In: Wagner W., Székely, B. (eds.): ISPRS TC VII Symposium - 100 Years ISPRS, Vienna, Austria, July 5-7, 2010, IAPRS, Vol. XXXVIII, Part 7B
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“geographic surface” etc. The above words are from
deferent source and diverse and frequently contradictory.
The Land cover/land use concepts are used in
Albania after 1990 year. After this year, land cover/use
concepts are analysed and actual land cover/classification in
Albania is revised by international standards. Land Cover
Classification System (LCCS) is in response to the
international need for:
- harmonized/standardized collection of land cover data;
- availability of land cover data for a wide range of
applications and users;
- comparison and correlation of land cover classes.
LCCS is a comprehensive methodology for the
description, characterization, classification and comparison
of most of land cover features identified anywhere in the
world, at any scale or level of detail. LCCS is a new
language to describe, in a standardized way, the different
land cover features. Albania involved with LCCS.
The LCCS is an existing, internationally accepted
and widely implemented de facto UN standard, and while it
accepts considerable re-organization of its structure as an
ISO standard -its existing specifications and LCCS
classifiers must be retained within the ISO technical
enhancements.
4.2. CLASIFICATION OF LAND COVER.
Today, after international standardisation, land cover
classification in Albania, as set out below, comprises three
levels:
• the first level (five items) indicates the major
categories (abstract to a greater or lesser degree) of
land cover on the planet;
• the second level (15 items) is for use on scales of
1:500 000 and 1: 1 000 000;
• the third level (44 items) will be used for the project
on a scale of 1: 100 000.
A fourth level could be added for some or all of the items,
subject to the following requirements:
• additional items must include all the land covered by
the corresponding level-3 item (four-figure codes are
used for these items only);
• newly created items must not relate to more than one
three-figure item;
• the land cover mapping (three-figure nomenclature)
must be completed prior to initiation of level-4
mapping.
At each level the defined classes are mutually
exclusive. At the higher levels of the classification system
few diagnostic criteria are used, whereas at the lower levels
the number of diagnostic criteria increases. Criteria used at
one level of the classification should not be repeated at
another, i.e., lower, level (tab 3.2.2).
Finally, care must always be taken to see that newly
created items are compatible with the scale, the size of the
smallest area to be mapped and the basic information, i.e.
satellite data.
Tab 3.2.2
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
1. Artificial
1.1. Urban
fabric
1.1.1. Continuous urban
fabric surfaces
1.1.2. Discontinuous urban
fabric
1.2.
Industrial,
1.2.1. Industrial or
commercial units and
commercial
transport units
1.2.2. Road and rail networks
and associated land
1.2.3. Port areas
1.2.4. Airports
1.3. Mine,
dump
1.3.1. Mineral extraction sites
and construction sites
1.3.2. Dump sites
1.3.3. Construction sites
1.4.
Artificial
non-
agricultural
1.4.1. Green urban areas
vegetated areas
1.4.2. Sport and leisure
facilities
2.
Agricultural
2.1. Arable
land
2.1.1. Non-irri gated arable
land areas
2.1.2. Permanently irrigated
land
2.1.3. Rice fields
2.2.
Permanent
crops
2.2.1. Vineyards
2.2.2. Fruit trees and berry
plantations
2.2.3. Olive groves
2.3.
Pastures
2.3.1. Pastures
2.4.
Heterogene
ous
2.4.1. Annual crops
associated with permanent
crops agricultural areas
2.4.2. Complex cultivation
2.4.3. Land principally
occupied by agriculture, with
significant areas of natural
vegetation
2.4.4. Agro-forestry areas
3. Forests
and semi
natural areas
3.1. Forests
3.1.1. Broad-leaved forest
3.1.2. Coniferous forest
3.1.3. Mixed forest
3.2. Shrub
and/or
herbaceous
3.2.1. Natural grassland
vegetation association
3.2.2. Moors and heathland
3.2.3. Sclerophyllous
vegetation
3.2.4. Transitional woodland
shrub
3.3. Open
spaces with
little
3.3.1. Beaches, dunes, and
sand plains or no vegetation
3.3.2. Bare rock
3.3.3. Sparsely vegetated
areas
3.3.4. Burnt areas
3.3.5. Glaciers and perpetual
snow
4. Wetlands
4.1. inland
wetlands
4.1.1. Inland marshes
4.1.2.Peatbogs
4.2. Coastal
wetlands
4.2.1. Salt marshes
4.2.2. Salines
4.2.3. Intertidal flats
5. Water
bodies
5.1. Inland
waters
5.1. 1. Water courses
5.1.2. Water bodies
5.2. Marine
waters
5.2.1. Coastal lagoons