Existing Vegetation Height

LANDFIRE's (LF) Existing Vegetation Height (EVH) represents the average height of the dominant vegetation for a 30-m cell.

Canopy height is generated separately for tree, shrub, and herbaceous lifeforms using training data and other geospatial layers. EVH is determined by the average height weighted by species cover and based on the Existing Vegetation Type (EVT) lifeform.

• Decision tree models using field reference data, lidar, Landsat, and ancillary data are developed separately for each lifeform. Decision tree relationships are used to generate lifeform specific height class layers, which are merged into a single composite EVH layer.
• Disturbance data were used to develop LF Remap products for LFRDB plot filtering and to ensure 2015 and 2016 disturbances were included that were not visible in the source imagery.
• The EVC product is then reconciled through QA/QC measures to ensure life-form is synchronized with both Existing Vegetation Cover and EVT products.

LF uses EVH in several subsequent layers, including the development of the fuel products.

Modeling Dynamic Fuels with an Index System (MoD-FIS)-refined EVH classification based upon current estimates of EVC from Landsat imagery for the current growing season.

Product availability

Attribute Data Dictionary (LF 2.0.0)
Attribute Data Dictionary (LF 1.4.0)

The comma separated value (CSV) file used for the raster attribute table is included in the LF product download in database file (DBF) format.
(Why is the CSV important?)

Metadata:

• CONUS (LF 2.0.0) [HTML] [XML]
• HI (LF 2.0.0) [HTML] [XML]
• AK (LF 1.4.0) [HTML] [XML]