Land-cover Mapping

Satellite imagery offers the potential to be able to characterize land-cover over very large areas efficiently and very cost effectively. At Applied Analysis Inc., we produce land-cover maps from satellite imagery based on the spectral properties of each pixel within a scene. By grouping pixels into classes with similar spectral properties and associating these classes with particular land-cover types, it is possible to produce maps which delineate land-cover and land use.

Land-cover mapping is an excellent way to gain a synoptic view of a watershed or ecosystem. It can provide a clear picture of what is occurring in the terrestrial environment in order to effectively understand and correlate the relationship between the water quality issues and terrestrial land-use.

Some applications of land-cover mapping using satellite imagery are:
· Environmental modeling
· Impervious surface mapping
· Environmental impact studies
· Non-point source pollution studies
· Land use studies
· Ecosystem analysis

At AAI we use both traditional whole-pixel terrain categorization and subpixel land classification depending on the application requirements. Following image georectification, the resulting land-cover classification becomes a detailed map of land characteristics at every point throughout the study area.