Land cover

"Indicates the physical land type such as forest or open water whereas land use documents how people are using the land. Land cover can be determined by analyzing satellite and aerial imagery. Land use cannot be determined from satellite imagery. Land cover maps provide information to help managers best understand the current landscape. To see change over time, land cover maps for several different years are needed. With this information, managers can evaluate past management decisions as well as gain insight into the possible effects of their current decisions before they are implemented." (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2019)

Sources

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). What is the difference between land cover and land use? Accessed March 13, 2019. Available at: https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/lclu.html

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