Theme Overview

Land cover dynamics and phenology datasets characterise the changes in vegetation cover due to seasonal (phenological) or long term (climatic) influences.

  • Australian Ground Cover Reference Sites Database - ABARES

    The ground cover reference sites database includes site descriptions and field measurements of the different cover fractions at sites across Australia. The data were collected by government agencies in all states and the Northern Territory as part of the ‘Ground cover monitoring for Australia’ project.

    • KEYWORDS:
      Ground cover, land cover, ABARES
    • DATA LICENCE
      & ACCESS RIGHTS:
      How do I attribute?
      CC-BY-SA 3.0
    • SPATIAL COVERAGE
      & RESOLUTION:
      100 m resolution; Australia
    • TEMPORAL COVERAGE & RESOLUTION:
      1 day composites; 2010 to 2014, specific capture dates for each site
    • PRODUCTION STATUS:
      Updated intermittently with new sites or reprocessing
    Data Access

  • Normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) - AVHRR

    NDVI provides a measure of the amount of live green vegetation. This product represents one of the longest time series of consistent satellite data for measuring the status and dynamics of vegetation across Australia.

    • KEYWORDS:
      AVHRR, vegetation
    • DATA LICENCE
      & ACCESS RIGHTS:
      How do I attribute?
      BoM data licence
    • SPATIAL COVERAGE
      & RESOLUTION:
      1 km and 5 km resolution; Australia
    • TEMPORAL COVERAGE & RESOLUTION:
      10 day and 1 month composites; 1992 to 2014
    • PRODUCTION STATUS:
      Updated planned dependent on an operational ground station data system and improved atmospheric correction
    Data Access

  • Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) and Land Surface Temperature (LST) - MODIS, spatially and temporally interpolated

    Simultaneous measurement of EVI and LST enables observation of changes in vegetation cover and surface temperature, which can enable effective mapping of vegetation stress, surface characteristics, evapotranspiration and vegetation greenness-dryness.

    • KEYWORDS:
      MODIS, LPDAAC, vegetation
    • DATA LICENCE
      & ACCESS RIGHTS:
      How do I attribute?
      CC-BY 3.0
    • SPATIAL COVERAGE
      & RESOLUTION:
      500 m resolution; Australia
    • TEMPORAL COVERAGE & RESOLUTION:
      16 day composite; 2000 to 2014
    • PRODUCTION STATUS:
      One-off, no update planned
    Data Access

  • Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) - MODIS, MOD13Q1(c5) mosaic despiked

    EVI time series over some land cover types sometimes contain ‘spikes’ and sharp drops that do not represent biophysical changes on the Earth’s surfaces. The spikes have been removed and these data for the basis of the Dynamic Land Cover Map.

    • KEYWORDS:
      MODIS, LPDAAC, vegetation
    • DATA LICENCE
      & ACCESS RIGHTS:
      How do I attribute?
      CC-BY 3.0
    • SPATIAL COVERAGE
      & RESOLUTION:
      250 m resolution; Australia
    • TEMPORAL COVERAGE & RESOLUTION:
      16 day composite; 2000 to 2011
    • PRODUCTION STATUS:
      One-off, no update planned
    Data Access

  • Normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) and Enhanced vegetation index (EVI) - MODIS, MOD13Q1(c5) mosaic

    Vegetation indices provide consistent spatial and temporal comparisons of vegetation conditions. Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) minimises canopy background variations and maintains sensitivity over dense vegetation conditions.

    • KEYWORDS:
      MODIS, LPDAAC, vegetation
    • DATA LICENCE
      & ACCESS RIGHTS:
      How do I attribute?
      CC-BY 3.0
    • SPATIAL COVERAGE
      & RESOLUTION:
      250 m resolution; Australia
    • TEMPORAL COVERAGE & RESOLUTION:
      16 day composite; 2000 to ongoing
    • PRODUCTION STATUS:
      Updated as available from USGS
    Data Access

  • Fractional Cover Metrics - MODIS

    Statistical summaries of the MODIS fractional cover product (v2.1 and v2.2). Consists of rasters of mean, standard deviation, minimum value, maximum value, time of minimum and time of maximum, for the PV, NPV and BS themes.

    • KEYWORDS:
      MODIS, vegetation, phenology
    • DATA LICENCE
      & ACCESS RIGHTS:
      How do I attribute?
      CC-BY-SA 3.0
    • SPATIAL COVERAGE
      & RESOLUTION:
      500 m resolution; Australia
    • TEMPORAL COVERAGE & RESOLUTION:
      1 month, 3 months (season) and 1 year composites; 2000 to 2014
    • PRODUCTION STATUS:
      Discontinued, to be incorporated into the fractional cover v3 production system based on user needs.
    Data Access

  • Ecosystem Disturbance Index - MODIS

    Identifies the timing, location and magnitude of major ecosystem disturbances such as wildfire, flooding, climate change and human-triggered land use.  The Disturbance Index (DI; Mildrexler et al. 2007) algorithm is based on the consistent radiometric relationship between LST and EVI computed on a pixel-by-pixel basis.

    • KEYWORDS:
      MODIS
    • DATA LICENCE
      & ACCESS RIGHTS:
      How do I attribute?
      CC-BY 3.0
    • SPATIAL COVERAGE
      & RESOLUTION:
      500 m resolution; Australia and New Zealand
    • TEMPORAL COVERAGE & RESOLUTION:
      1 year composite; 2003 to 2013
    • PRODUCTION STATUS:
      One-off, no update planned
    Data Access

  • Phenology - MODIS, derived from MOD13C1 EVI

    Characterisation of phenological cycles of greening and browning and quantification of the cycles’ inter and intra annual variability from 2000 to current across Australia.

    • KEYWORDS:
      MODIS, vegetation, phenology
    • DATA LICENCE
      & ACCESS RIGHTS:
      How do I attribute?
      CC-BY 3.0
    • SPATIAL COVERAGE
      & RESOLUTION:
      0.05 deg (5 km) resolution; Australia
    • TEMPORAL COVERAGE & RESOLUTION:
      1 year composite; 2000 to 2015
    • PRODUCTION STATUS:
      Update planned in 2016/17
    Data Access

  • Land Cover Dynamics - MODIS, MCD12Q2(c5) mosaic

    Estimates of the timing of vegetation phenology at global scales. It identifies the vegetation growth, maturity, and senescence that mark seasonal cycles.

    • KEYWORDS:
      MODIS, LPDAAC, vegetation, phenology
    • DATA LICENCE
      & ACCESS RIGHTS:
      How do I attribute?
      CC-BY 3.0
    • SPATIAL COVERAGE
      & RESOLUTION:
      500 m resolution; Australia
    • TEMPORAL COVERAGE & RESOLUTION:
      2 year composite; 2001 to ongoing
    • PRODUCTION STATUS:
      Updated as available from USGS
    Data Access

  • Land Cover Type - MODIS, MCD12Q1(c5.1) mosaic

    Five global land cover classification schemes. USGS MODIS land product MCD12Q1.051 mosaiced and reprojected for Australia.

    • KEYWORDS:
      LPDAAC, MODIS, land cover
    • DATA LICENCE
      & ACCESS RIGHTS:
      How do I attribute?
      CC-BY 3.0
    • SPATIAL COVERAGE
      & RESOLUTION:
      500 m resolution; Australia
    • TEMPORAL COVERAGE & RESOLUTION:
      1 year composite; 2001 to ongoing
    • PRODUCTION STATUS:
      Updated as available from USGS
    Data Access

Download our ‘Good Practice Guidelines’

TERN AusCover supports a nationally consistent approach to the calibration, validation, and delivery of earth observation data products. To ensure that earth observation data is useful to a wide range of users, the collection and delivery of this data needs to be accurate, precise, and use reproducible methods. To support the earth observation community in achieving a high quality and consistent approach nationwide, we’ve developed our ‘Good Practice Guidelines’ that provide advice on calibrating and validating earth observation data.
The Guidelines are provided as a free and accessible tool to anyone working in earth observation. They are also intended to be a dynamic resource that will be updated over time as new knowledge and best-practice processes emerge. Please contact us if you have feedback or questions.
The Guidelines draw upon the knowledge and experience of our national expert network, and also internationally agreed protocols and standards. We are grateful to the external and international reviewers who refined the Guidelines prior to their release.

Download the Guidelines here