Land Cover Mapping

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• Land Cover Mapping
• And Modeling
• April 11, 2006
• David Baldwin
• Frank Schnekenburger

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Requested Products

• Evaluate and select relevant landscape simulation
  models
• Model proposed landscape scenarios
• Translate scenario goals, parameters, data
• Complete landscape scenarios and package results
• Develop methods and spatial layer for current
  land cover
• Forested, wetland, agricultural, and developed
  land
• Develop methods / results for a suite of
  landscape analyses
• Characterize the current and projected landscapes

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Evaluate Landscape Simulation Models

• Earlier report lead to preliminary selection of
  VDDT / TELSA framework
• Subsequent evaluation confirmed selection
• Overall flexibility for defining custom
  successional pathways, natural and anthropogenic
  disturbance parameters
• Ability to model deterministic and stochastic
  processes
• Ability to maintain polygon-based variable sized
  modeling units to capture linear features
• User support including formal training.

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Model Landscape Scenarios

• VDDT / TELSA framework in place
• Documented practical use guide
• Tested with sample current land cover data
• Landscape scenarios will be completed as goals,
  parameters defined
• Explicit definition of scenarios (spatial
  implications)
• Successional and disturbance pathway parameters
• Effort redirected
• Current land cover development
• Landscape analysis

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Current Land Cover Study Area
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Current Land Cover

• Critical starting point for several scenarios
• Complete landscape depiction
• Forest
• Wetland
• Agricultural
• Developed
• Classification developed to meet wide range of
  modeling requirements
• Wildlife habitat
• Landuse patterns, development rates
• Maximize spatial and thematic detail to aggregate
  as required

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Current Land Cover Forest Classes

• OMNR Ecological Land Classification
• Ecosite level
• Link to other reporting and wildlife matrices
• Based on
• Forest Resources Inventory (FRI)
• Soils (County soils mapping - moisture, texture)
• Terrain (10m DEM - terrain indices)
• FRI polygons as mapping units
• Avoids averaging of species composition

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Forest Classes FRI Data Preparation

• FRI Modifications
• Species composition to allow addition
• Dissolve OBM boundaries

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Forest Classes Soils Data Preparation

• Soil Drainage

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Forest Classes Soils Data Preparation

• Parent Material Texture

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Forest Classes Terrain Analysis

• Used to refine Ecosite assignment
• Standard terrain measures
• Slope, aspect
• Terrain and wetness indices
• Curvature, slope position, flow accumulation
• 3D Visualization used to assess usefulness
• Four selected
• Relative Slope Position
• Terrain Complexity Index
• Topographic Convergence Index
• Topographic Relative Moisture Index

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Terrain Analysis Relative Slope Position
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Terrain Analysis Terrain Complexity
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Terrain Analysis Topographic Convergence
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Terrain Analysis Relative Moisture
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Forest Classes Assigning Ecosites

• Dominant soil and terrain characteristics
  assigned to each FRI polygon
• Composite scores for terrain / soil attributes
• Logical statements built to define Ecosites
• Broad forest type and site groupings assigned
• Final Ecosite assignment based on species
  composition

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Wetland Classes Data Preparation

• OMNR Evaluated wetlands (fens, bogs, marsh)
• Swamps classified to Ecosite level

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Agricultural Classes Data Preparation

• Generalized agricultural classes to suit modeling
  requirements
• Row crops
• Cereals
• Pasture
• Other intensive (e.g. orchard, horticulture)
• Based on 2001-2003 data from Agriculture Agri-
  Food Canada
• Polygon-based field boundaries
• Landsat-based land cover and crop classification

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Agricultural Classes Data Preparation

• Combined field boundaries and crop data

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Cover Types Input Layers
FRI and Agriculture Alignment
Roads not always removed
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Cover Types Overlay
Spatial gaps not separated from rural developed
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Cover Types Identifying Rural Developed
Buildings added
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Cover Types Filtering
Lakes, roads, not filtered or spread
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Cover Types Roads Removed
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Status and Next Steps

• Land cover currently being reviewed by team
• Simple rules to grow forest to 2006
• Develop landscape scenarios as definitions and
  parameters are available
• Complete landscape analyses for current land
  cover, PNV, scenarios as available

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Contact Information
David Baldwin Phone [phone] Fax
(705)-253-1493 Email baldwin_at_spatialworks.com W
eb www.spatialworks.com