural land cover

Source_Information:

Source_Citation:

Citation_Information:

Originator:

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Farm Service Agency (FSA)

Title: USDA, FSA Common Land Unit (CLU)

Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: vector digital data

Publication_Information:

Publisher: USDA, FSA Aerial Photography Field Office
Publication_Place: Salt Lake City, Utah 84119-2020 USA

Publication_Date: 2008

Other_Citation_Details:

Access to the USDA, Farm Service Agency (FSA) Common Land Unit (CLU) digital data set is currently limited to FSA and Agency partnerships. During the current growing season, producers enrolled in FSA programs report their growing intentions, crops and acreage to USDA Field Service Centers. Their field boundaries are digitized in a standardized GIS data layer and the associated attribute information is maintained in a database known as 578 Administrative Data. This CLU/578 dataset provides a comprehensive and robust agricultural training and validation data set for the Cropland Data Layer. Additional information about the CLU Program can be found at <http://www.fsa.usda.gov/>.

Source_Scale_Denominator: 1:4800

Type_of_Source_Media: online

Source_Time_Period_of_Content:

Time_Period_Information:

Single_Date/Time:

Calendar_Date: unknown

Source_Currentness_Reference: ground condition, updated annually

Source_Contribution:

spatial and attribute information used in the spectral signature training and validation of agricultural land cover

Process_Step:

Process_Description:

OVERVIEW: The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) Cropland Data Layer (CDL) Program is a unique agricultural-specific land cover geospatial product that is reproduced annually in participating states. The CDL Program builds upon NASS' traditional crop acreage estimation program and integrates Farm Service Agency (FSA) grower-reported field data with satellite imagery to create an unbiased statistical estimator of crop area at the state and county level for internal use. It is important to note that the internal acreage estimates produced using the CDL are not simple pixel counting. It is more of an 'Adjusted Census by Satellite.'

SOFTWARE: Leica Geosystems ERDAS Imagine is used in the pre- and post- processing of all raster-based data. ESRI ArcGIS is used to prepare the vector-based training and validation data. Rulequest See5.0 is used to create a decision tree based classifier. The NLCD Mapping Tool is used to apply the See5.0 decision-tree via ERDAS Imagine.

DECISION TREE CLASSIFIER: This Cropland Data Layer used the decision tree classifier approach. Using a decision tree classifier is a departure from older versions of the CDL which were created using in-house software (Peditor) based upon a maximum likelihood classifier approach. Check the 'Process Description' section of the specific state and year metadata file to verify the methodology used. Decision trees offer several advantages over the more traditional maximum likelihood classification method. The advantages include being: 1) non-parametric by nature and thus not reliant on the assumption of the input data being normally distributed, 2) efficient to construct and thus capable of handling large and complex data sets, 3) able to incorporate missing and non-continuous data, and 4) able to sort out non-linear relationships.

GROUND TRUTH: As with the maximum likelihood method, decision tree analysis is a supervised classification technique. Thus, it relies on having a sample of known ground truth areas in which to train the classifier. Older versions of the CDL (prior to 2006) utilized ground truth data from the annual June Agricultural Survey (JAS). Beginning in 2006, the CDL utilizes the very comprehensive ground truth data provided from the FSA Common Land Unit (CLU) Program as a replacement for the JAS data. The FSA CLU data have the advantage of natively being in a GIS and containing magnitudes more of field level information. Disadvantages include that it is not truly a probability sample of land cover and has bias toward subsidized program crops. Additional information about the FSA data can be found at <http://www.fsa.usda.gov/>.

INPUTS: The CDL is produced using satellite imagery from the Indian Remote Sensing RESOURCESAT-1 (IRS-P6) Advanced Wide Field Sensor (AWiFS) collected during the current growing season. NASS acquires AWiFS imagery for CDL production states from April 1 through September 30 of the current growing season through a cooperative agreement with the USDA, Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), International Production Assessment (IPA) unit. Ancillary inputs include; the United States Geological Survey (USGS) National Elevation Dataset (NED), the USGS National Land Cover Database 2001 (NLCD 2001), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) 250 meter 16 day Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) composites.

ACCURACY: The accuracy of the land cover classifications are evaluated using independent validations data sets generated from the FSA CLU data (agricultural categories) and the NLCD 2001 (non-agricultural categories). The Producer's Accuracy is generally 85% to 95% correct for the major crop-specific land cover categories. See the 'Attribute Accuracy Report' section of this metadata file for the full accuracy report.

PUBLIC RELEASE: The USDA, NASS Cropland Data Layer is considered public domain and free to redistribute. The official website is <http://www.nass.usda.gov/research/Cropland/SARS1a.htm>. The data is available free for download through CropScape <http://nassgeodata.gmu.edu/CropScape/> and the Geospatial Data Gateway <http://datagateway.nrcs.usda.gov/>. See the 'Ordering Instructions' section of this metadata file for detailed download instructions. Please note that in no case are farmer reported data revealed or derivable from the public use Cropland Data Layer.

Process_Date: 2008

Process_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Organization_Primary:

Contact_Organization: USDA, NASS, Spatial Analysis Research Section
Contact_Person: USDA, NASS, Spatial Analysis Research Section staff

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: mailing and physical address
Address: 3251 Old Lee Highway, Room 305
City: Fairfax
State_or_Province: Virginia
Postal_Code: 22030-1504
Country: USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone: 703-877-8000

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 703-877-8044

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: HQ_RDD_GIB@nass.usda.gov

Cloud_Cover:

Generally, there is enough cloud-free satellite imagery available during the growing season that there will be no cloud cover in the published CDL. Older versions of the CDL (prior to 2006) may contain significant cloud cover due to available imagery and processing limitations, which have since been overcome. Reference the attribute information within the specific CDL state and year image file to verify the extent of cloud cover.

Spatial_Data_Organization_Information:

Indirect_Spatial_Reference: Colorado

Direct_Spatial_Reference_Method: Raster

Raster_Object_Information:

Raster_Object_Type: Pixel
Row_Count: 15089
Column_Count: 20775

Spatial_Reference_Information:

Horizontal_Coordinate_System_Definition:

Planar:

Grid_Coordinate_System:

Grid_Coordinate_System_Name:

FOR GEOSPATIAL DATA GATEWAY USERS: Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) Due to technical restrictions, the online data available free for download through the Geospatial Data Gateway <http://datagateway.nrcs.usda.gov/> can only be offered in UTM. However, the official Cropland Data Layer available at <http://nassgeodata.gmu.edu/CropScape/> includes the data in its native Albers Conical Equal Area coordinate system.

FOR CROPSCAPE USERS: Albers Conical Equal Area is the native projection used in the production of the Cropland Data Layer. The projection parameters for the Albers projection are as follows:

Map_Projection_Name: Albers Conical Equal Area
Albers_Conical_Equal_Area:
Standard_Parallel: 29.500000
Standard_Parallel: 45.500000
Longitude_of_Central_Meridian: -96.000000
Latitude_of_Projection_Origin: 23.000000
False_Easting: 0.000000
False_Northing: 0.000000
Planar_Coordinate_Information:
Planar_Coordinate_Encoding_Method: row and column
Coordinate_Representation:
Abscissa_Resolution: 56
Ordinate_Resolution: 56
Planar_Distance_Units: meters
Geodetic_Model:
Horizontal_Datum_Name: North American Datum of 1983
Ellipsoid_Name: Geodetic Reference System 80
Semi-major_Axis: 6378137.000000
Denominator_of_Flattening_Ratio: 298.257223563

Universal_Transverse_Mercator:

UTM_Zone_Number: 13 North

Transverse_Mercator:

Scale_Factor_at_Central_Meridian: 0.9996
Longitude_of_Central_Meridian: -105
Latitude_of_Projection_Origin: 0
False_Easting: 500000
False_Northing: 0

Planar_Coordinate_Information:

Planar_Coordinate_Encoding_Method: coordinate pair

Coordinate_Representation:

Abscissa_Resolution: 56
Ordinate_Resolution: 56

Planar_Distance_Units: meters

Geodetic_Model:

Horizontal_Datum_Name: WGS84
Ellipsoid_Name: WGS84
Semi-major_Axis: 6378137.00
Denominator_of_Flattening_Ratio: 298.257223563

Entity_and_Attribute_Information:

Overview_Description:

Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:

The Cropland Data Layer (CDL) is produced using agricultural training data from the Farm Service Agency (FSA) Common Land Unit (CLU) Program and non-agricultural training data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) National Land Cover Database 2001 (NLCD 2001). The strength and emphasis of the CDL is crop-specific land cover categories. The accuracy of the CDL non-agricultural land cover classes are entirely dependent upon the NLCD. Thus, the USDA, NASS recommends that users consider the NLCD for studies involving non-agricultural land cover.

Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation:

If the following table does not display properly, then please visit the following website to view the original metadata file <http://www.nass.usda.gov/research/Cropland/metadata/meta.htm>.

 Data Dictionary: USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2008 Cropland Data Layer

 Source: USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service

 The following is a cross reference list of the categorization codes and land covers.
 Note that not all land cover categories listed below will appear in an individual state.

 Raster
 Attribute Domain Values and Definitions: NO DATA, BACKGROUND 0

 Categorization Code   Land Cover
           "0"       Background

 Raster
 Attribute Domain Values and Definitions: CROPS 1-20

 Categorization Code   Land Cover
           "1"       Corn
           "2"       Cotton
           "3"       Rice
           "4"       Sorghum
           "5"       Soybeans
           "6"       Sunflower
          "10"       Peanuts
          "11"       Tobacco
          "12"       Sweet Corn
          "13"       Pop or Orn Corn
          "14"       Mint

 Raster
 Attribute Domain Values and Definitions: GRAINS,HAY,SEEDS 21-40

 Categorization Code   Land Cover
          "21"       Barley
          "22"       Durum Wheat
          "23"       Spring Wheat
          "24"       Winter Wheat
          "25"       Other Small Grains
          "26"       Dbl Crop WinWht/Soybeans
          "27"       Rye
          "28"       Oats
          "29"       Millet
          "30"       Speltz
          "31"       Canola
          "32"       Flaxseed
          "33"       Safflower
          "34"       Rape Seed
          "35"       Mustard
          "36"       Alfalfa
          "37"       Other Hay/Non Alfalfa
          "38"       Camelina
          "39"       Buckwheat

 Raster
 Attribute Domain Values and Definitions: CROPS 41-60

 Categorization Code   Land Cover
          "41"       Sugarbeets
          "42"       Dry Beans
          "43"       Potatoes
          "44"       Other Crops
          "45"       Sugarcane
          "46"       Sweet Potatoes
          "47"       Misc Vegs & Fruits
          "48"       Watermelons
          "49"       Onions
          "50"       Cucumbers
          "51"       Chick Peas
          "52"       Lentils
          "53"       Peas
          "54"       Tomatoes
          "55"       Caneberries
          "56"       Hops
          "57"       Herbs
          "58"       Clover/Wildflowers
          "59"       Sod/Grass Seed
          "60"       Switchgrass

 Raster
 Attribute Domain Values and Definitions: NON-CROP 61-65

 Categorization Code   Land Cover
          "61"       Fallow/Idle Cropland
          "62"       Pasture/Grass
          "63"       Forest
          "64"       Shrubland
          "65"       Barren

 Raster
 Attribute Domain Values and Definitions: CROPS 66-80

 Categorization Code   Land Cover
          "66"       Cherries
          "67"       Peaches
          "68"       Apples
          "69"       Grapes
          "70"       Christmas Trees
          "71"       Other Tree Crops
          "72"       Citrus
          "74"       Pecans
          "75"       Almonds
          "76"       Walnuts
          "77"       Pears

 Raster
 Attribute Domain Values and Definitions: OTHER 81-109

 Categorization Code   Land Cover
          "81"       Clouds/No Data
          "82"       Developed
          "83"       Water
          "87"       Wetlands
          "88"       Nonag/Undefined
          "92"       Aquaculture

 Raster
 Attribute Domain Values and Definitions: NLCD-DERIVED CLASSES 110-195

 Categorization Code   Land Cover
         "111"       Open Water
         "112"       Perennial Ice/Snow
         "121"       Developed/Open Space
         "122"       Developed/Low Intensity
         "123"       Developed/Med Intensity
         "124"       Developed/High Intensity
         "131"       Barren
         "141"       Deciduous Forest
         "142"       Evergreen Forest
         "143"       Mixed Forest
         "152"       Shrubland
         "171"       Grassland Herbaceous
         "181"       Pasture/Hay
         "190"       Woody Wetlands
         "195"       Herbaceous Wetlands

 Raster
 Attribute Domain Values and Definitions: CROPS 195-255

 Categorization Code   Land Cover
         "204"       Pistachios
         "205"       Triticale
         "206"       Carrots
         "207"       Asparagus
         "208"       Garlic
         "209"       Cantaloupes
         "210"       Prunes
         "211"       Olives
         "212"       Oranges
         "213"       Honeydew Melons
         "214"       Broccoli
         "216"       Peppers
         "217"       Pomegranates
         "218"       Nectarines
         "219"       Greens
         "220"       Plums
         "221"       Strawberries
         "222"       Squash
         "223"       Apricots
         "224"       Vetch
         "225"       Dbl Crop WinWht/Corn
         "226"       Dbl Crop Oats/Corn
         "227"       Lettuce
         "229"       Pumpkins
         "230"       Dbl Crop Lettuce/Durum Wht
         "231"       Dbl Crop Lettuce/Cantaloupe
         "232"       Dbl Crop Lettuce/Cotton
         "233"       Dbl Crop Lettuce/Barley
         "234"       Dbl Crop Durum Wht/Sorghum
         "235"       Dbl Crop Barley/Sorghum
         "236"       Dbl Crop WinWht/Sorghum
         "237"       Dbl Crop Barley/Corn
         "238"       Dbl Crop WinWht/Cotton
         "239"       Dbl Crop Soybeans/Cotton
         "240"       Dbl Crop Soybeans/Oats
         "241"       Dbl Crop Corn/Soybeans
         "242"       Blueberries
         "243"       Cabbage
         "244"       Cauliflower
         "245"       Celery
         "246"       Radishes
         "247"       Turnips
         "248"       Eggplants
         "249"       Gourds
         "250"       Cranberries
         "254"       Dbl Crop Barley/Soybeans

Distribution_Information:

Distributor:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Organization_Primary:

Contact_Organization: USDA, NASS Customer Service
Contact_Person: USDA, NASS Customer Service Staff

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: mailing and physical address
Address: 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Room 5038-S
City: Washington
State_or_Province: District of Columbia
Postal_Code: 20250-9410
Country: USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone: 800-727-9540

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 703-877-8044

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: HQ_RDD_GIB@nass.usda.gov

Contact_Instructions:

Please visit the official website <http://www.nass.usda.gov/research/Cropland/SARS1a.htm> for distribution details. The Cropland Data Layer is available free for download at <http://nassgeodata.gmu.edu/CropScape/> and <http://datagateway.nrcs.usda.gov/>. Distribution issues can also be directed to the NASS Customer Service Hotline at 1-800-727-9540.

Resource_Description: Cropland Data Layer - Colorado 2008

Distribution_Liability:

Disclaimer: Users of the Cropland Data Layer (CDL) are solely responsible for interpretations made from these products. The CDL is provided 'as is' and the USDA, NASS does not warrant results you may obtain using the Cropland Data Layer. Contact our staff at (HQ_RDD_GIB@nass.usda.gov) if technical questions arise in the use of the CDL. NASS does maintain a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) section on the CDL website at <http://www.nass.usda.gov/research/Cropland/SARS1a.htm>.

Standard_Order_Process:

Digital_Form:

Digital_Transfer_Information:

Format_Name: GEOTIFF
Format_Version_Date: Colorado 2008
Format_Information_Content: GEOTIFF
Transfer_Size:: The image file size will vary depending on the state and completeness of coverage. The user can specify the state, or a user-defined area of interest, and year(s) of CDL data to download at the Cropscape website <http://nassgeodata.gmu.edu/CropScape/>.
When downloading the data through the Geospatial Data Gateway <http://datagateway.nrcs.usda.gov/> all available years of CDL production for the requested state are included in one compressed file. Technical restrictions do not allow us to offer the CDL by individual state/year through the Geospatial Data Gateway. See the 'Ordering Instructions' section of this metadata file for additional information.

Digital_Transfer_Option:

Online_Option:

Computer_Contact_Information:

Network_Address:

Network_Resource_Name: <http://nassgeodata.gmu.edu/CropScape/>

Access_Instructions:

The CDL is available online and free for download from the Cropscape website <http://nassgeodata.gmu.edu/CropScape/>. It is also available free for download from the Geospatial Data Gateway website <http://datagateway.nrcs.usda.gov/>. See the 'Ordering Instructions' section of this metadata file for detailed Geospatial Data Gateway download instructions.

Fees:

Ordering_Instructions:

The Cropland Data Layer is available free for download at <http://nassgeodata.gmu.edu/CropScape/> and <http://datagateway.nrcs.usda.gov/>.

IMPORTANT NOTE: When downloading the CDL using the NRCS Geospatial Data Gateway all available years of CDL production for the requested state are included in a single compressed file. Geospatial Data Gateway technical restrictions do not allow us to offer the CDL by individual state/year. We are working on offering this option in the future.

Instructions for downloading from the NRCS Geospatial Data Gateway:

Start by clicking on 'Get Data'

Then click on 'Quick State'

Scroll down to choose your state and click 'Continue'

Choose 'Land_use_land_cover' and select 'Cropland Data Layer by State' and 'Continue to Step3'

Choose 'Continue' to Step4

Lastly, you are given the option to download the data for free.

Custom_Order_Process:

For a list of other states and years of available data please visit: <http://www.nass.usda.gov/research/Cropland/SARS1a.htm>. The Cropland Data Layer is available free for download at <http://nassgeodata.gmu.edu/CropScape/> and <http://datagateway.nrcs.usda.gov/>. Distribution issues can also be directed to the NASS Customer Service Hotline at 1-800-727-9540.

Technical_Prerequisites:

If the user does not have software capable of viewing GEOTIF (.tif) or ERDAS Imagine (.img) file formats then we suggest using the Cropscape website <http://nassgeodata.gmu.edu/CropScape/> or using the freeware browser ESRI ArcGIS Explorer <http://www.esri.com/>.

Metadata_Reference_Information:

Metadata_Date: 20120131

Metadata_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Organization_Primary:

Contact_Organization: USDA, NASS, Spatial Analysis Research Section
Contact_Person: USDA, NASS, Spatial Analysis Research Section Staff

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: mailing and physical address
Address: 3251 Old Lee Highway, Room 305
City: Fairfax
State_or_Province: Virginia
Postal_Code: 22030-1504
Country: USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone: 703-877-8000

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 703-877-8044

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: HQ_RDD_GIB@nass.usda.gov

Metadata_Standard_Name: FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata

Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001-1998

Metadata_Access_Constraints: No restrictions on the distribution or use of the metadata file

Metadata_Use_Constraints: No restrictions on the distribution or use of the metadata file

Generated by mp version 2.9.12 on Fri Jan 27 20:45:15 2012