2. Objectives

The goal of this project was to produce a validated global forest cover map for use by the FAO Forest Resources Assessment 2000 Program. Actual forest cover, as of mid-1990's, was to be mapped with AVHRR 1-km data to indicate the geographic distribution and conditions of global forest resources. Results from this study would also be useful to other applications, chiefly global change research, and climate, ecological and forest modeling efforts. Specifically, the project had the following objectives:

• Model and develop a global forest canopy cover density data set using mid-1990’s AVHRR 1-km image data.

• Derive the five-class FRA2000 forest cover map using the forest canopy density data set and the USGS global land cover database.

• Validate the global forest cover map using independent reference data sets.

• Conduct cartographic design of a paper map for FRA2000 (not presented in the paper).