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Global Vegetation Monitoring Unit

GLC2000 GLOBAL LEGEND

GLC 2000 – “FIRST RESULTS” WORKSHOPJRC – Ispra, 18-22 March 2002

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Global Vegetation Monitoring Unit

GLC land cover classification approach

Land cover described by classifiers and attributes (of vegetation / non-vegetation) at detail possible - using the FAO LCCS standards & software

No fixed legend and no fixed class names

Different legends or classes can be generated by grouping of classifiers and attributes

Detail of class description at a given geographical level depends on the • information obtainable from Remote Sensing (VEGETATION) • capability to map a class consistently• auxiliary map or information sources

Compatibility at higher levels by grouping of classifiers and attributes

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Global Vegetation Monitoring Unit

Arguments for this approach

the user is not forced to squeeze a regional / local class in a predefined global class name or legend

>>e.g. forest > 60 percent tree cover

regional or sub-regional maps can be produced with legends and class names which meet the needs at this level

>>e.g. detailed steppe and desert classes, detailed boreal forest types

direct links are possible to the national scale or field observations - if these are also coded with LCCS

legends can be adapted to specific purposes at the same geographical level : >>e.g. desertification monitoring, forest cover assessment,

carbon stock inventory, …

>> enlarge the potential applications and user group

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Global Vegetation Monitoring Unit

Minimum set of required classifiers

Objective of GLC2000:

Global land cover classification

• uniform

• consistent

• comparable across regions

DEFINITION OF A MINIMUM SET OF REQUIRED CLASSIFIERS

mandatory for describing vegetation cover classes

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Global Vegetation Monitoring Unit

Example for a general class: ‘Cropland’ (terrestrial)

‘Cultivated and Managed Terrestrial Areas’

no further classifiers obligatory as ‘Minimum’

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Global Vegetation Monitoring Unit

Example for more detailed requirements: ‘Natural vegetation’ (terrestrial)

Life form Cover Leaf type Phenology Layering

Woody closed-open

Trees closed-open closed open

broadleaved needleleaved

evergreen deciduous

Shrubs closed-open closed open

broadleaved needleleaved

evergreen deciduous

Herbaceous closed-open no (more) layer sparse shrubs sparse trees

Lichens &Mosses

based on SPOT VGT added ancillary data based SPOT VGT or ancillary data

Note: In case of missing ancillary information on additional sparse layers the classifier ‘layering’ could be dropped.

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Global Vegetation Monitoring Unit

Definition of a class by dominant life form with classifiers and attributes

A3 A10//A12 E1 D1Code: 2xxxx / B7 P3

GRASS LAYER Herbaceous Closed(100-65%)

Tree cover Sparse(5-15)

Second layer

Definition of legend and classes depending on geographical level and purpose

Code: 2xxxx / A2 A10//A12 D1F2 F2

Vegetation with woody components: A3 F2 D1Code: 2xxxx /

TREE LAYER Trees Closed(100-40%)

Evergreen Broadleaved Height3-7m

Elevation1500-3000

mandatory for global level e.g. regional /non-mandatory

Evergreen Forests: A3 E1Code: 2xxxx /

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Global Vegetation Monitoring Unit

Global aggregation scheme

1.        

Tree Cover closed, broadleaved, evergreen(LCCS >65% and >40-65% tree cover, tree height >3m )

2.        

Tree Cover closed, broadleaved, deciduous

3.        

Tree Cover closed, needleleaved, evergreen

4.        

Tree Cover closed, needleleaved, deciduous

5.        

Tree Cover closed, mixed phenology or leaf type

6.        

Tree Cover open, broadleaved, evergreen(LCCS 15-40% tree cover, tree height > 3m)

7.        

Tree Cover open, broadleaved, deciduous

8.        

Tree Cover open, needleleaved, evergreen

9.        

Tree Cover open, needleleaved, deciduous

10.    

Tree Cover open, mixed phenology or leaf type

11.    

Tree Cover, Regularly flooded, any type

12.    

Shrub Cover, closed-open, evergreen(with or without sparse tree layer)

13.    

Shrub Cover, closed-open, deciduous (with or without sparse tree layer)

14.        

Herbaceous Cover , closed-open

15.        

Herbaceous Cover, closed-open with sparse trees or sparse shrubs

16.        

Sparse Herbaceous or sparse shrub cover

17.        

Lichens & Mosses

18.        

Regularly flooded shrub and/or herbaceous cover

19        

Regularly flooded cover of lichens and mosses

20.        

Cultivated and managed areas, terrestrial

21       

Cultivated aquatic or regularly flooded

22      

Tree cover / Other natural vegetation

23    

Cropland / Natural vegetation

24   Bare Areas

25.    

Water Bodies (natural & artificial)

26.    

Snow and Ice (natural & artificial)

27      

Artificial surfaces and associated areas

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Global Vegetation Monitoring Unit

Significant LCCS codes and classifiers for extraction

1.        

2*& A3, A10,A11,A12, D1, E1,

2.        

2*& A3, A10,A11,A12, D1, E2

3.        

2*& A3, A10,A11,A12, D2, E1

4.        

2*& A3, A10,A11,A12, D2, E2

5.        

2*& A3, A10,A11,A12, D1+// D2 or E1//E2

6.        

2*& A3, A11+A13, D1, E1,

7.        

2*& A3, A11+A13, D1, E2

8.        

2*& A3, A11+A13, D2, E1

9.        

2*& A3, A11+A13, D2, E2

10.    

2*& A3, A11+A13, D1//D2 or E1//E2

11.    

4*& A3, A12-13-14-15

12.    

2*& A4, D1-2, E1 and optional F2,F5

13.    

2*& A4, D1-2, E2 and optional F2,F5

14.        

2*& A2-5-6, A10-11-12-13

15.        

2*& A2-5-6, F2, F5-6 2*& A3, A14-15-16 or 4*& A3, A16-17-18

16.        

2*& A2-5-6, A14-15-16 or 2*& A4, A14-15-16

17.        

2*& A7-8-9

18.        

4*& A4, D1-2, E1-2, F2,F5

19        

4*& A2-5-6-8-9 or 4*&A7-10-11

20.        

0*& A11

21       

0*& A23

22      

2*& A3 and A2-4-5-6 or C2, F2, F4-6 or /0004 or 4*& A3, A2-4-5-6-8-9 or /0004

23    

0*/ 2*& A2-3-4-5-6 or 0*/ 4*& A2-3-4-5-6-8-9

24   6*

25.    

8*& A1 or 0*& B27

26.    

8*& A2-3

27      

0*& B15

* to be checked / complemented

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Global Vegetation Monitoring Unit

Issues to be addressed during the working groups

at global level:

changes at the global aggregation scheme only if absolutely required

can the regional classes be converted into the global level?

can the global aggregation level be consistently achieved?

at regional level:

more detailed cover classes possible / desired

can an agreement on a ‘regional legend’ be achieved?

proposed starting topic of first WG

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Global Vegetation Monitoring Unit

Remarks to LCCS coding

Threshold between closed and open forests appears to be more appropriate at 40% canopy cover:

Forest closed : LCCS class ‘closed 40% -100%’ + LCCS class “open 40-65%’ , Forest open: LCCS class ‘open’ 15-40%

Can the 40% threshold be achieved as it was not set in the initial requirements?

Present version of LCCS does not allow ‘thematic mix’ of 2 classifiers in one step

a mixed unit needs to be defined with 2 sub-components

User comment ‘//’ is required in order to differentiate a thematic from a spatial mix!

User labels (names) should be assigned with regional / local class names

User comments in case a class does not meet global legend:Example: Closed –open >>assigned to closed

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Global Vegetation Monitoring Unit

the end…