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Global Agricultural Lands

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Description of the Data

The Global Agricultural Lands in the Year 2000 data set represents the proportion of land area used as cropland (land used for the cultivation of food) and pasture (land used for grazing) in the year 2000. Satellite data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Satellite Pour l’Observation de la Terre (SPOT) Image Vegetation sensor were combined with agricultural inventory data to create a global data set. The maps show the extent and intensity of agricultural land use on earth. The data were compiled by Navin Ramankutty et al. (2008). This Web site provides access to the spatial data sets described in Ramankutty’s paper in the journal Global Biogeochemical Cycles. Users may download the data as one global grid or as a grid for each of the six populated continents. The data are available in raster GeoTiff and GRID formats.

Methods

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A detailed description of the methods utilized to produce the data, as well as research results, are provided in Ramankutty et al. The data sets were developed from a combination of agricultural inventory data and satellite-derived land cover data sets. MODIS land cover data and SPOT Vegetation’s global land cover 2000 (GLC 2000) data were combined to create 391 composite land cover classes. The composite land cover classes were calibrated against the agricultural inventory data by first computing land area fractions from inventory data and then applying linear models relating satellite data sets to agricultural inventory data to compute adjusted cropland and pasture area estimates. Cropland and pasture area estimates from land cover data sets were aggregated to the subnational administrative level and then compared with the inventory data to determine correction factors.

 

Figure 1. Global Distribution of Croplands in 2000

Figure 2. Global Distribution of Pasture Lands in 2000

 

 

Download Data

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The spatial data are provided in raster GeoTiff and ESRI Grid formats. Raster cell sizes are 5”, or 0.08333 degree decimal (about 10 kilometers at the equator). The data set is in geographic projection. To download the zip files with accompanying metadata and documentation, click on the links below. The downloaded compressed zipfiles contain raster data, a metadata record, and a readme file.

 

Citation and Acknowledgements

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The original work on these data was published in:

Ramankutty, N., A. T. Evan, C. Monfreda, and J. A. Foley. (2008). Farming the planet: 1. Geographic distribution of global agricultural lands in the year 2000. Global Biogeochem. Cycles 22: GB1003. http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2007GB002952.

SEDAC would like to acknowledge Dr. Navin Ramankutty and colleagues for providing these data for distribution.

Should you download and use these data, please ensure that any results are accompanied by the following data citation(s):

Ramankutty, N., A.T. Evan, C. Monfreda, and J.A. Foley. (2010). Global Agricultural Lands: Croplands, 2000.  Data distributed by the NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC): http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/es/aglands.html. [Date downloaded].

Ramankutty, N., A.T. Evan, C. Monfreda, and J.A. Foley. (2010). Global Agricultural Lands: Pastures, 2000.  Data distributed by the NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC): http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/es/aglands.html. [Date downloaded].