[CF-metadata] [lc-cci] proposal for new CF standard names for land cover observation and classification

From: Martin Boettcher <martin.boettcher>
Date: Mon, 18 Jun 2012 17:28:18 +0200

Dear Jonathan,

Am 2012-06-04 19:21, schrieb Jonathan Gregory:
> Dear Martin
>
> We discussed your proposal to introduce a new standard_name of
> unlccs_land_cover. I looked at the reference you gave
> http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/003/X0596E/X0596e00.htm
> and couldn't see a simple flat list of the possible land cover names,
> which would be needed to check the legal use of this
> standard name, like the list of area_types maintained as part of CF at
> http://cf-pcmdi.llnl.gov/documents/cf-standard-names/area-type-table/1/area-type-table
> Is there such a list somewhere?

here comes the answer from the LC classification team.

Best regards,
Martin

--
Dear Jonathan,
Thanks for considering our proposal with such attention.
LCCS stands for a conceptual tool for legend definition but not for a 
legend. In other terms, it does not provide a list of land cover names 
but a set of building blocks (i.e. land cover descriptors). As a 
classification system, it offers users some freedom to arrange these 
building blocks in a way which is suitable for their specific 
application, while ensuring a common framework. In order to clarify my 
words, I send you here enclosed a short note on the LCCS functioning. 
This is not an official documentation but only some simplification.
The objective of the LCCS is not to standardize the land cover legend. 
This objective would indeed be unrealistic since the meaning of a legend 
depend (amongst other criteria) on the spatial extent of the maps (land 
cover is not depicted with the same level of detail when working locally 
or globally), on the region of the world (e.g. the "cerrado" land cover 
class which cannot be ignored in South America but which does not exist 
in Africa) and on the application of the users.
The objective of the LCCS is to provide the same vocabulary to be ale to 
compare and make the link between different legends (and maps). It aims 
at ensuring compatibility between legends and providing
common grounds for maps assessment.
This tool is really recognized as a standard in the land cover 
community. FAO, jointly with the United Nations Environment Programme 
(UNEP), submitted the LCCS for approval in 2006 to make it an 
international standard through the technical committee of the 
International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Procedure is under 
way.
Hoping it helps...
-- 
Dr. Martin Boettcher
Brockmann Consult GmbH
Max-Planck-Stra?e 2
D-21502 Geesthacht
Tel: +49 (0)4152 889 315
Fax: +49 (0)4152 889 333
www.brockmann-consult.de
Amtsgericht Geesthacht HRB 698
Gesch?ftsf?hrer Dr. Carsten Brockmann

Received on Mon Jun 18 2012 - 09:28:18 BST