Mapping land cover through time with the Rapid Land Cover Mapper—Documentation and user manual

Open-File Report 2017-1012
By:  and 

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Abstract

The Rapid Land Cover Mapper is an Esri ArcGIS® Desktop add-in, which was created as an alternative to automated or semiautomated mapping methods. Based on a manual photo interpretation technique, the tool facilitates mapping over large areas and through time, and produces time-series raster maps and associated statistics that characterize the changing landscapes. The Rapid Land Cover Mapper add-in can be used with any imagery source to map various themes (for instance, land cover, soils, or forest) at any chosen mapping resolution. The user manual contains all essential information for the user to make full use of the Rapid Land Cover Mapper add-in. This manual includes a description of the add-in functions and capabilities, and step-by-step procedures for using the add-in. The Rapid Land Cover Mapper add-in was successfully used by the U.S. Geological Survey West Africa Land Use Dynamics team to accurately map land use and land cover in 17 West African countries through time (1975, 2000, and 2013).

Suggested Citation

Cotillon, S.E., and Mathis, M.L., 2017, Mapping land cover through time with the Rapid Land Cover Mapper—Documentation and user manual: U.S. Geological Survey Open File Report 2017–1012, 23 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20171012.

ISSN: 2331-1258 (online)

Table of Contents

  • Abstract
  • Disclaimer
  • Introduction
  • Overview
  • System Requirements
  • Rapid Land Cover Mapper Installation
  • Setup and Description of the Rapid Land Cover Mapper
  • Rapid Land Cover Mapper Tips
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • References Cited
  • Appendix 1. Classification Systems Included in the Rapid Land Cover Mapper Add-In
  • Appendix 2. List of the Rapid Land Cover Mapper Projection Files
  • Appendix 3. Description of the XML File
Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title Mapping land cover through time with the Rapid Land Cover Mapper—Documentation and user manual
Series title Open-File Report
Series number 2017-1012
DOI 10.3133/ofr20171012
Year Published 2017
Language English
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Publisher location Reston, VA
Contributing office(s) Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center
Description Report: vi, 23; Appendix
Online Only (Y/N) Y
Additional Online Files (Y/N) Y
Google Analytic Metrics Metrics page
Additional publication details