thumbnail

Land use and land cover changes: A framework for monitoring

Journal of Research of the U.S. Geological Survey
By:

Links

Abstract

Information on the rate and kind of change in the use of land resources is essential to-the proper planning, management, and regulation of the use of such resources. Starting in 1975, the U.S. Geological Survey has been engaged in mapping and inventory of land use and land cover at a scale of 1:250000 with plans to change to new 1:100000 base maps as they become available. Such scales are-appropriate for acquiring benchmark or baseline data on land use and land cover on a nationwide basis with a reasonable degree of standardization and accuracy, within a practical time frame of 6 to 7 years, and at a reasonable level of detail in categorization. Changes in land use and land cover occur at highly variable rates from place to place. Thus variations, in the intervals between updates of land use and land cover data should be carefully evaluated in order to provide an appropriate frame of reference for the systematic updating of such data. A methodological framework is needed for monitoring changes in land use and land cover that will be timely, relatively inexpensive, and appropriate for widely varying needs at national, interstate-regional, state, multicounty, county, and city levels. In this article a partial framework for monitoring land use and land cover changes is provided with opportunity to extend its use to greater levels of detail in categorization and shorter intervals of frequency when needed for selected areas.

Study Area

Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Land use and land cover changes: A framework for monitoring
Series title Journal of Research of the U.S. Geological Survey
Volume 5
Issue 2
Year Published 1977
Language English
Publisher U. S. Geological Survey
Description 11 p.
First page 143
Last page 153
Country United States
Google Analytic Metrics Metrics page
Additional publication details