Leaf Area Index (LAI) is a fundamental vegetation structural variable that drives energy and mass exchanges between the plant and the atmosphere. Moderate-resolution (300m – 7km) global LAI data products have been widely applied to track global vegetation changes, drive Earth system models, monitor crop growth and productivity, etc. Yet, cutting-edge applications in climate adaptation, hydrology, and sustainable agriculture require LAI information at higher spatial resolution (< 100m) to model and understand heterogeneous landscapes.

This dataset was built to assist a machine-learning-based approach for mapping LAI from 30m-resolution Landsat images across the contiguous US (CONUS). The data was derived from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Version 6 LAI/FPAR, Landsat Collection 1 surface reflectance, and NLCD Land Cover datasets over 2006 – 2018 using Google Earth Engine. Each record/sample/row includes a MODIS LAI value, corresponding Landsat surface reflectance in green, red, NIR, SWIR1 bands, a land cover (biome) type, geographic location, and other auxiliary information. Each sample represents a MODIS LAI pixel (500m) within which a single biome type dominates 90% of the area. The spatial homogeneity of the samples was further controlled by a screening process based on the coefficient of variation of the Landsat surface reflectance. In total, there are approximately 1.6 million samples, stratified by biome, Landsat sensor, and saturation status from the MODIS LAI algorithm. This dataset can be used to train machine learning models and generate LAI maps for Landsat 5, 7, 8 surface reflectance images within CONUS. Detailed information on the sample generation and quality control can be found in the related journal article.