Land cover

Land cover is the things that are on the surface of the Earth. It includes plants, concrete, buildings, bare ground, and water. Scientists study land cover to learn how the Earth's surface looks and changes.

There are two main ways to learn about land cover. One way is to visit the area and look at it directly, called a field survey. Another way is to look at pictures taken from satellites or airplanes. These pictures help us see large areas of land from far away.

One challenge with studying land cover is that different groups may use words in different ways. For example, the word "forest" can mean different things to different people. Some places might call an area a forest even if there are no trees there now, but they plan to plant them later. Other places might not call an area a forest if the trees aren't growing quickly enough. Understanding these differences helps us take care of natural resources better.

Distinction from "land use"

"Land cover" is different from "land use". Land use describes how people use the land for things like jobs and activities. For example, urban areas are places where many people live and work, and agricultural land is where crops are grown. Deciding which use is allowed can sometimes involve political decisions.

Types

The next table shows land cover statistics from the Food and Agriculture Organization. It uses 14 different classes to describe what covers the Earth's surface.

Mapping

Land cover change detection helps us learn how places are changing. We use tools like satellites and maps to see how nature and people affect the land. This information is important for studying climate change and protecting habitats.

Land cover mapping is used in many ways, such as planning cities, preparing for natural disasters, caring for nature, watching how the climate is changing, and making good rules to protect the environment.