Land Cover Characterization Program
National Mapping Division EROS Data Center U. S. Geological Survey
The National Land Cover Dataset of the Multi-
Resolution Land Characteristics Consortium
Zhiliang ZhuUSGS, EROS Data Center
RS2000April 13, 2000
Land Cover Characterization Program
National Mapping Division EROS Data Center U. S. Geological Survey
Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics (MRLC) Consortium Partners
Environmental Protection AgencyEnvironmental Monitoring and Assessment
Program US Geological Survey
Gap Analysis ProgramNational Water Quality Assessment Program Land Cover Characterization Program
NOAA Coastal Change Analysis Program
US Forest ServiceRemote Sensing Applications Center
(currently representing USFS)
Land Cover Characterization Program
National Mapping Division EROS Data Center U. S. Geological Survey
MRLC Classification System
11. Open water
12. Perennial ice/snow
21. Low intensity residential
22. High intensity residential
23. Commercial
31. Bare rock/sand/clay
32. Quarries/mines/gravel
33. Transitional
41. Deciduous forest
42. Evergreen forest
43. Mixed forest
51. Shrub
52. Non-natural woody
61. Orchards/vineyards
71. Grasslands/herbaceous
81. Pasture/hay
82. Row crops
83. Small grains
84. Fallow
85. Urban grasses
91. Woody wetlands
92. Emergent herbaceous
wetland
Land Cover Characterization Program
National Mapping Division EROS Data Center U. S. Geological Survey
Classes Relevant to Forest Service
Forested land Deciduous forestEvergreen forestMixed forest
Shrub land Woody wetland Non-natural Woody (MRLC 2000)
Land Cover Characterization Program
National Mapping Division EROS Data Center U. S. Geological Survey
National Land Cover Dataset
Landsat TM Source 30 meter raster Consistent Classification Mapping by Federal Regions Accuracy Assessment by Region Distribution by Region and State
Land Cover Characterization Program
National Mapping Division EROS Data Center U. S. Geological Survey
NLCD Mapping Process Create mosaics from TM image data for
subregions: leaf-on & leaf-off (MRLC2000: 3 dates)
Ancillary data: population, DEM, soils, land cover
Generate unsupervised classification clusters
Label clusters Model confused clusters with ancillary
data
Land Cover Characterization Program
National Mapping Division EROS Data Center U. S. Geological Survey
NLCD Mapping Process, continued
Edit and recode select classes Validate preliminary land cover data
set Edge match other subregions Distribute for review / revise with user
comments Perform Accuracy Assessment
Land Cover Characterization Program
National Mapping Division EROS Data Center U. S. Geological Survey
National Land Cover Dataset Nov 1999
Land Cover Characterization Program
National Mapping Division EROS Data Center U. S. Geological Survey
Accuracy Assessment
Select sample sites Additional sample sites for rare
classes Acquire air photos for sample sites Photo-interpret land cover Analyze and document results
Land Cover Characterization Program
National Mapping Division EROS Data Center U. S. Geological Survey
All NLCD classes: overall accuracy 65%
Anderson I aggregation: overall accuracy 77%
Anderson I forested class: 85%
Class accuracies highly variable
Overall accuracy consistent between regions
Accuracy Results (Regions 1 - 4)
Land Cover Characterization Program
National Mapping Division EROS Data Center U. S. Geological Survey
National Land Cover Applications
EPA - Inventory, Monitoring, Enforcement NAWQA - watershed analysis Vector-borne diseases Arsenic concentrations in ground water Watershed characterization and
management BRD - GAP Projects TNC - un-fragmented forest tracts
Land Cover Characterization Program
National Mapping Division EROS Data Center U. S. Geological Survey
MRLC 2000 Landsat 7 Data Acquisition - Consortium
Begin in FY 1999, centered around 2000 3 scenes per path/row Cost: $1.4 M
Land Cover Mapping Implementation Complete remapping using Landsat 7 Begin in FY 2000, completion TBD Data base approach and mapping zones Consistent with 1992 data set Cost: $16M: project 50% USGS, 50%
others.
Land Cover Characterization Program
National Mapping Division EROS Data Center U. S. Geological Survey
Potential Applications to Forest Service
Forest/nonforest, forest type separation Spatial modeling for forest
management, wildlife habitat studies Stratification tool to increase inventory
precision Change detection in forest area Scheduling for the next inventory Basis for fire fuel mapping Basis for biomass, canopy density R&D
Land Cover Characterization Program
National Mapping Division EROS Data Center U. S. Geological Survey
Potential MRLC Benefits to Forest Service
Cost saving on data buy and processing Operational cost saving: amount of
manpower, time, and facilities Standardized methodologies, consistent
results Ability to influence science issues
through involvement The joy and benefits of working with
professionals in sister agencies
Land Cover Characterization Program
National Mapping Division EROS Data Center U. S. Geological Survey
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