Land cover type was labeled using a supervised classification. The supervised classification was performed using a combination of manual and training data classifications. The following classes were manually labeled: urban, irragated and non-irragated agriculture, water, cloud, and cloud shadow. The twenty five other land cover types were labeled using a training data, nearest neighbor euclidian distance classification. The original land cover type classification was completed in 1998. This new land cover type classification is based on modifications to the 1998 classification. Two GIS coverages were used to improve accuracy of the original land cover type classification; a Broken Lands Coverage used to add additional Crested Wheat Grass areas, and a Federal Ownership Coverage used to eliminate any regions classified as agriculture within federal ownership. Lifeform was labeled based on the land cover type classification. Biomass cover was labeled based on the land cover type classification and mndvi value ranges. A valley bottom analysis was performed to model predicted valley bottom areas. Valley bottom percentage was determined by comparing each region to the predicted valley bottom areas.
This grid was produced as part of a Little Missouri National Grasslands study conducted by Ecological Applications Service Team and the Custer National Forest.