Land Cover Image Classification

Rangel, Antonio, Terven, Juan, Cordova-Esparza, Diana M., Chavez-Urbiola, E. A.

arXiv.org Artificial Intelligence 

Land Use Land Cover (LULC) is a multidisciplinary field that categorizes and characterizes the earth's terrestrial surface. It encompasses various types of ground, from natural landscapes such as forests, wetlands, and deserts to human-altered environments such as agricultural fields, urban areas, and industrial sites. LULC studies provide a snapshot of the earth's surface at a given time, offering valuable insights into the spatial distribution and interaction of various land use types and land cover classes. The dynamic nature of LULC, driven by both natural processes and human activities, necessitates continuous monitoring and analysis to capture temporal changes. The importance of LULC studies extends to numerous fields. In environmental science, LULC data inform our understanding of biodiversity, ecosystem services, and the impacts of climate change. In urban planning and development, it helps to manage land resources, assess environmental impacts, and guide sustainable practices. LULC helps optimize land use for crop production in agriculture while minimizing environmental degradation. In addition, LULC data are integral to policy-making, supporting land conservation, urban growth, and climate change mitigation decisions.