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