Land Cover Mapping & Change Detection

Landscape change is a naturally occurring phenomenon which has been compounded by rising population and urbanization.  The changes in our environment have become a critical concern for all of us as increased land development, traffic, air and water pollution, and loss of green-space leave many communities ill-equipped to handle the impacts of rapid growth.  The need for improved land management practices and ways to monitor them have become evident.  Changes to the environment can provide insight into how land is or has been managed, and the use of established change detection research methodologies can serve to monitor these changes and evaluate management practices.

Change detection identifies the differences in the state of an object or phenomenon by observing it at different times. This methodology provides the capability to (1) detect occurrences of land cover change, (2) identify the types or nature of change, and (3) quantify its spatial extent. Change detection also can give valuable insight into environmental and socio-economic conditions resulting from local, national, or international regulatory and/or land use policy changes over time.

Prior to conducting land cover change detection analyses, we organize, characterize, and classify the spatial data contained within two or more satellite images acquired at different times into logical map categories.  Post accuracy assessment the imagery is then compared and the results are then used to evaluate the temporal or spectral reflectance differences that have occurred between them.  The "from-to" changes can then be blended with other geospatial data sets within a GIS to assess existing or predict future environmental conditions.  The adjacent image provides an example of how change detection methodology was successful in illustrating approximately 50 acres of forested area in the Towns of Andover and North Andover, Massachusetts recently changed (or was lost) to land development.

For more information please contact us at: info@applied-geospatial.com

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