Cropland Data Layer - National Download

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National CDL's:

National Cultivated Layer:

National Frequency Layer:

  • Download the national crop frequency layer zipped file 2023 National Frequency Layer (1.9 GB)
  • The 2023 Crop Frequency Layer identifies crop specific planting frequency and are based on land cover information derived from the 2008 through 2023 CDL's. There are four individual crop frequency data layers that represent four major crops: corn, cotton, soybeans, and wheat.

National Confidence Layer:

The following description of the confidence layer is from the document titled 'MDA_NLCD_User_Guide.doc' which is available free for download with the NLCD Mapping Tool at http://www.mrlc.gov/. The Confidence Layer "spatially represents the predicted confidence that is associated with that output pixel, based upon the rule(s) that were used to classify it. This is useful in that the user can see the spatial representation of distribution and magnitude of error or confidence for a given classification... This error layer represents a percent confidence associated with each rule and output categorical, classified value. It is expressed as a percentage of confidence. A value of zero would therefore have a low confidence (always wrong), while a value of 100 would have a very high confidence (always right)." For more information on the use of confidence layers please refer to the following paper: Liu, Weiguo, Sucharita Gopal and Curtis E. Woodcock, 2004. Uncertainty and confidence in land cover classification using a hybrid classifier approach, Photogrammetric Engineering & Remote Sensing, 70(8):963-971. Ultimately, however, the confidence value is not a measure of accuracy for a given pixel but rather how well it fit within the decision tree ruleset.

 

 

 

Last Modified: 01/31/2024