Modifying LANDFIRE Geospatial Data for Local Applications
LANDFIRE provides wall‑to‑wall geospatial data on vegetation, wildland fuels, fire regimes, and disturbance for the United States. This guide offers direction on evaluating, critiquing, and modifying LANDFIRE data products for local‑scale applications, with examples of tools and methods used in land and fire management planning.
Subject Tags
- Fire management
- Conservation Planning
Introduction
The LANDFIRE Program delivers consistent, nationwide geospatial data on vegetation, wildland fuels, fire regimes, disturbance, and topography to support wildland fire and land management planning. Although developed primarily for sub‑regional to national‑scale applications, LANDFIRE data are widely used for active fire incidents and landscape‑level planning. This guide provides direction for critically evaluating and modifying LANDFIRE data for local applications, emphasizing the importance of scale, intended use, and geographic context. Rather than serving as a step‑by‑step manual, the guide presents key considerations, limitations, and assumptions associated with LANDFIRE products and illustrates common critique and modification tasks using available tools and examples. The focus is on LANDFIRE versions 1.0.5 through 1.3.0 and applications within the United States where mapping methodologies are consistent.
Citation
Helmbrecht, D. J., & Blankenship, K. (2016). Modifying LANDFIRE Geospatial Data for Local Applications.
TNC Authors
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Kori Blankenship
Fire Ecologist • North America Office
The Nature Conservancy
Email: kblankenship@tnc.org -
Helmbrecht, D. J.
The Nature Conservancy