In response to community inquiries regarding forest cover data analysis (e.g., correlation with PM2.5 levels), we present a comprehensive 2020 global forest coverage dataset available through multiple access methods: WMS services, Google Earth Engine (GEE), or direct download.

Dataset Overview

This composite dataset integrates five authoritative sources:

  1. ESA World Cover (2020/2021)
  2. WRI Tropical Tree Cover (2020)
  3. UMD Global Land Cover and Land Use (2019)
  4. Global Mangrove Watch (2020)
  5. JRC Tropical Moist Forest (2020)

Data fusion methodology documented at:
https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC136960

Access Methods

1. Direct Download

Access tile-based downloads via the interactive portal:
https://forobs.jrc.ec.europa.eu/GFC


Click grid cells to download regional data

Automation Tip: Batch download scripts available upon request ("script" in comments).

2. WMS Service

Integrate directly into GIS platforms using:
https://ies-ows.jrc.ec.europa.eu/iforce/gfc2020/wms.py?


QGIS implementation example

3. Google Earth Engine

Access via GEE catalog:
https://developers.google.com/earth-engine/datasets/catalog/JRC_GFC2020_V1

Additional Notes

Large-scale downloads can leverage GEE's export functionality to Google Drive (free tier: 15GB). Detailed methodology reserved for future documentation.