The National Land Cover Dataset of the Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics Consortium

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



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)



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



Classes Relevant to Forest Service

Forested land Deciduous forestEvergreen forestMixed forest

Shrub land Woody wetland Non-natural Woody (MRLC 2000)



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



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



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



National Land Cover Dataset Nov 1999



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



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)



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



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.



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



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



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The National Land Cover Dataset of the Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics Consortium