Land Cover Classification System for Australia

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Land Cover Classification System for Australia

Efficient decision making and management of vegetation and land resources requires up-to-date land cover data, until now there has not been an effective method for compiling this information.

A nationally consistent and up-to-date land cover dataset is required for:
  • Describing the condition of the natural resource base
  • Modelling water, erosion, soil health and the sustainable production of   food and fibre
Land cover describes the earth’s surface eg. vegetated, bare, water, snow/ice, and differs from:
  • Vegetation – which only describes vegetation cover, both native and non-native
  • Land use – which describes activities occurring on the land
The LCCS has been developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization as a method of harmonising all types of land cover data. This will allow the integration and classification of different land, forest and vegetation cover datasets. The National Vegetation Information System is being expanded to contain non-native vegetation and non-vegetated information, the LCCS is the most suitable way of classifying this data.

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Last reviewed: 23 May 2007
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