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| Global Land Cover 2000 |
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In collaboration with a network of partners (30 research
teams) from around the world,
the Global Vegetation Monitoring (GVM) unit of
the Joint Research Centre (JRC) compiled a harmonized global land
cover classification for the year 2000
(GLC2000) database,
using data acquired by the SPOT4 Vegetation instrument.
Project Overview
The project was carried out to provide accurate baseline
landcover information to the International Conventions on Climate
Change, the Convention to Combat Desertification, the Ramsar
Convention and the Kyoto Protocol.
Furthermore, the GLC2000 database has been chosen as a
core dataset for the Millennium Ecosystems Assessment. This means
in particular that the GLC2000 dataset is a main input dataset to
define the boundaries between ecosystems such as forest, grassland,
and cultivated systems.
In this project more than 30 research teams have been involved, contributing
to 19 regional windows, each mapped by local experts for an accurate
classification based on local knowledge.
Each regional partner used the
Land Cover
Classification System (LCCS) produced by FAO and UNEP, which
ensured that a standard legend was used over the globe.
This hierarchical classification system allowed each partner to choose
the most appropriate land cover classes which best describe their
region, whilst also providing the possibility to translate regional
classes to a more generalised global legend.
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