Land Information System

LAND INFORMATION SYSTEM

The land use/land cover system adopted by almost all concerned organisationsand scientists, engineers and remote sensing community who are involved in mapping of earth surface features, is a system derived from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) land use/land cover classification system. This system was designed on the basis of the following criteria (Lillesand and Kiefer 1999) : (i) the minimum level of interpretation accuracy using remotely sensed data should be at least 85 percent, (ii) the accuracy of interpretation for the several categories should be about equal, (iii) repeatable results should be obtainable from one interpreter to another and from one time of sensing to another, (iv) the classification system should be applicable over extensive areas, (v) the categorization should permit land use to be inferred from the land cover types, (vi) the classification system should be suitable for u'se with remote sensor data obtained at different times of the year, (vii) categories should be divisible into more detailed subcategories that can be obtained from large-scale imagery or ground surveys, (viii) aggregation of categories must be possible, (ix) comparison with future land use and land cover data should be possible, and (x) multiple uses of land should be recognized when possible.

The basic USGS LU/LC classification system for use with remote sensor data isshown in Table 14.1. On the basis of this system a multi-level system has been devised because different degrees of detail can be obtained from aerial and space images, which depend upon the resolution. Fig. 14.1 illustrates a sample aggregation of classifications for levels III, II and I. One more level that is level IV is also devised for local users. In principle, levels IV and III are designed for local level or very large scale mapping whereas levels II and I are meant for small scale mapping.

Table 14.2 lists representative interpretation formats for various land use/land cover classification levels.

USGS Land Use/Land Cover Classification System for use with Remote Sensor Data

National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA), Government of India, has devised ageneralised land uselland cover classification system with respect to the Indian conditions based on the various categories of Earth surface features, resolution of available satellite data, capabilities of sensors, and present and future applications. Table shows the general legend adapted for land use/land cover categories. This system is used for the development of land use/land cover map for the project area, namely, MCH area of Hyderabad.

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