Note: Differences between the NLCD-MSPA product and Google Earth images are due to different spatial resolutions, date of maps, geographic projections, and definitions of forest. Land cover and forest pattern changes since 2001 are not represented in the 2001 NLCD-MSPA product.

Instructions for viewing the Morphological Spatial Pattern Analysis (MSPA) of forest cover map

Google Earth 4+ is required. Download it here.

Click this link (and then click Open if a File Download box appears). Google Earth will open.

IMPORTANT: For proper display in Google Earth, ensure that in Tools --> Options --> 3D View --> Texture Colors, the Compress option is UNCHECKED, then restart Google Earth.

Open the folder MSPA-Forest Tiles. To select and visualize an entry:
1. Toggle the check box to show/hide the entry of interest
2. Double-click to zoom to the selected entry
3. Use the slider at the bottom of the 'Places' panel to adjust transparency of the selected entry.

Use the Tile Locator Map to identify a tile number for a region of interest.

Toggle MSPA Map Legend to show/hide the MSPA map legend; Click on MSPA Map Legend for an explanation of the legend.


MSPA Map Legend

Toggle the checkbox for MSPA Map Legend to show/hide the legend as an image overlay.

The MSPA map is colored to indicate the following forest structural elements:

Core - Interior area of forest patch excluding forest perimeter (green)
Edge - Outside perimeter (black)
Perforation - Inside perimeter (blue)
Bridge - Connected at both ends to different core patches (red)
Loop - Connected at both ends to the same core patch (yellow)
Branch - Connected at one end to edge, perforation, bridge, or loop (orange)
Islet - Disconnected and too small to contain core (brown)
Background - Not forest on the NLCD 2001 land cover map (gray)
No Data - Not in continental United States (white)

For more information on the MSPA map legend, please visit the European Commission, DG-Joint Research Centre, Institute for Environment and Sustainability: http://forest.jrc.it/biodiversity/Product/.


Tile Locator Map

Use this map to identify a tile number for a region of interest.

Move the cursor over a marker to see the extent of the corresponding tile.
Click on a marker to see the tile number, or zoom in until the tile number appears.

The map overlay(s) for one or more tiles can then be selected from the folder items in MSPA-Forest Tiles.


MSPA-Forest Tiles

Use the maps in this folder to show forest spatial pattern overlays.

Open this folder to show the regions of interest (tiles).
Toggle one or more tiles 'on' by checking the box(es) next to the name. If necessary, zoom in until the map overlay appears. Center the map by double-clicking a tile name.

Adjust transparency: Click on the name of a tile to select that region, then use the slider bar at the bottom of the "Places" menu to adjust its transparency.

To locate a tile number, use the Tile Locator Map.


Sources and Credits