Introduction to special issue on map accuracy

Abstract

With the advent of satellite remote sensing and computing technology, mapping land cover over extensive regions of the earth has become practical and cost effective. For example, land-cover maps have been produced covering pan-Europe (Mucher et al., 2000), Great Britain (Fuller et al., 1994), Canada (Cihlar et al., 1999), Mexico (Mas et al., 2002) the United States (Vogelmann et al., 2001), and the globe (Belward et al., 1999). Franklin and Wulder (2002) assemble a diverse array of other examples of large-area, land-cover maps. Land-cover maps are typically an intermediate product, used, for example, as input into various hydrological and carbon cycling models (e.g., Riley et aI., 1997) or habitat suitability models that quantify relationships between land cover and wildlife abundance. Another common application is to quantify and map land-cover change (Lunetta and Elvidge, 1998; Donoghue, 2002), focusing on forest change (e.g., Hayes and Sader, 2001), urban development (Clarke et al., 1996), or wetland loss (Jensen et al., 1995). Analyzing landscape pattern metrics is still another common application of land-cover information (e.g., Wickham and Norton, 1994), and relationships between landscape pattern and biological and hydrological phenomena may be investigated (e.g., Jones et al., 2001; Lawler and Edwards, 2002).

Citation

Stehman, Stephen V.; Czaplewski, Raymond L. 2003. Introduction to special issue on map accuracy. Environmental and Ecological Statistics. 10:301-308.