GIS based method for mapping actual LULC by combining seasonal LULCs

Area of Science:

• Remote Sensing
• Geospatial Analysis
• Environmental Monitoring

Background:

• Land use and land cover (LULC) mapping is crucial for environmental studies.
• Traditional LULC maps often overlook seasonal variations, misrepresenting landscape dynamics.
• Single-date LULC maps used in change detection research fail to capture true landscape patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a method for creating accurate LULC maps that account for seasonal variations.
• To address the limitations of single-date LULC mapping in representing annual landscape dynamics.
• To provide a more realistic view of LULC patterns by removing seasonality effects.

Main Methods:

• Classified LULC for each season using image classification techniques.
• Coded and combined seasonal LULC maps using the raster overlay method.
• Reclassified the combined map to generate an actual, seasonally-adjusted LULC map.

Main Results:

• The raster overlay method effectively integrates seasonal LULC data.
• The developed technique successfully removes seasonality effects from LULC classification.
• The method produces LULC maps that accurately replicate the actual landscape patterns.

Conclusions:

• Incorporating seasonal LULC data provides a more accurate representation of the landscape.
• The raster overlay method is a viable technique for mitigating seasonality effects in LULC mapping.
• This approach enhances the reliability of LULC maps for change detection and environmental monitoring.