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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

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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 CoverISO TC 211 Class A Liaison Seminar

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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 ourDistance Learning Tools - “Resource Kit”. We will be inviting the advisoryGroup 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 CoverISO TC 211 Class A Liaison Seminar

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em DefinitionLand cover is the observed (bio)physical coverLand cover is the observed (bio)physical cover

on the earth’s surfaceon 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 CoverISO TC 211 Class A Liaison Seminar

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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 LCCS is a comprehensive methodology for description, characterization, classification and description, characterization, classification and

comparison of most of land cover features comparison of most of land cover features identified anywhere in the world, at any scale or identified anywhere in the world, at any scale or

level of detail.level of detail.

LCCS : an approach to the global harmonisation of Land CoverISO TC 211 Class A Liaison Seminar

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100%

50%

10%

>50m 30m >5m1 2 3 4 ...

97 9899100

3347

7883

Reference Classification System

DEFINEDGEOGRAPHIC

AREA

Mappingunits

Derivedlegend

Inherent characteristicof the area determining the legend classes at a given scale and data type

Interpretation activity Endusers

CLASSIFICATION VERSUS LEGENDS

LCCS : an approach to the global harmonisation of Land CoverISO TC 211 Class A Liaison Seminar

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em THE OBJECTIVETHE OBJECTIVETo produce a world-wide reference system for landcover able to combine an high level of flexibilityflexibility (abilityto describe land cover features all over the world at any scale or level of detail) with an absolute level of standardizationstandardization of the class definition between different users

THE IDEATHE IDEAA system that allows a dynamic creation of classeswithout to oblige the user to relate to a pre-defined list of names

THE BASIC CONCEPTTHE BASIC CONCEPTIn LCCS the creation of a class is done by a dynamic combination of land cover diagnostic attributes diagnostic attributes calledclassifiers classifiers

LCCS : an approach to the global harmonisation of Land CoverISO TC 211 Class A Liaison Seminar

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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 troughthe use of the classification rules gives the possibility todescribe 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 worksHow it worksIn any language a semantic concept is expressed using wordsregulated by a syntax

LCCS : an approach to the global harmonisation of Land CoverISO TC 211 Class A Liaison Seminar

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em How to create Land Cover classes in LCCS :

trees

closedopen

shrubsherbaceous

sparse

evergreenbroadleaved?

??

Basic concept of a land cover class (the idea)the idea)

Use of LCCS method (the language)(the language)

Elaboration of the concept in the codified LCCS language (the concept expression)(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 CoverISO TC 211 Class A Liaison Seminar

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em 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 CoverISO TC 211 Class A Liaison Seminar

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em 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 mapsthat use local or not standardized legends

•possible link between small scale global mapping activities and detailed large scalenational mapping programs

•bridging system to link natural resources statistical census with mapping programsat national or regional level

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Thank-you for this opportunity to present Thank-you for this opportunity to present LCCS at this Class A liaison SeminarLCCS at this Class A liaison Seminar

We seek your support for a future of a mutually We seek your support for a future of a mutually beneficial co-operation beneficial co-operation

between ISO TC-211 and FAO of the UNbetween ISO TC-211 and FAO of the UN

Thank-youThank-you

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em Components

Metadata Server for Geo-referenced data &

Information

Spatial Data & Information

Portal

Services & Online Use

Management