22. World Vegetation Map (Murai & Honda; University of Tokyo)

This global vegetation map was derived from multi-temporal NOAA/Global Vegetation Index (GVI) data collected over a three-year period from 1985 to 1987, and includes eight general vegetation types (Tropical forest, Evergreen forest, Deciduous forest, Grassland, Semi desert, Desert, Alpine desert and Tundra). The methodology was based on temporal analysis of monthly vegetation activity cycles as represented by the normalized vegetation index (NVI), together with geo-referenced elevation, rainfall and temperature data. The authors' (Drs. Shunji Murai and Yoshiaki Honda of the Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo) broad objective was to provide a tool for global vegetation change monitoring, particularly as relates to agriculture.

The World Vegetation Map may be overlayed and compared with any/all of the existing NOAA/GVI data files available through GRID.

The World Vegetation Map data set is available as a raster data file consisting of 1,034 rows (lines or records) and 2,500 columns (elements/pixels/samples) of data.