1. Towards future CLC Conceptual design and product outline
Stephan Arnold, Geoff Smith & EAGLE Group

2. Overview of existing land monitoring data (EU-level)
Content
Overview of existing land monitoring data (EU-level)
Background and Motivation: Dilemma of classification
Criteria for new Land Monitoring Framework
Concept of future CLC
EIONET NRC Land Cover Meeting, EEA, Kopenhagen

3. Complex Landscape Situations
Forest or just
Group of trees?
Natural lake or
Reservoir?
321 Natural Grassland or 231 Pasture, Meadow
EIONET NRC Land Cover Meeting, EEA, Kopenhagen

4. Complex Landscape Situations
311 Broadleaved forest or
411 / 412 Wetland type
EIONET NRC Land Cover Meeting, EEA, Kopenhagen

5. Complex Landscape Situations
121 energy production or 231 pasture ?
EIONET NRC Land Cover Meeting, EEA, Kopenhagen

6. Characterization, not classification !
Growth form
homogeneous
heterogenous
Growth density
slosed
sparcely
Soil condition
wet
dry
acidic
Use/Funktion
Pasture
Recreation
Sport
Air traffic
Ecosystem type
Wetland, swamp

7. Background and given situation
Broad variety of applications of LC/LU data
=> various different classification systems (on national or European level)
Effects:
Emphasises on specific feature type groups
Incomplete mixture of LC and LU classes
=> Lack of comparability between definitions hamper exchange of information between nomenclatures and datasets
EIONET NRC Land Cover Meeting, EEA, Kopenhagen

8. De-Composition of landscape
From classification to object-oriented description
Fotos: © Copyright Ursus Wehrli

9. Issues with CLC
A number of deficiencies and limitations restrict wider exploitation at the Member State level and below.
MMU of CLC (25 ha) is too coarse to capture fine spatial details.
Mixed thematic classes with broad definitions difficult to interpret.
Partly overlap of some class definitions by thematic content.
Not sufficient thematic details or attribution.
Many changes smaller 5 ha of the CLC change layer.
6-yearly update too slow for community policy needs.
Dynamic landscape features, which are highly relevant to policy, may be missed or underestimated.

10. Information overview or overflow?

11. Copernicus: Local component data
Merger of all current local
Component layers

12. Requirements review (1)
Key European policy requirements
Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF)
Energy Union
Climate change monitoring
Long-term climate mitigation objectives
Additional policy requirements
EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020
Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services (MAES)
Ecosystem services and natural capital
European ecosystem map

13. Requirements review (2)
EIONET members needs
Survey by ETC of those involved with the CLMS and CLC production.
Addressed shortcomings of CLC and requirements for future LULC.
Some CLC classes cause problems because of their mixed nature.
A smaller MMU makes features more homogeneous.
MMW reduction so linear features are represented more realistically.
Land monitoring needs
Finer spatial resolution, 0.05 ha to 25 ha, majority 0.5 to 5 ha.
MMU for CLC-status (so far 25ha) and CLC-change (so far 5ha) layers the same.
Refined thematic detail, separation of LC and LU, split mixed classes.
Addition of further attributes to the spatial polygons.

14. Requirements review outcomes
Summary of requirements review
MMU 0.5 to 5 ha, 0.5 ha for LULUCF
Change layer MMU = status layer MMU
Revised thematic content (more classes, increased characterisation)
3 year to yearly update cycle
Pan-European coverage (EEA-39)
Integrating aspects of ….
Current CLC
Local Components
HRLs
EAGLE Group developments

15. EEA and thematic EC DGs (ENV, REGIO, AGRI, MARE, etc.) have requested
Long term goal
EEA and thematic EC DGs (ENV, REGIO, AGRI, MARE, etc.) have requested
A higher performance pan-European mapping product
2nd Generation CLC within Copernicus Land Monitoring Service
To finally result in a so called CLC+
EAGLE Group
Selected to develop the conceptual design and technical product specifications (apart from methodology) for the 2nd Generation CLC
Major shift in the concepts supporting European land monitoring
Can not be done in a single step
Time required to develop

16. Constraints on first step
Conceptual design (1)
Constraints on first step
Industrial production by service providers
Vector product
Highly automated
Short timeframe
Based on Earth Observation Data (Sentinel-2)

17. Different production philosophies Different resource models
Conceptual design (2)
Multi-stage process
Multiple products
Different production philosophies
Different resource models
Industrial and Member State involvement
(“working titles” not yet fixed)

18. Outline: CLC-Backbone (1) Wall-to-wall coverage (EEA-39)
Complete the picture started by the LoCo which cover less than one third of EEA-39.
Spatially detailed, large scale
Vector format
Based on digital cartography and EO
Limited, but robust thematic detail
Geometric backbone
Basic land cover inventory to support other products

19. Example using UK Land Cover Map
CLC-Backbone (2)
Example using UK Land Cover Map

20. Outline: CLC-Core (1) Next stage of development after CLC-Backbone
A consistent, multi-use repository for environmental information
Grid database with EAGLE data model (stable regular spatial units)
Populated with a broad range of land cover, land use and ancillary data, forming the information
CLMS and external sources
MS contribution (land use, habitats, etc.)
Engine to deliver tailored thematic information.

21. CLC-Core (2) Spatial domain EAGLE Data Model Source: CSU,

22. Integration schema for a future land monitoring framework in Europe
CLC-Core (3)
Integration schema for a future land monitoring framework in Europe

23. Outline: CLC+ An improved LULC monitoring product
Addressing a broad range of requirements
Based on CLC-Core, which is built on CLC-Backbone, the local components and HRLs.
Improved spatial detail relative to CLC
Improved thematic content relative to CLC

24. Must be back compatible Link into CLC-Core and CLC+
CLC-Legacy
Conventional CLC
Must be back compatible
Link into CLC-Core and CLC+
Potential improvements to attribution

25. Involvement of Member States
Input to and review of the conceptual framework and technical specifications.
Support to population of thematic information in CLC-Core.
Change mapping.
Member State benefits
CLC-Backbone aligned to national / local mapping requirements
Access to information-rich CLC-Core
CLC+ contributes to national reporting

26. Next step in conceptual development
Will continue to outline the conceptual strategy and potential technical specifications.
Four more deliverables to March 2018.
Communicate these developments to the stakeholders involved in European land monitoring.
Success of project and long term development of land monitoring in Europe dependent on commitment of all relevant stakeholders.
Collate and incorporate feedback from MS & NRCs.
Call for tender for CLC-Backbone (expected in 2018).
Deliver the final version of the conceptual design and technical specifications at the end of March 2018.

27. Impact on statistical analysis
Benefits for statistical analysis
More thematic content
Less bias regarding definition overlaps
Smaller MMU => less generalization of landscape
Higher update cycles
Better comparability with LUCAS classes

28. Thank you very much for your attention!
EIONET NRC Land Cover Meeting, EEA, Kopenhagen