Drought Sensitivity

This layer represents an estimation of the probability that drought will substantially impact post-fire shrub recovery, potentially leading to vegetation type conversion to invasive grasses and forbs. This type conversion may increase the risk of fire ignition and fire spread. It is only available for the Southern California Region.

Data and Resources

Additional Info

Field Value
Version Version 5.0
Last Updated March 28, 2025, 08:36 (UTC)
Created March 7, 2025, 07:52 (UTC)
category /Water Security/Quantity
collection_name California Landscape Metrics
creation_method These data are based on estimates of change in canopy cover over the period 1984-2018 from satellite data, and includes some areas that have already degraded, but mostly areas predicted to change in future drought episodes. Specifically, this data set portrays estimates of the probability that absolute shrub cover will decline substantially (up to 30 percent) as a result of failed vegetation recovery consequential of drought. This drought sensitivity index is based on estimates of change in shrub cover between the periods 1984'€“1989 and 2014'€“2018, which were derived from June-solstice Landsat Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) image time series (source: espa.cr.usgs.gov). These 30-m spatial resolution estimates of change in fractional cover were sampled randomly based on 491 points located within chaparral areas that burned only once during the period 1984'€“2018, and therefore were not subject to the potential impacts of repeated (short- interval) fires upon seed production or resprouting vigor.
data_units Relative index, low to high
data_vintage 2018
date_updated August 2024
element Quantity
encoding utf8
file_name SoCal_DroughtSensitivity_2018_202312_T3_v5
format GeoTiff
harvest_object_id 1721ec08-9029-48b4-8301-4d28aa0cd097
harvest_source_id a2637971-af12-457f-ae4a-831d2202a539
harvest_source_title WIFIRE Commons
metric_definition_and_relevance This layer represents an estimation of the probability that drought will substantially impact post-fire shrub recovery, potentially leading to vegetation type conversion to invasive grasses and forbs. This type conversion may increase the risk of fire ignition and fire spread. It is only available for the Southern California Region.
pillar Water Security
spatial {"type": "Polygon", "coordinates": [[[-120.67507971695304, 32.49712128212305], [-115.77464954452921, 32.49712128212305], [-115.77464954452921, 35.286938865864286], [-120.67507971695304, 35.286938865864286], [-120.67507971695304, 32.49712128212305]]]}
tier 3