The Global Pastures layer is part of the Global Agricultural Lands, v1 (2000) data set which represents the proportion of land areas used as pasture land (land used to support grazing animals) in the year 2000. Satellite data from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Satellite Pour l'Observation de la Terre (SPOT) Image Vegetation sensors were combined with agricultural inventory data to create a global data set. The visual presentation of these data demonstrates the extent to which human land use for agriculture has changed the Earth and in which areas this change is most intense. The data were compiled by Navin Ramankutty et al. (2008) and distributed by the Columbia University Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN).

The purpose of the data set is to provide data on the extent of pasturelands for research on human-environment interactions.

References: doi: 10.7927/H47H1GGR