CLDI Land Degradation Validation & Source Datasets

This dataset supports the study "The Comprehensive Land Degradation Index (CLDI): A Process-Based Framework for Land Degradation Diagnosis in Semi-Arid Sandy Lands", and consists of 3 core files: Data Sources.docx (Word document) Records all multi-source data used in the study, including remote sensing, climate, land-cover, soil, topographic, socioeconomic, and grazing datasets, with details on spatial resolution, temporal coverage, and official access links. Field survey data of land degradation degree (table file) Contains 1000 field sampling points with explicit land degradation grade attributes, serving as ground reference samples for CLDI model validation. GEE-based visual interpretation data of land degradation degree (table file) Contains 5000 validation points generated via stratified random sampling on Google Earth high-resolution imagery. These points were visually interpreted using surface texture, vegetation canopy cover, bare sand patch proportion, and wind erosion features. Both field and interpretation data are classified into 5 degradation levels (non-degraded to extremely severely degraded) following the Chinese National Ecological Environment Standards (2023) and relevant literature.