Near-real-time cheatgrass percent cover in the northern Great Basin, USA--2016

This dataset provides an estimate of 2016 cheatgrass percent cover in the northern Great Basin at 250 meter spatial resolution. The dataset was generated by integrating eMODIS NDVI satellite data with independent variables that influence cheatgrass germination and growth into a regression-tree model. Individual pixel values range from 0 to 100 with an overall mean value of 15.4 and a standard deviation of 15.0. A mask covers areas not classified as shrub/scrub or grass/herbaceous by the 2001 National Land Cover Database. The mask also covers areas higher than 2000 meters in elevation because cheatgrass is unlikely to exist at more than 2% cover above this threshold. Cheatgrass is an invasive grass that has invaded much of the Great [...]