A dataset of mid-channel bar forms and some mid-channel bars vegetation classification in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River (1987–2020)

As an important geographical position in China, the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River play an important role in the construction and development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. The evolution of mid-channel bar (MCB) has a good reference value for wetland protection and waterway safety, and the dynamic changes of vegetation on the continent are also crucial for river ecosystem functions and related ecosystem services. In this paper, based on the Landsat image data from 1987 to 2020, we used the ArcGIS software to synthesize the bands and improved the normalized differential water index method and the object-oriented classification method, so as to obtain the forms of MCB and some vegetation classification vectors on the continents in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in the past 30 years. In addition, we compared the data with high spatial resolution images to verify the accuracy and reliability of the data. This dataset can be used for analysis of the evolution of MCB in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, analysis of the impact of environmental factors, and research on landscape pattern changes.