Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics (MRLC) Consortium

Great Lakes Regional Data ExchangeLand Cover / Land Use

Chicago, ILApril 27, 2005

Steve RaberNOAA Coastal Services Center

Outline

• MRLC Overview• The National Land Cover Database (NLCD)• Partners and contributions• NOAA Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-

CAP)• Future plans

MRLC Consortium

• Formed in 1993• Multi-agency (federal)• Original members: USGS, EPA, NOAA,

USFS• Administered by USGS EROS Data Center

History

Original objective: To leverage resources toward the purchase of Landsat 5 imagery for the conterminous U.S. … for use in the development of land cover products.

MRLC Consortium

• National LC mapping programs of the 1990’s– Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP); NOAA Coastal

Services Center; focus on critical coastal habitats

– Gap Analysis Program (GAP); National Biological Survey (NBS), later USGS; focused on maintaining bio-diversity

– National Land Cover Data (NLCD); directed by USGS and EPA; focused on comprehensive (wall-to-wall) mapping of the US

• Minimal cross-agency collaboration except for purchase of imagery

• NLCD 1992 mapping (aka “MRLC ’92”) kicked-off• MRLC members added in mid-1990’s: NASA, BLM

Background 1990’s

MRLC Consortium

• USGS / EPA focused– wall-to-wall land cover mapping of conterminous U.S.

• Minimal participation by other agencies• Circa 1992 imagery – best available (single scenes)• Mapping based on EPA regions• Traditional image processing methods

– Significant subjectivity

• Some contracts awarded• Work completed circa 2000

NLCD 1992

MRLC Consortium

• Successful mapping effort– Proved wall-to-wall mapping could be accomplished– Image archive developed– Pre-processing refined– Partnerships with industry fostered– National awareness built– Broad-based user community fostered

• Accuracy assessment conducted by EPA– Decent results at Anderson Level 1 (~70 % accurate)

• Mixed reviews from users• Consistency and repeatability issues and concerns

– Need for better approach in future identified

NLCD 1992 Lessons Learned

NLCD 2001

Circa 2001• C-CAP, GAP, and NLCD all utilizing similar

classification schemes, yet doing their own thing• MRLC Consortium presents opportunities

– Vision to bring mapping programs into alignment– Landsat costs at all-time low (unprecedented) – Promising new semi-automated techniques

• Improve repeatability, consistency, and accuracy

• USGS EROS Data Center (EDC)– Promotes vision for National Land Cover “Database”– Partnership model to accomplish all mapping– Other mapping programs contribute while maintain own

identity

True MRLC Collaboration

MRLC / NLCD 2001

• Leverage each agency’s strengths• Slight modifications to each classification scheme (C-

CAP, GAP, NLCD)• Work toward own objectives, while developing the

NLCD

• Improved quality– Adoption of new semi-automated techniques - maintains

consistency / repeatability– Mapping zones based on eco-regions– Three-season imagery

New Purpose = Win / Win

NLCD 2001 Classification Scheme

• Water– Open Water– Perennial Ice/Snow

• Developed– Developed, Open Space – Low Intensity– Medium Intensity– High Intensity

• Forests– Deciduous– Evergreen– Mixed

• Barren(Rock/Sand/Clay)

• Non-Vascular– Lichens*– Moss*

• Shrubland– Dwarf Shrub* – Shrub

• Grasslands/Herbaceous– Herbaceous– Sedge Herbaceous*

• Agriculture– Pasture/Hay

– Cultivated Crops

• Wetlands– Woody Wetlands– Emergent Herbaceous

Wetlands

MRLC Expanded

• US Geological Survey (USGS)– EDC; Collin Homer, MRLC Chair

– GAP

– NAWQA

• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)• US Forest Service (USFS)• Bureau of Land Management (BLM)• National Park Service (NPS)• US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFW)• National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)• US Office of Surface Mining (OSM)

Partners Meeting, March 2005

NLCD 2001 - Status

Capturing Coastal Changes

• Conceived in the late 1980’s• Implemented as a NOAA program in the mid 1990’s

via grants and cooperative agreements• Project-based mapping until 2000

Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP)

Original objective: To improve scientific understanding of the linkages between coastal wetland habitats, adjacent uplands, and living marine resources

C-CAP Re-tooling

• 1999 -- C-CAP review identified the need to:• Leverage other national efforts• Focus on applications – customer orientation• Standardize, create consistency, timely delivery

• 2000 -- collaborative discussions with USGS and MRLC

• Classification and techniques modified to accommodate NLCD

Aligning with MRLC / NLCD

C-CAP Geography

C-CAP Classification Scheme

Water– Open Water– Perennial Ice / Snow

Developed, – Open Space– Developed, Low Intensity– Developed, Medium Intensity– Developed, High Intensity

Forest– Deciduous– Evergreen– Mixed

Bare LandShrubland

– Dwarf Shrub– Scrub / Shrub

Grassland

Wetlands– Palustrine Forested – Palustrine Scrub / Shrub– Palustrine Emergent– Estuarine Forested– Estuarine Scrub / Shrub– Estuarine Emergent

Unconsolidated ShoreAquatic Bed

– Estuarine Aquatic Bed– Palustrine Aquatic Bed

Agriculture– Cultivated land– Pasture / Hay

Alaska Only– Sedge / Herbaceous– Lichens– Moss

Focus on the Coast

C-CAP Philosophy

• Focus on:– Coastal habitats and resources– Change detection and analysis– Accuracy and quality

• Minimize duplication of effort• Guided by user input and interactions• Target audience: resource managers and decision-

makers• Partnerships are critical• Work with private industry

– Day-to-day technical mapping– Faster, better, and more consistent

Focus on the Coast

2004 Contracts

2005-2006 Contracts

NLCD Zones

C-CAP Status “Coastal NLCD”

Looking Forward

• First priority– Complete national baseline of land cover and

change data, in collaboration with MRLC– Focus on the user community / constituency –

outreach and coordination

• Develop high-resolution solutions• Pursue regional updates every five years

(with caveats …)• Continue integrating into broader NOAA and

National Map initiatives

For more information …

Steve.Raber@noaa.govNate.Herold@noaa.gov

Homer@usgs.gov

C-CAP: www.csc.noaa.gov/landcover

MRLC: www.mrlc.gov

EPA (MRLC): www.epa.gov/mrlc/about