Has EO found its customers? Global Vegetation Monitoring Unit GLC2000 GLOBAL LEGEND GLC 2000 – “FIRST RESULTS” WORKSHOP JRC – Ispra, March 2002

Has EO found its customers? 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

Has EO found its customers? 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

Has EO found its customers? 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

Has EO found its customers? Global Vegetation Monitoring Unit Example for a general class: ‘Cropland’ (terrestrial) ‘Cultivated and Managed Terrestrial Areas’ no further classifiers obligatory as ‘Minimum’

Has EO found its customers? Global Vegetation Monitoring Unit Example for more detailed requirements: ‘Natural vegetation’ (terrestrial) 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.

Has EO found its customers? Global Vegetation Monitoring Unit Definition of a class by dominant life form with classifiers and attributes A3 A10//A12E1D1 Code: 2xxxx / B7P3 GRASS LAYERHerbaceousClosed (100-65%) Tree coverSparse (5-15) Second layer Definition of legend and classes depending on geographical level and purpose Code: 2xxxx / A2A10//A12D1F2 Vegetation with woody components: A3F2D1 Code: 2xxxx / TREE LAYER Trees Closed (100-40%) EvergreenBroadleaved Height 3-7m Elevation mandatory for global level e.g. regional /non-mandatory Evergreen Forests: A3E1 Code: 2xxxx /

Has EO found its customers? 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 2 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

Has EO found its customers? 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, E *& A3, A11+A13, D1//D2 or E1//E *& A3, A *& A4, D1-2, E1 and optional F2,F *& A4, D1-2, E2 and optional F2,F *& A2-5-6, A *& A2-5-6, F2, F5-6 2*& A3, A or 4*& A3, A *& A2-5-6, A or 2*& A4, A *& A *& A4, D1-2, E1-2, F2,F5 19 4*& A or 4*&A *& A *& A23 2 2*& A3 and A or C2, F2, F4-6 or /0004 or 4*& A3, A or / */ 2*& A or 0*/ 4*& A * 25. 8*& A1 or 0*& B *& A *& B15 * to be checked / complemented

Has EO found its customers? 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

Has EO found its customers? 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

Has EO found its customers? Global Vegetation Monitoring Unit the end…