1. Land Cover Classification System Class A Liaison Seminar of ISO TC 211 LCCS : An Approach to the Global Harmonisation of Land Cover John S. Latham and Antonio Di Gregorio Environment and Natural Resources Service Research, Extension and Training Division Sustainable Development Department

2. Land Cover Classification System FAO Background The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) was founded in 1945 with a mandate to raise levels of nutrition and standards of living, to improve agricultural productivity, and better the condition of rural populations. FAO is one of the largest specialized agencies of the UN system and the lead agency for agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and rural development. FAO has 184 member countries plus one member organization, the European Community. It works extensively in the development of standards pertaining to food and agriculture and also has a substantive number of activities in the field of spatial information management. LCCS : an approach to the global harmonisation of Land Cover ISO TC 211 Class A Liaison Seminar

3. Land Cover Classification System Application for Class A Liaison Status accepted Thun plenary Submit a new Work item proposal - NWIP - a draft has been circulated pertaining to LCCS. After completion of LCCS - version 2, in January/February 2004, (5 languages) a formal NWIP will be issued in ISO format Work with Advisory Group on Outreach to develop and enhance the effectiveness of FAO/UN and ISO joint outreach through education and training especially through our Distance Learning Tools - “Resource Kit”. We will be inviting the advisory Group on outreach to work in a partnership with us on content standardisation. Establish a Co-operative Agreement between FAO/UN and ISO TC 211 LCCS : an approach to the global harmonisation of Land Cover ISO TC 211 Class A Liaison Seminar

4. Land Cover Classification System Definition Land cover is the observed (bio)physical cover on the earth’s surface on the earth’s surface. It includes vegetation and man-made features as well as bare rock, bare soil and inland water surfaces. LCCS : an approach to the global harmonisation of Land Cover ISO TC 211 Class A Liaison Seminar

5. Land Cover Classification System LCCS was created in response to a need for: a harmonized and standardized collection of land cover data; availability of land cover data for a wide range of applications and users; and comparison and correlation of land cover classes. LCCS is a comprehensive methodology for description, characterization, classification and comparison of most of land cover features identified anywhere in the world, at any scale or level of detail. LCCS : an approach to the global harmonisation of Land Cover ISO TC 211 Class A Liaison Seminar

6. Land Cover Classification System 100% 50% 10% >50m 30m >5m 1 2 3 4... 97 9899100 33 47 78 83 Reference Classification System DEFINED GEOGRAPHIC AREA Mapping units Derived legend Inherent characteristic of the area determining the legend classes at a given scale and data type Interpretation activity End users CLASSIFICATION VERSUS LEGENDS LCCS : an approach to the global harmonisation of Land Cover ISO TC 211 Class A Liaison Seminar

7. Land Cover Classification System THE OBJECTIVE To produce a world-wide reference system for land flexibility cover able to combine an high level of flexibility (ability to describe land cover features all over the world at any scale or level of detail) with an absolute level of standardization standardization of the class definition between different users THE IDEA A system that allows a dynamic creation of classes without to oblige the user to relate to a pre-defined list of names THE BASIC CONCEPT In LCCS the creation of a class is done by a dynamic diagnostic attributes combination of land cover diagnostic attributes calledclassifiers LCCS : an approach to the global harmonisation of Land Cover ISO TC 211 Class A Liaison Seminar

8. Land Cover Classification System In LCCS it is the same, the classifiers are the words the classification rules are the syntax and the land cover features the concepts to be described. Like in a language the combination of classifiers trough the use of the classification rules gives the possibility to describe a wide variety of land cover features. The combination of the same classifiers between the whole different users of the classification system will result in the same land cover class. How it works In any language a semantic concept is expressed using words regulated by a syntax LCCS : an approach to the global harmonisation of Land Cover ISO TC 211 Class A Liaison Seminar

9. Land Cover Classification System How to create Land Cover classes in LCCS : trees closed open shrubs herbaceous sparse evergreen broadleaved ? ? ? Basic concept of a land cover class the idea) (the idea) Use of LCCS method (the language) Elaboration of the concept in the codified LCCS language (the concept expression) Trees A3 Closed A10 Height 14-7m B6 Needeleaved D2 Evergreen E1 = A3+A10+B6+D2+E1 LCCS : an approach to the global harmonisation of Land Cover ISO TC 211 Class A Liaison Seminar

10. Land Cover Classification System Major advantages of the method LCCS gives to the user the possibility to define a large number of land cover features (app.200000) despite the large number all the classes have a very distinctive and unambiguous meaning LCCS create an absolute level of standardization between the different users LCCS : an approach to the global harmonisation of Land Cover ISO TC 211 Class A Liaison Seminar

11. Land Cover Classification System Major possible applications: all the land cover/natural resources mapping activities at any scale in any part of the world bridging system between land cover maps that use local or not standardized legends possible link between small scale global mapping activities and detailed large scale national mapping programs bridging system to link natural resources statistical census with mapping programs at national or regional level LCCS : an approach to the global harmonisation of Land Cover ISO TC 211 Class A Liaison Seminar

12. Land Cover Classification System Thank-you for this opportunity to present LCCS at this Class A liaison Seminar We seek your support for a future of a mutually beneficial co-operation We seek your support for a future of a mutually beneficial co-operation between ISO TC-211 and FAO of the UN Thank-you

13. Land Cover Classification System Components Metadata Server for Geo-referenced data & Information Spatial Data & Information Portal Services & Online Use Management