Keywords

1 LBA-ECO LC-08—Land Cover Map of South America

Product

LULC general / LULC thematic (vegetation)

Dates

1987 / 91

Formats

Raster

Pixel size

1 km

Thematic resolution

42 classes:

1 (a), 1 (ag), 27 (v), 7 (m), 3 (na)Footnote 1

Compatible legends

None

Extent

South America

Updating

Not expected

Change detection

No (only one date)

Overall accuracy

 

Depending on the class. Expected to be >90% for 24 classes covering 85% of the map. Classes with an accuracy of <75% only cover 6.5% of the map

Website of reference

Website Language English

https://daac.ornl.gov/LBA/guides/LC08_EOS_Maps.html#references

Download site

https://daac.ornl.gov/cgi-bin/dsviewer.pl?ds_id=1155

Availability

Format(s)

Open Access after registration

.tiff, .nc, .asc, .nitf, .img

Technical documentation

Stone et al. (1994)

Other references of interest

–

Project

The Large-Scale Biosphere-Atmosphere Experiment in the Amazon (LBA) was an international project launched by the Brazilian scientific community in 1993. The main objectives were to study Amazonia and its role in the earth’s ecosystem as well as to understand LUC changes in the area and their environmental consequences.

As part of the project, a global LUC map covering South America was produced from imagery and data of the period 1987/91. Vegetation and soil maps for Brazil were also digitalized on the basis of previous resources. These maps are also available for any interested user as part of the same dataset.

Production method

The LBA LUC map was produced after unsupervised classification of AVHRR imagery, postprocessing and labelling of the classification results. Different sources of auxiliary data were used in the production of the dataset to overcome the limitations of the imagery, including a Global Vegetation Index (GVI) layer, the UNESCO’s Vegetation Map of South America, the Hueck’s Vegetationsskarte Von Sudamerika and a potential vegetation map of South America based on the Holdridge bioclimatic scheme.

Production description

Users can download the LUC map as a single raster file including the LUC information or as part of a data package including all the products produced within the LBA project. As part of these, we find different vegetation and soil maps for Brazil. In all cases, the download only includes the raster files and no auxiliary information is provided.

Downloads

RAR folder with all products

– Raster file with LUC map

– 3 raster files with Brazil vegetation maps at different levels of thematic resolution

– 3 raster files with Brazil soil maps at different levels of thematic resolution

SA_lc_Map_41class.tiff

– Raster file with LUC map

Legend and codification

Code

Label

Code

Label

0

Off Map (Fill Value)

21

Secondary seasonal forest with agriculture

1

Tropical moist and semi-deciduous forest

22

Urban and degraded lands

2

Cleared tropical moist Forest

23

Degraded tropical seasonal forest

3

Unclassified

24

Mixed pine forest with secondary forest and agriculture

4

Water

25

Xerophytic scrubland

5

Savanna/Grasslands

26

Xerophytic littoral vegetation

6

Wet vegetation/Mixed

27

Montane grassland

7

Unclassified

28

Montane woodlands

8

Mangroves

29

Montane forests

9

Seasonally deciduous Woodlands.

30

Degraded montane grasslands

10

Forest (Bamboo dominated?)

31

Degraded montane woodlands

11

Secondary tropical moist forest with agriculture

32

Degraded montane forests

12

Pantanal grassland (seasonally flooded)

33

Cool deciduous shrublands

13

Tropical seasonal or deciduous forest

34

Bare soil/Rock

14

Agriculture

35

Cool deciduous woodlands

15

Gallery forests

36

Cool deciduous forests

16

Tropical open forests (mixed)

37

Snow/Rock

17

Cerrado (woodlands) degraded

38

Salt marsh community

18

Grasslands or Savanna with agriculture

39

Desert

19

Xerophytic woodlands with agriculture

40

Degraded temperate deciduous forest

20

Degraded xerophytic woodlands

41

Temperate deciduous forests

2 NALCMS—North American Land Change Monitoring System

Product

LULC general

Dates

2005, 2010, 2015

Formats

Raster

Pixel size

30 m (2010, 2015)

250 m (2005, 2010)

Thematic resolution

19 classes:

1 (a), 1 (ag), 13 (v), 1 (m), 0 (na)

Compatible legends

FAO-LCCS

Extent

North America

Updating

Unknown

Change detection

Through change layers

Overall accuracy

 

Expected to be >79.9%

Website of reference

Website Language English, Spanish, French

http://www.cec.org/north-american-land-change-monitoring-system/

Download site

http://www.cec.org/north-american-land-change-monitoring-system/

Availability

Format(s)

Open Access

.tiff, .img, .mxd

Technical documentation

Colditz et al. (2012, 2014a, b, c), Gebhardt et al. (2014), Homer et al. (2015), Jin et al. (2013, 2019), Latifovic et al. (2012, 2017)

Other references of interest

Yang et al (2018)

Project

The NALCMS project started in 2006 fruit of the collaboration between the following Canadian, American and Mexican institutions: the Natural Resources Canada/Canada Centre for Remote Sensing (NRCan/CCRS), the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the Mexican National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI), National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (CONABIO) and the National Forestry Commission of Mexico (CONAFOR). The project is also supported by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), a body comprising all three North American countries.

The objective of the project was to create a homogeneous, coherent LUC dataset for North America that could be used for environmental monitoring at a continental scale, and which also addressed the needs and requirements of scientific and policy-making communities. Each country produced its own LUC map according to its needs and requirements. The purpose of the project was to coordinate the homogenization and harmonization of these national maps to create a single map of the whole North America.

Since it was launched in 2006, three LUC maps have been produced. Important improvements have been made over time. The most significant change was the improved spatial resolution of 30 m applied in the latest maps, compared to 250 m in the first edition.

Production method

There is no single production methodology for NALCMS. Each country is responsible for producing its own LUC map, according to its particular needs and interests.

The first edition of the product for 2005 was created via a classification of MODIS imagery at 250 m following a similar workflow for the three countries. In 2010, the initial map for 2005 at 250 m was revised, mapping only the LUC changes that happened over the period 2005–2010. LUC changes for Hawaii were not mapped in this update. Mapped changes were individually distributed through a specific change layer at 250 m for the period 2005–2010.

For 2015, Canada and the USA obtained their respective LUC maps after classification of Landsat imagery, while Mexico obtained its map via the classification of RapidEye (5 m) imagery resampled at 30 m. Whereas for Canada and Mexico the imagery mostly dates from 2015, most of the imagery used in the US map was from the year 2016. For 2010, the three countries obtained the map at 30 m from the classification of Landsat imagery. However, whereas most of the imagery for Canada and Mexico was captured in 2010, the images used to map USA were taken in 2011.

A change layer at 30 m for the period 2010–2015 was obtained by comparing the base LUC maps at the two different dates for Canada and USA. In Mexico, because different imagery sources had been used for the different reference years, the changes were individually extracted from Landsat imagery based on an independent change detection algorithm.

Product description

NALCMS can be separately downloaded for each of the reference years. A change layer for each mapped period is also available: 2005–2010 and 2010–2015. For those years for which more than one spatial resolution is available, users can download a separate product at each resolution.

The datasets at 250 m can be downloaded in different formats: GeoTIFF, ERDAS Imagine (.img), Map Exchange Document (.mxd) and as a georeferenced PDF file (GeoPDF). Datasets at 30 m are downloaded in a compressed file (.zip) in GeoTIFF. They can be downloaded for the whole of North America or individually for each of the mapped countries.

Different auxiliary information is provided with each downloaded product. Nonetheless, the metadata for all the available products can be downloaded separately from the dataset’s website.

Downloads

Land Cover, 2005–2010 (MODIS, 250 m), TIFF

– Raster files with North America and Hawaii LUC maps (.tiff)

– Metadata file (.doc)

– Definitions of the different classes (.doc) [Only 2010 map]

– Press release presenting the product (.doc)

– Terms of use of the product (.doc)

Land Cover Change, 2005–2010 (MODIS, 250 m), TIFF

– Raster files with LUC changes (.tiff)

– Layer style file for ArcGIS (.lyr)

– Cross tabulation matrixes of change (in ha, percent and pixels) at two different classification schemes (.xlsx)

– Metadata file (.doc)—Press release presenting the product (.doc)

– Terms of use of the product (.doc)

Land Cover, 2010–2015 (Landsat, 30 m), North America

– Raster file with LUC map

– Layer style files for ArcGIS (.lyr) in English, French and Spanish

– Metadata file (.doc)

Land Cover Change, 2010–2015 (Landsat, 30 m), North America

– Raster files with gains and losses for the Forest, Shrubland, Grassland, Wetland, Cropland, Barren Land, Urban and Built-up, Water and Snow and Ice categories (.tiff)

– Raster file with LUC changes

– Metadata file (.doc)

– Text document with a description of the dataset (.txt)

Legend and codification

The change layers include a qualitative description of the classes at the two different points in time. In addition, the pixel values are formed by combining the class code for the land use at point 1 in time with the class code for the new land use at point 2. e.g. the code 1011 refers to a pixel that was Temperate or sub-polar grassland (10) on the first date assessed and had changed to Sub-polar or polar shrubland-lichen-moss (11) on the second.

Code

Label

Code

Label

1

Temperate or sub-polar needleleaf forest

11

Sub-polar or polar shrubland-lichen-moss

2

Sub-polar taiga needleleaf forest

12

Sub-polar or polar grassland-lichen-moss

3

Tropical or sub-tropical broadleaf evergreen forest

13

Sub-polar or polar barren-lichen-moss

4

Tropical or sub-tropical broadleaf deciduous forest

14

Wetland

5

Temperate or sub-polar broadleaf deciduous forest

15

Cropland

6

Mixed forest

16

Barren lands

7

Tropical or sub-tropical shrubland

17

Urban

8

Temperate or sub-polar shrubland

18

Water

9

Tropical or sub-tropical grassland

19

Snow and Ice

10

Temperate or sub-polar grassland

  

Practical considerations

Maps at 30 m and 250 m were obtained following a different workflow and are not comparable. The maps for Mexico for 2010 and 2015 were obtained from different imagery sources, which means that changes cannot be calculated by subtracting one map from the other and should only be studied using the change layer distributed by the production team.

No information is offered about the uncertainty of the change layers. They may be subject to important sources of uncertainty and may include a lot of technical or spurious changes that did not actually happen on the ground.

NALCMS is one of the products in the North American Environmental Atlas. Users can consult the different NALCMS layers online, together with a lot of other relevant geospatial information for North America, as part of the Atlas website at http://www.cec.org/files/atlas/. Users can also download any of the displayed layers, including the LUC maps, from the same website.

3 MERISAM2009—MERIS MAP 2009/2010 South America

Product

LULC thematic

Dates

2009/10

Formats

Raster, Vector

Pixel size

300 m

Thematic resolution

11 classes:

0 (a), 3 (ag), 5 (v), 5 (m), 1 (na)

Compatible legends

None

Extent

South America

Updating

Not expected

Change detection

No (only one date)

Overall accuracy

 

Not specified

Website of reference

Website Language English

Not available

Download site

Not available

Availability

Format(s)

On request

.img, .shp

Technical documentation

Hojas-Gascon et al. (2012)

Other references of interest

–

Project

MERISAM is a map developed by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission as part of the regional LUC mapping efforts for South America. With the production of MERISAM, the JRC team aimed to overcome some of the limitations encountered during the production of GlobCover for South America. These referred mainly to spatial and thematic inaccuracies due to the limited number of MERIS images acquired and the method followed to produce the imagery mosaic required to carry out the classification.

The MERISAM dataset was used to assess LUC change in the first decade of the 21st century by comparing it with the GLC2000 dataset.

Production method

MERISAM was obtained after unsupervised classification of MERIS imagery for the period 2008–2010 using the ISODATA classification algorithm, which identified 100 different spectral classes. These were manually assigned to 6 LUC categories based on the information provided by auxiliary datasets, such as national vegetation maps and Google Earth imagery. FAPAR data, which provide information on the photosynthetic activity of the vegetation, were also used as auxiliary information to disaggregate the initial set of LUC categories.

Product description

Interested users can access this dataset by contacting the JRC team that produced it. The dataset includes the LUC map in two formats: raster (.img) and vector (.shp). The vector file was obtained by vectorizing the original raster file.

Downloads

MERISAM2009

– Raster file with LUC map (.img)

– Vector file with LUC map (.shp)

– Two versions of the scientific paper presenting the dataset (.pdf)

Legend and codification

Here are the codes used to produce the raster version of the map.

Code

Label

Code

Label

1

Evergreen forest

6

Sparse and barren

2

Dry forest and shrubs

10

Inland water

3

Dry open forest and shrubs

41

Grasslands and shrubs

4

Grasslands

51

Agriculture mosaic

5

Agriculture and pasture

52

Agriculture intensive

0

Background

  

Practical considerations

This dataset is not directly available for download. Users wishing to access it must contact the JRC team that produced it (Hugh.EVA@ec.europa.eu, Rene.BEUCHLE@ec.europa.eu).

Although the dataset has been used to assess LUC changes by comparing it with GLC2000, this exercise has many limitations and uncertainties and is therefore not recommended.

4 The Himalaya Regional Land Cover Database

Product

LULC general

Dates

2000 (base LUC map)

1970–2007 (LUC changes)

Formats

Vector

Scale

1:350,000

Thematic resolution

35 classes:

1 (a), 7(ag), 15 (v), 7 (m), 0 (na)

Compatible legends

LCCS

Extent

Himalaya region

Updating

No

Change detection

Yes, through the change layer

Overall accuracy

Not specified

Website of reference

Website Language English

http://www.fao.org/geonetwork/srv/en/main.home?uuid=46d3c2ef-72c3-4f96-8e32-40723cd1847b

Download site

http://www.fao.org/geonetwork/srv/en/main.home?uuid=46d3c2ef-72c3-4f96-8e32-40723cd1847b

Availability

Format(s)

Open Access

.shp

Technical documentation

–

Other references of interest

–

Project

The Himalaya Regional Land Cover database was developed within the context of the Global Land Cover Network—Regional Harmonization Programme, promoted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and UN Environment in collaboration with the Geographic Information for Sustainable Development (GISD) global partnership. The programme aimed to produce reliable, harmonized global land cover information, providing guidance and methodologies for the production of LUC information at national, regional and global levels.

Production method

The database was obtained by automatic segmentation of Landsat imagery for the reference year 2000 plus visual interpretation. The initial classification was refined by interpreting high resolution imagery from Google Earth.

A layer of LUC changes was obtained by assessing the base map (2000) against historical imagery for the periods 1970–80, 1990 and 2007. No maps for the other years of reference are available, but only the respective layers of changes.

Product description

The database is distributed at regional level in vector format for each of the countries and regions that make up the Himalayan region: Afghanistan, Bhutan, China-Yunnan Sheng, China-Xizang Zizhiqu, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Aksai Chin, Arunachal Pradesh, China/India, Jammu Kashmir and Myanmar. An additional vector layer with LUC changes for the period 1970–2007 is also included. The downloaded products consist solely of the vector layers with LUC data. No other auxiliary information is provided with the downloaded file.

A detailed legend for the product can be downloaded separately in Excel or mdb formats. A layer with the boundaries of the region and its administrative units is also available for download.

Downloads

Land Cover map (country/region)

– Vector file with Land Cover map (.shp)

Land change Himalaya region

– Vector file with map of Land Cover changes (.shp)

– Vector file with boundaries of the Himalaya region (.shp)

Database

Himalaya Regional Land Cover Database

– Z007CODE: LUC Code

– Z007USLB: LUC User Label

– Z007PERC: Percentage of the LUC(s) making up the polygon

– HECTARES: Area of the polygon, in hectares

– AREA: Area of the polygon, in square meters

– AGG

– ZONE: UTM Zone

– CODE 1: Code LUC 1

– CODE 2: Code LUC 2

– BOOLEAN1: LUC Label 1

– BOOLEAN 2: LUC Label 2

– LCCSMAIN1: Main LUC 1

– LCCSMAIN2: Main LUC 2

– AUTO_ID: Unique identifier for each polygon

Legend and codification

Code

Label

1H

Herbaceous Crops

1HI

Irrigated Herbaceous Crops

1T

Tree Crop

1S

Tea Crop

1HSs

Small Herbaceous Crops in sloping land

1HLMv

Large to Medium Herbaceous Crops in valley floor

1HSv

Small Herbaceous Crops in valley floor

2HCO

Closed to Open Herbaceous

2HS

Sparse Herbaceous

2HS//6BR

Sparse Herbaceous OR Bare Rock

2HCO//1H

Closed to Open Herbaceous OR Rainfed Herbaceous Crops

2SCO

Closed to Open Shrubs

2SS

Sparse Shrubs with Sparse Herbaceous

2SSd

Sparse Dwarf Shrubs with Sparse Herbaceous

2SOd

Open Dwarf Shrubs with Sparse Herbaceous

2TCOne//2TCObe

Closed to Open Needleleaved Trees OR Closed to Open Broadleaved Trees

2TCOne

Closed to Open Needleleaved Trees

2TCObe

Closed to Open Broadleaved Trees

2TSne//2TSbe

Sparse Needleleaved Trees OR Sparse Broadleaved Trees

2TSne

Sparse Needleleaved Trees

2TSbe

Sparse Broadleaved Trees

4HCOp

Closed to Open Permanently Flooded Herbaceous

4SCOs

Closed to Open Seasonally Flooded Shrubs

5UI

Urban and Industrial Areas

6BR

Bare Rock

6S

Bare Soil

6GR

Rock Debris

8ICE

Glacier

8ICEr

Rocky Glacier

8SN

Perennial Snow

8SNs

Seasonal Snow

8WNP

Non-Perennial Lakes

8WBS

Bare Soil in seasonally flooded area

8WP

Lakes

8WF

Rivers