1. Joint meeting on the harmonization of land-cover information for applications under the Convention on LRTAP presentation of work by CCE (J.Slootweg) and CML (M. van 't Zelfde) of Leiden University at the 29th Meeting TFIAM, May 2004, Amiens, by Jean-Paul Hettelingh
Follow up of 28th TFIAM; EB.AIR/GE.1/2003/4 para. 32.
CCE and CIAM (organizers), MSC-W and SEI
@ IIASA, 10 March 2004
Participants:
M.Amann, W. Schoepp, W. Winiwarter (CIAM)
Jean-Paul Hettelingh (chair), Jaap Slootweg (CCE)
Lisa Emberson (ICP-V and SEI)
David Simpson (MSC-W)
Till Spranger (ICP M&M and CORINE)
Klaus Steinnocher (PELCOM)
Jesper Bak (NFC-Denmark)
Matti Johansson (Secretariate UNECE-CLRTAP)

2. CLRTAP-use of LC information:
ICP Modelling & Mapping (CCE):
Enhance national (NFC) ecosystem assessments
Analyse and compare ICP(M&M)-NFCs submissions.
Enhance cross-border consistency of ecosystem definitions used by ICP(M&M)-NFCs and included in the CCE-back ground database
MSC-W & ICP-Vegetation and MSC-E
Enable the use of atmospheric dispersion models to compute ecosystem specific deposition (S, N, HM...) and exposure (O3 flux approach...)
TFIAM & ICP-M&M:
Analysis “stock-at-risk”, e.g. ecosystem dependent exceedences of critical loads and levels
Enhance cross border consistency of Integrated Assessments (RAINS) of scenario dependent stock at risk indicators

3. Objectives
Increase understanding of the requirements for the use, under the Convention-LRTAP, of land cover information
Harmonize land cover classification used on CORINE, PELCOM and SEI-LC following the European Nature Information System (EUNIS developed by ETC-Nature)
Review results of the comparison of PELCOM, CORINE and SEI-LC maps
Agree on recommendations regarding the common use, under the Convention, of currently available information and maps on European land cover categories.

4. Differences between SEI (left) and CORINE (right)

5. Differences between PELCOM (left) and CORINE (right)

6. Conclusions
The EUNIS classification was succesfully implemented on CORINE, PELCOM and SEI-LC; 2 classes were added to differentiate between irrigated and non-irrigated, which is relevant for ICP-V applications.
Differences between CORINE and SEI, and between CORINE and PELCOM are relatively important on a fine (250x250 m2) resolution.
Difference are less significant on a 50x50 km2 (EMEP) resolution.
Differences occur mostly in the coastal regions of Europe, in particular in the Mediterranean area.
PELCOM is more similar to CORINE than SEI-LC because PELCOM is based on CORINE. However, the SEI-LC covers the entire EMEP domain, contrary to PELCOM and CORINE.
It is concluded that a map merging SEI-LC and CORINE information is the best way forward.

7. Recommendations & Status
The ”horizontal” merging of the CORINE and SEI data sets, where SEI data is used in areas where no CORINE data is available is done by CCE.
The CORINE information has tentatively also been extended ”vertically”, i.e. attaching additional information for land cover by SEI. This satisfies near future CLRTAP requirements.
EMEP/MSC-W and CCE are currently using/testing this SEI/CORINE map.
The Parties to the Convention shall be involved in the evaluation of harmonised data, e.g. via the national focal centers of critical load mapping (NFC CL).
EMEP/MSC-W shall conducts robustness tests on the use of different land cover information on impacts to atmospheric model outputs.
The meeting advised to explore mechanisms to enhance the use of the currently available harmonised land cover information in all activities under the Convention. The schemes further continuous updating of this harmonised land cover data set needs to be designed by the ICP Modelling & Mapping, MSC-W and ICP Vegetation (and reviewed by WGE and EMEP).