Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
7
CHAPTER
Thematic Accuracy Assessment
of Regional Scale Land-Cover Data
Siamak Khorram, Joseph F. Knight, and Halil I. Cakir
CONTENTS
7.1 Introduction.............................................................................................................................91
7.2 Approach.................................................................................................................................92
7.2.1 Sampling Design ........................................................................................................92
7.2.2 Training.......................................................................................................................93
7.2.3 Photographic Interpretation ........................................................................................93
7.2.3.1 Interpretation Protocol ................................................................................93
7.2.3.2 Interpretation Procedures ............................................................................94
7.2.3.3 Quality Assurance and Quality Control......................................................94
7.3 Results.....................................................................................................................................94
7.3.1 Accuracy Estimates ....................................................................................................94
7.3.2 Issues and Problems ...................................................................................................99
7.3.2.1 Heterogeneity ..............................................................................................99
7.3.2.2 Acquisition Dates ........................................................................................99
7.3.2.3 Location Errors ...........................................................................................99
7.4 Further Research...................................................................................................................101
Acknowledgments ..........................................................................................................................101
References ......................................................................................................................................101
Appendix A: MRLC Classification Scheme and Class Definitions..............................................102
7.1 INTRODUCTION
The Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics (MRLC) consortium, a cooperative effort of several
U.S. federal agencies, including the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) EROS Data Center (EDC)
and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has conducted the National Land Cover
Data (NLCD) program. This program used Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) 30-m resolution
imagery as baseline data and successfully produced a consistent and conterminous land-cover (LC)
map of the lower 48 states at approximately an Anderson Level II thematic detail. The primary
goal of the program was to provide a generalized and regionally consistent LC product for use in
a broad range of applications (Lunetta et al., 1998). Each of the 10 U.S. federal geographic regions
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