ForWarn II

Satellite-Based Change Recognition and Tracking

Data Access

ForWarn data are readily accessed through the project’s Forest Change Assessment Viewer using a standard internet browser. To learn more about the functions and features of the Assessment Viewer, please read the Forest Change Assessment Viewer Users Guide

Web Map Service (WMS) Access

ForWarn II WMS (table below) is no longer being updated and has been discontinued. Reference this document (http://tiny.cc/5u5zuz) to locate and use the newer ForWarn III WMS's, see also the ForWarn III ArcGIS Online web map - https://arcg.is/0un4qn. We appreciate your patience while we plan the update of this information.

WMS allows access to the ForWarn vegetation change images using your desktop GIS or mobile mapping application software. The advantages of viewing the forest change images locally are: (1) to overlay with your GIS layers, (2) to screen-digitize disturbance extent and severity, (3) the increased use and functionality of a desktop GIS, and (4) to view the change images via mobile devices (such as using OruxMaps with Droid-based handhelds). Use the following WMS connection strings to access the ForWarn data products:

WMS Dataset Contents Connection URL
1-year baseline 01/08/2016 to present, 1yr change images by NDVI max - Current image [GetCapabilities]
- Image before current [GetCapabilities]
- Image before previous [GetCapabilities]
- Archive [GetCapabilities]
1-year ALC baseline 01/08/2016 to present, 1-year baseline ALC (adaptive-length compositing) "Early Detect" change product - Current image [GetCapabilities]
- Image before current [GetCapabilities]
- Image before previous [GetCapabilities]
- Archive [GetCapabilities]
3-year baseline 01/08/2016 to present, 3-year baseline - Current image [GetCapabilities]
- Image before current [GetCapabilities]
- Image before previous [GetCapabilities]
- Archive [GetCapabilities]
5-year baseline (90th percentile) 01/08/2016 to presnet, 90th percentile of 5-year baseline - Current image [GetCapabilities]
- Image before current [GetCapabilities]
- Image before previous [GetCapabilities]
- Archive [GetCapabilities]
All-Year median baseline 01/08/2016 to present, all-year median change products using median of the NDVI max - Current image [GetCapabilities]
- Image before current [GetCapabilities]
- Image before previous [GetCapabilities]
- Archive [GetCapabilities]
10-year baseline (90th percentile) 01/08/2016 to present, 90th percentile of 10-year baseline - Current image [GetCapabilities]
- Image before current [GetCapabilities]
- Image before previous [GetCapabilities]
- Archive [GetCapabilities]
Phenological progress 01/08/2016 to present, phenological progress - Current image [GetCapabilities]
- Image before current [GetCapabilities]
- Image before previous [GetCapabilities]
- Archive [GetCapabilities]
1-year baseline (Muted Grass/Shrub) 01/08/2016 to present, 1yr change images by NDVI max - Current image [GetCapabilities]
- Image before current [GetCapabilities]
- Image before previous [GetCapabilities]
- Archive [GetCapabilities]
1-year ALC baseline (Muted Grass/Shrub) 01/08/2016 to present, 1-year baseline ALC (adaptive-length compositing) "Early Detect" change product - Current image [GetCapabilities]
- Image before current [GetCapabilities]
- Image before previous [GetCapabilities]
- Archive [GetCapabilities]
3-year baseline (Muted Grass/Shrub) 01/08/2016 to present, 3-year baseline - Current image [GetCapabilities]
- Image before current [GetCapabilities]
- Image before previous [GetCapabilities]
- Current image [GetCapabilities]
- Archive [GetCapabilities]
5-year baseline (90th percentile) (Muted Grass/Shrub) 01/08/2016 to presnet, 90th percentile of 5-year baseline - Current image [GetCapabilities]
- Image before current [GetCapabilities]
- Image before previous [GetCapabilities]
- Archive [GetCapabilities]
10-year baseline (90th percentile) (Muted Grass/Shrub) 01/08/2016 to present, 90th percentile of 10-year baseline - Current image [GetCapabilities]
- Image before current [GetCapabilities]
- Image before previous [GetCapabilities]
- Archive [GetCapabilities]
All-Year median baseline (Muted Grass/Shrub) 01/08/2016 to present, all-year median change products using median of the NDVI max - Current image [GetCapabilities]
- Image before current [GetCapabilities]
- Image before previous [GetCapabilities]
- Archive [GetCapabilities]
Boundaries States, Counties, Federal Lands http://wms.forwarn.forestthreats.org/boundaries [GetCapabilities]
Vector Layers Interstates, Urban Density Zones http://wms.forwarn.forestthreats.org/vlayers [GetCapabilities]
ADS Insect and Disease Surveys http://wms.forwarn.forestthreats.org/ads [GetCapabilities]
Treatments USFS Fuels Treatments and Logging Activity http://wms.forwarn.forestthreats.org/treatments [GetCapabilities]
Wildfire MODIS Cumulative Fire Detections and Large Fire Incidents http://wms.forwarn.forestthreats.org/fire [GetCapabilities]
NDVI MODIS NDVI (22 images / yr, 2003-2009) http://wms.forwarn.forestthreats.org/modisndvi [GetCapabilities]
Phenological Parameters* National Phenology Dataset, 2000-2014 http://wms.forwarn.forestthreats.org/parameters [GetCapabilities]
Phenological Regions* Phenological Regions 50-5000 http://wms.forwarn.forestthreats.org/phenoregions [GetCapabilities]
Cumulative Integrals* National Phenology Dataset, (22) 16-day images / yr, 2003-2009), not current http://wms.forwarn.forestthreats.org/integrals [GetCapabilities]
Raster Layers Evergreen/Deciduous Thrive and Decline, GAP veg., Forest types and groups, Avg. Precip, Avg. Temp, Biomass, Landcover http://wms.forwarn.forestthreats.org/rlayers [GetCapabilities]
W-Layers TRMM, USGS WaterWatch http://wms.forwarn.forestthreats.org/wlayers [GetCapabilities]
1-year baseline (legacy) 01/08/2006 to present, includes 1yr change images by NDVI max and 1yr change by 'Adaptive Length Compositing (alc)' for the "Early Detect" change product (also located here) - the current image (by max) [GetCapabilities]
- the current image (by alc) [GetCapabilities]
- 2006 to present directory [GetCapabilities]
3-year baseline (legacy) Begins 01/08/2006 through current for 3-year baseline only - the current image (by max) [GetCapabilities]
- 2006 to present [GetCapabilities]
5-year baseline (legacy) Begins 01/08/2006 through current for 5-year baseline only - the current image (by max) [GetCapabilities]
- 2006 to present [GetCapabilities]
All-Year baseline (legacy) 01/08/2006 to present, All-year change products using NDVI max - the current image [GetCapabilities]
- 2006 to present [GetCapabilities]

(*) see Phenology Products Listing

Web Coverage Service (WCS) Download*

WCS allows users with desktop mapping applications the ability to download GIS-ready vegetation change image products. The benefit of downloading the change images allows one the ability to spatially analyze the vegetation change images’ raster values by themselves or with other GIS data layers. The raster values of the change images are percent NDVI departure from a respective baseline time period. Use the following WCS connection string to access the ForWarn data products:

WCS Dataset Contents Connection URL (ArcGIS users denote version 1.0.0)
1-year baselinechange images 01/08/2016 to present, 1yr change images by NDVI max - Current image [WCS Connection]
- Image before current [WCS Connection]
- Image before previous [WCS Connection]
- Archive [WCS Connection]
1-year ALC baseline
change images
01/08/2016 to present, 1-year baseline ALC (adaptive-length compositing) "Early Detect" change product - Current image [WCS Connection]
- Image before current [WCS Connection]
- Image before previous [WCS Connection]
- Archive [WCS Connection]
3-year baseline change images 01/08/2016 to present, 3-year baseline - Current image [WCS Connection]
- Image before current [WCS Connection]
- Image before previous [WCS Connection]
- Archive [WCS Connection]
5-year baseline (90th percentile) change images 01/08/2016 to presnet, 90th percentile of 5-year baseline - Current image [WCS Connection]
- Image before current [WCS Connection]
- Image before previous [WCS Connection]
- Archive [WCS Connection]
All-Year median baseline
change images
01/08/2016 to present, all-year median change products using median of the NDVI max - Current image [WCS Connection]
- Image before current [WCS Connection]
- Image before previous [WCS Connection]
- Archive [WCS Connection]
10-year baseline (90th percentile)
change images
01/08/2016 to present, 90th percentile of 10-year baseline - Current image [WCS Connection]
- Image before current [WCS Connection]
- Image before previous [WCS Connection]
- Archive [WCS Connection]
Phenological progress
change images
01/08/2016 to present, phenological progress - Current image [WCS Connection]
- Image before current [WCS Connection]
- Image before previous [WCS Connection]
- Archive [WCS Connection]
1-year baseline (Muted Grass/Shrub)change images 01/08/2016 to present, 1yr change images by NDVI max - Current image [WCS Connection]
- Image before current [WCS Connection]
- Image before previous [WCS Connection]
- Archive [WCS Connection]
1-year ALC baseline (Muted Grass/Shrub)
change images
01/08/2016 to present, 1-year baseline ALC (adaptive-length compositing) "Early Detect" change product - Current image [WCS Connection]
- Image before current [WCS Connection]
- Image before previous [WCS Connection]
- Archive [WCS Connection]
3-year baseline (Muted Grass/Shrub) change images 01/08/2016 to present, 3-year baseline - Current image [WCS Connection]
- Image before current [WCS Connection]
- Image before previous [WCS Connection]
- Archive [WCS Connection]
5-year baseline (90th percentile) (Muted Grass/Shrub) change images 01/08/2016 to presnet, 90th percentile of 5-year baseline - Current image [WCS Connection]
- Image before current [WCS Connection]
- Image before previous [WCS Connection]
- Archive [WCS Connection]
10-year baseline (90th percentile) (Muted Grass/Shrub)
change images
01/08/2016 to present, 90th percentile of 10-year baseline - Current image [WCS Connection]
- Image before current [WCS Connection]
- Image before previous [WCS Connection]
- Archive [WCS Connection]
All-Year median baseline (Muted Grass/Shrub)
change images
01/08/2016 to present, all-year median change products using median of the NDVI max - Current image [WCS Connection]
- Image before current [WCS Connection]
- Image before previous [WCS Connection]
- Archive [WCS Connection]
1-year baseline (legacy)
change images
01/08/2006 to present  image http://wms.forwarn.forestthreats.org/ewswcs1year? [WCS Connection]
3-year baseline (legacy)
change images
01/08/2006 to present; includes RSAC FHTET imagery with “bd.tif” denoted in the filename (EFETAC does not provide support for the RSAC FHTET products) http://wms.forwarn.forestthreats.org/ewswcs3year? [WCS Connection]
All-year baseline (legacy)
change images
01/08/2006 to present; contains the “current”, “previous1” and “previous2” images in all three baseline periods; includes RSAC FHTET imagery with “bd.tif” denoted in the filename (EFETAC does not provide support for the RSAC FHTET products) http://wms.forwarn.forestthreats.org/ewswcs? [WCS Connection]

(*) ArcGIS-specific Issues:

    a. There have been issues reported of being unable to export ForWarn change images via the WCS using ArcGIS 10 SP2-4.a.
    b. If you experience alignment issues, you may need to define the incoming projection by changing the datum to “D_Sphere_ARCINFO"
    c. ArcGIS Desktop is not currently supported for retreival via WCS, suggest use of QGIS (see downloading via WCS document below)

Important Files

Right click and select "Save Target As..." to download (rename file extension for color maps)

  • Download ForWarn II Imagery using the Web Coverage Service (WCS)
  • ForWarn_II_2018_colormap_ESRI.clr
  • ForWarn_II_2018_colormap_QGIS.txt
  • ForWarn_Percent_NDVI_change_lut_ESRI.xlsx
  • ForWarn_Sphere_Arc_Info_LAEA.prj
  • Use QGIS to access ForWarns Web Map Service and create a disturbance shapefile.pdf