Description: This raster dataset was developed as part of the Land Cover Project, a cooperative agreement between the Chesapeake Conservancy and the National Park Service funded through an interagency agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency. High Resolution mapping was used to develop consistent and extremely accurate a land cover dataset for all the counties that comprise the Chesapeake Bay watershed.The Land Cover Dataset has 12 classes: 0 NoData: Background Value1 Water: All areas of open water. This includes ponds, rivers, lakes and boats not attached to docks. MMU = 25 square meters. 2 Wetlands: Low vegetation areas located along marine or estuarine regions that are visually confirmed to have the look of saturated ground surrounding the vegetation and that are located along major waterways (i.e. rivers, ocean). MMU = 225 square meters3 Tree Canopy: Deciduous and evergreen woody vegetation of either natural succession or human planting that is over approximately 3-5 meters in height. Stand-alone individuals, discrete clumps, and interlocking individuals are included. MMU = 9 square meters4 Shrub Scrub: Heterogeneous area of both/either deciduous and/or evergreen woody vegetation. Characterized by variation in height of vegetation through patchy coverage of shrubs and young trees interspersed with grasses and other lower vegetation. Discrete clumps and small patches of interlocking individuals are included, as are true shrubs, young trees, and trees or shrubs that are small or stunted because of environmental conditions, when intermingled in a heterogeneous landscape with low vegetation. MMU = 225 square meters5 Low Vegetation: Plant material less than approximately 2 meters in height. Includes lawns, tilled fields, nursery plantings with or without tarp cover and natural ground cover. MMU = 9 square meters 6 Barren: Areas void of vegetation consisting of natural earthen material regardless of how it has been cleared. This includes beaches, mud flats, and bare ground in construction sites. MMU = 25 square meters7 Structures: Human-constructed objects made of impervious materials that are greater than approximately 2 meters in height. Houses, malls, and electrical towers are examples of structures. MMU = 9 square meters8 Impervious Surfaces: Human-constructed surfaces through which water cannot penetrate, and that are below approximately 2 meters in height. MMU = 9 square meters9 Impervious Roads: Impervious surfaces that are used and maintained for transportation. MMU = 9 square meters10 Tree Canopy over Structures: Forest or Tree Cover that overlaps with impervious surfaces rendering the structures partially or completely not visible to plain sight. MMU = 9 square meters11 Tree Canopy over Impervious Surfaces: Forest or Tree Cover that overlaps with impervious surfaces rendering the impervious surface partially or completely not visible to plain sight. MMU = 9 square meters12 Tree Canopy over Roads: Forest or Tree Cover that overlaps with impervious surfaces rendering the roads partially or completely not visible to plain sight. MMU = 9 square metersMinimum Mapping Unit (MMU) in this instance is the minimum size, dimensions or threshold for features to be mapped or classified within a specific class.
Service Item Id: f010fc43945a4b6fb5af7b153ea83dbd
Copyright Text: Dataset created and developed by the Conservation Innovation Center at the Chesapeake Conservancy. The creation of this dataset was made possible as a result of a cooperative agreement between the Chesapeake Conservancy and the National Park Service being funded through an interagency agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency.