The dataset was developed as a collaborative effort between the USFS Forest Inventory and Analysis and Forest Health Monitoring programs and the USFS Remote Sensing Applications Center.
Eyre, F.H. ed. 1980. Forest cover types of the United States and Canada. Washington DC: Society of American Foresters; 148 p.
Statistical models developed in Rulequest's See5 data mining software link the FIA plot variables with the imagery and geospatial data. See5 creates classification trees, which have the advantage of not assuming parametric properties within the predictor data and are thus are more appropriate for the multi-scale, multi-source data, which are being used.
It is the responsibility of the data user to use the data appropriately and consistent within the limitations of geospatial data in general and these data in particular. Using the data for other than their intended purpose may yield inaccurate or misleading results. The USDA Forest Service gives no warranty, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of these data. It is strongly recommended that these data are directly acquired from the USDA Forest Service server and not indirectly through other sources which may have changed the data in some way. Although these data have been processed successfully on a computer system at the USDA Forest Service, no warranty expressed or implied is made regarding the utility of the data on another system or for general or scientific purposes, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty. This disclaimer applies both to individual use of the data and aggregate use with other data.
The USDA Forest Service reserves the right to correct, update or modify this data and related materials without notification.