Vegetation

Global Map Vegetation Image 1 Global Map Vegetation Image 2 Global Map Vegetation Image 3 Global Map Vegetation Image 4 Global Map Vegetation Image 5 Global Map Vegetation Image 6 Global Map Vegetation Image 7 Global Map Vegetation Image 8 Global Map Vegetation Image 9 Global Map Vegetation Image 10 Global Map Vegetation Image 11 Global Map Vegetation Image 12 Global Map Vegetation Image 13 Global Map Vegetation Image 14 Global Map Vegetation Image 15 Global Map Vegetation Image 16 Global Map Vegetation Image 17 Global Map Vegetation Image 18 Global Map Vegetation Image 19 Global Map Vegetation Image 20 Global Map Vegetation Image 21 Global Map Vegetation Image 22 Global Map Vegetation Image 23 Global Map Vegetation Image 24 Global Map Vegetation Image 25 Global Map Vegetation Image 26 Global Map Vegetation Image 27 Global Map Vegetation Image 28 Global Map Vegetation Image 29 Global Map Vegetation Image 30 Global Map Vegetation Image 31 Global Map Vegetation Image 32 Global Map Vegetation Image 33 Global Map Vegetation Image 34 Global Map Vegetation Image 35 Global Map Vegetation Image 36 Global Map Vegetation Image 37 Global Map Vegetation Image 38 Global Map Vegetation Image 39 Global Map Vegetation Image 40 Global Map Vegetation Image 41 Global Map Vegetation Image 42 Global Map Vegetation Image 43 Global Map Vegetation Image 44 Global Map Vegetation Image 45 Global Map Vegetation Image 46 Global Map Vegetation Image 47 Global Map Vegetation Image 48 Global Map Vegetation Image 49 Global Map Vegetation Image 50 Global Map Vegetation Image 51 Global Map Vegetation Image 52 Global Map Vegetation Image 53 Global Map Vegetation Image 54 Global Map Vegetation Image 55 Global Map Vegetation Image 56 Global Map Vegetation Image 57 Global Map Vegetation Image 58 Global Map Vegetation Image 59 Global Map Vegetation Image 60 Global Map Vegetation Image 61 Global Map Vegetation Image 62 Global Map Vegetation Image 63 Global Map Vegetation Image 64 Global Map Vegetation Image 65 Global Map Vegetation Image 66 Global Map Vegetation Image 67 Global Map Vegetation Image 68 Global Map Vegetation Image 69 Global Map Vegetation Image 70 Global Map Vegetation Image 71 Global Map Vegetation Image 72 Global Map Vegetation Image 73 Global Map Vegetation Image 74 Global Map Vegetation Image 75 Global Map Vegetation Image 76 Global Map Vegetation Image 77 Global Map Vegetation Image 78 Global Map Vegetation Image 79 Global Map Vegetation Image 80 Global Map Vegetation Image 81 Global Map Vegetation Image 82 Global Map Vegetation Image 83 Global Map Vegetation Image 84 Global Map Vegetation Image 85 Global Map Vegetation Image 86 Global Map Vegetation Image 87 Global Map Vegetation Image 88 Global Map Vegetation Image 89 Global Map Vegetation Image 90 Global Map Vegetation Image 91 Global Map Vegetation Image 92 Global Map Vegetation Image 93 Global Map Vegetation Image 94 Global Map Vegetation Image 95 Global Map Vegetation Image 96 Global Map Vegetation Image 97 Global Map Vegetation Image 98 Global Map Vegetation Image 99 Global Map Vegetation Image 100 Global Map Vegetation Image 101 Global Map Vegetation Image 102 Global Map Vegetation Image 103 Global Map Vegetation Image 104 Global Map Vegetation Image 105 Global Map Vegetation Image 106 Global Map Vegetation Image 107 Global Map Vegetation Image 108 Global Map Vegetation Image 109 Global Map Vegetation Image 110 Global Map Vegetation Image 111 Global Map Vegetation Image 112 Global Map Vegetation Image 113 Global Map Vegetation Image 114 Global Map Vegetation Image 115 Global Map Vegetation Image 116 Global Map Vegetation Image 117 Global Map Vegetation Image 118 Global Map Vegetation Image 119 Global Map Vegetation Image 120 Global Map Vegetation Image 121 Global Map Vegetation Image 122 Global Map Vegetation Image 123 Global Map Vegetation Image 124 Global Map Vegetation Image 125 Global Map Vegetation Image 126 Global Map Vegetation Image 127 Global Map Vegetation Image 128 Global Map Vegetation Image 129 Global Map Vegetation Image 130 Global Map Vegetation Image 131 Global Map Vegetation Image 132 Global Map Vegetation Image 133 Global Map Vegetation Image 134 Global Map Vegetation Image 135 Global Map Vegetation Image 136 Global Map Vegetation Image 137 Global Map Vegetation Image 138 Global Map Vegetation Image 139 Global Map Vegetation Image 140 Global Map Vegetation Image 141 Global Map Vegetation Image 142 Global Map Vegetation Image 143 Global Map Vegetation Image 144 Global Map Vegetation Image 145 Global Map Vegetation Image 146 Global Map Vegetation Image 147 Global Map Vegetation Image 148 Global Map Vegetation Image 149 Global Map Vegetation Image 150 Global Map Vegetation Image 151 Global Map Vegetation Image 152 Global Map Vegetation Image 153 Global Map Vegetation Image 154 Global Map Vegetation Image 155 Global Map Vegetation Image 156 Global Map Vegetation Image 157 Global Map Vegetation Image 158 Global Map Vegetation Image 159 Global Map Vegetation Image 160 Global Map Vegetation Image 161 Global Map Vegetation Image 162 Global Map Vegetation Image 163 Global Map Vegetation Image 164 Global Map Vegetation Image 165 Global Map Vegetation Image 166 Global Map Vegetation Image 167 Global Map Vegetation Image 168 Global Map Vegetation Image 169 Global Map Vegetation Image 170 Global Map Vegetation Image 171 Global Map Vegetation Image 172 Global Map Vegetation Image 173 Global Map Vegetation Image 174 Global Map Vegetation Image 175 Global Map Vegetation Image 176 Global Map Vegetation Image 177 Global Map Vegetation Image 178 Global Map Vegetation Image 179 Global Map Vegetation Image 180 Global Map Vegetation Image 181 Global Map Vegetation Image 182 Global Map Vegetation Image 183 Global Map Vegetation Image 184 Global Map Vegetation Image 185 Global Map Vegetation Image 186 Global Map Vegetation Image 187 Global Map Vegetation Image 188 Global Map Vegetation Image 189 Global Map Vegetation Image 190 Global Map Vegetation Image 191 Global Map Vegetation Image 192 Global Map Vegetation Image 193 Global Map Vegetation Image 194 Global Map Vegetation Image 195 Global Map Vegetation Image 196 Global Map Vegetation Image 197 Global Map Vegetation Image 198 Global Map Vegetation Image 199 Global Map Vegetation Image 200 Global Map Vegetation Image 201 Global Map Vegetation Image 202 Global Map Vegetation Image 203 Global Map Vegetation Image 204 Global Map Vegetation Image 205 Global Map Vegetation Image 206 Global Map Vegetation Image 207 Global Map Vegetation Image 208 Global Map Vegetation Image 209 Global Map Vegetation Image 210 Global Map Vegetation Image 211 Global Map Vegetation Image 212 Global Map Vegetation Image 213 Global Map Vegetation Image 214 Global Map Vegetation Image 215 Global Map Vegetation Image 216 Global Map Vegetation Image 217 Global Map Vegetation Image 218 Global Map Vegetation Image 219 Global Map Vegetation Image 220 Global Map Vegetation Image 221 Global Map Vegetation Image 222 Global Map Vegetation Image 223 Global Map Vegetation Image 224 Global Map Vegetation Image 225 Global Map Vegetation Image 226 Global Map Vegetation Image 227 Global Map Vegetation Image 228 Global Map Vegetation Image 229 Global Map Vegetation Image 230 Global Map Vegetation Image 231 Global Map Vegetation Image 232 Global Map Vegetation Image 233 Global Map Vegetation Image 234 Global Map Vegetation Image 235 Global Map Vegetation Image 236 Global Map Vegetation Image 237 Global Map Vegetation Image 238 Global Map Vegetation Image 239 Global Map Vegetation Image 240 Global Map Vegetation Image 241 Global Map Vegetation Image 242 Global Map Vegetation Image 243 Global Map Vegetation Image 244 Global Map Vegetation Image 245 Global Map Vegetation Image 246 Global Map Vegetation Image 247 Global Map Vegetation Image 248 Global Map Vegetation Image 249 Global Map Vegetation Image 250 Global Map Vegetation Image 251 Global Map Vegetation Image 252 Global Map Vegetation Image 253 Global Map Vegetation Image 254 Global Map Vegetation Image 255 Global Map Vegetation Image 256 Global Map Vegetation Image 257 Global Map Vegetation Image 258 Global Map Vegetation Image 259 Global Map Vegetation Image 260 Global Map Vegetation Image 261 Global Map Vegetation Image 262 Global Map Vegetation Image 263 Global Map Vegetation Image 264 Global Map Vegetation Image 265 Global Map Vegetation Image 266 Global Map Vegetation Image 267 Global Map Vegetation Image 268 Global Map Vegetation Image 269 Global Map Vegetation Image 270 Global Map Vegetation Image 271 Global Map Vegetation Image 272 Global Map Vegetation Image 273 Global Map Vegetation Image 274 Global Map Vegetation Image 275 Global Map Vegetation Image 276 Global Map Vegetation Image 277 Global Map Vegetation Image 278 Global Map Vegetation Image 279 Global Map Vegetation Image 280 Global Map Vegetation Image 281 Global Map Vegetation Image 282 Global Map Vegetation Image 283 Global Map Vegetation Image 284 Global Map Vegetation Image 285 Global Map Vegetation Image 286 Global Map Vegetation Image 287 Global Map Vegetation Image 288
Vegetation
Vegetation Scale

Satellites observe global-scale patterns of vegetation that scientists use to study changes in plant growth as a result of climate and environmental changes as well as human activity. Photosynthesis plays a big role in removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it in wood and soils, so mapping vegetation is a key part of studying the carbon cycle. Farmers and resource managers also use satellite-based vegetation maps to help them monitor the health of our forests and croplands.

On these maps, vegetation is pictured as a scale, or index, of greenness. Greenness is based on several factors: the number and type of plants, how leafy they are, and how healthy they are. In places where foliage is dense and plants are growing quickly, the index is high, represented in dark green. Regions where few plants grow have a low vegetation index, shown in tan. The index is based on measurements taken by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite. Areas where the satellite did not collect data are gray.

The most obvious pattern that the maps show is a global one: vegetation greenness is high around the equator all year long, where temperatures, rainfall and sunlight are abundant. Between the equator and the poles, the vegetation greenness rises and falls as the seasons change.

View, download, or analyze more of these data from NASA Earth Observations (NEO):
Vegetation