Variable Name Rules¶
General rules¶
All variables should be lower case and use an underscore (_) to
separate works (i.e., snake_case).
An examples is:
lifeform_veg_cat_l4a
| Section 1 | Section 2 | Section 3 | Section 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| lifeform | veg | cat | l4a |
| lifeform | wat | con | l4m |
| lifeform | phy | cin | l4d |
| lifeform | agr | ||
| lifeform | urb | ||
| lifeform | mar | ||
| lifeform | atm |
Section 1¶
All variables should start with a unique 9 character identifier. The 9 character limit allows then to be exported to a shapefile.
Section 2¶
- vegetation (veg)
- urban (urb)
- agriculture (agr)
- physical (phy)
- atmosphere (atm)
- marine (mar)
Section 3¶
- Categorical (cat)
- Continuous - real (con)
- Continuous - integer (cin)
Section 4¶
Used to indicate output from Level 4 classification
- l4a (for top level)
- l4m (modifier)
- l4d (derived - from a continuous surface)
Level 3 Classification¶
Inputs¶
The following columns are used (if not provided they are ignored and a warning given) to perform the level 1-3 classification:
| Variable Name | Description |
|---|---|
| vegetat_veg_cat | Binary column indicating the present (or otherwise) of vegetation. |
| aquatic_wat_cat | Binary column indicating the present (or otherwise) of an aquatic land cover (e.g., water). |
| cultman_agr_cat | Binary column indicating the present (or otherwise) of cultivation. |
| artific_urb_cat | Binary column indicating the present (or otherwise) of Urban areas. |
| artwatr_wat_cat | Binary column indicating the present (or otherwise) of artifical water bodies. |
Outputs¶
The following columns are output by the level 1-3 classification:
| Variable Name | Description |
|---|---|
| level1 | Assign level 1 class of primarily vegetated (A,100) or primarily non-vegetated (B,200). |
| level2 | Assign level 2 class of terrestrial (10) or aquatic (20) |
| level3 | Assign level 3 classes see codes from table above. |
The class names, codes and numerical codes for the Level 3 classification (level3) are shown below.
| Class name | Code | Numeric code |
|---|---|---|
| Cultivated Terrestrial Vegetated | A11 | 111 |
| Natural Terrestrial Vegetated | A12 | 112 |
| Cultivated Aquatic Vegetated | A23 | 123 |
| Natural Aquatic Vegetated | A24 | 124 |
| Artificial Surface | B15 | 215 |
| Natural Surface | B16 | 216 |
| Artificial Water | B27 | 227 |
| Natural Water | B28 | 228 |
Level 4 Classification¶
Required Inputs¶
The following columns are needed to perform the Level 4 classification
| Variable Name | Description |
|---|---|
| lifeform_veg_cat | woody (trees, shrubs), herbeceous (graminoids, forbs) & cryptograms (lichens, mosses) |
| spatdist_veg_cat | spatial distribution (fragmented or continuous) |
| leaftype_veg_cat | broad-leaved, needle-leaved or aphyllous |
| phenolog_veg_cat | evergreen, deciduous, mixed, mixed (forbs, graminoids) |
| strat2nd_veg_cat | second layer present or absent |
| lifef2nd_veg_cat | lifeform of the second layer |
| spatsize_agr_cat | spatial size (ha) |
| cropcomb_agr_cat | crop combinations |
| croplfc2_agr_cat | crop lifeform for crop combinations C3 and C4 |
| croplfc3_agr_cat | crop lifeform for crop combination C4 |
| cropseqt_agr_cat | crop sequences for cultivated terrestrial vegetation |
| cropseqa_agr_cat | crop sequences for cultivated aquatic vegetation |
| watersup_agr_cat | crop water supply |
| timefact_agr_cat | crop time factor |
| waterday_agr_cat | crop daily water variations |
| watersea_veg_cat | water seasonality in (semi-)natural areas |
| waterstt_wat_cat | water state (water, ice or snow) |
| inttidal_wat_cat | Tidal areas |
| waterdtp_wat_cat | water depth (shallow (<= 2 m) or deep (> 2m) |
| wsedload_wat_cat | water sediment loads (clear or turbid) |
| baresurf_phy_cat | bare surface materials (consolidated or unconsolidated) |
| macropat_phy_cat | macropattern (e.g., dune types) |
| urbanveg_urb_cat | urban vegetation type (e.g., parks, lawns) |
| artisurf_urb_cat | artificial surface (urban built up or non-built up) |
| mlifefrm_veg_cat | Lifeform (free floating or rooted forbs) |
| mphenlog_veg_cat | Detailed leaf phenology (semi-, annual, perennial) |
| mwatrmvt_wat_cat | Water movement (flowing or standing) |
| msubstrt_wat_cat | Substrate material (below water) (rock, soil, sand) |
| mbaremat_phy_cat | Bare materials (e.g., sands, muds, rock) |
| mustones_phy_cat | Unconsolidated materials (gravels, stones, boulders) |
| mhardpan_phy_cat | Physical descriptors |
| mtclinea_urb_cat | Linear structures (paved or unpaved roads) |
| mnolinea_urb_cat | non-linear surfaces (e.g., industrial) |
| murbdens_urb_cin | Urban density (e.g. high, medium, low, scattered) (%) |
| mnobuilt_urb_cat | Non-built up areas (e.g., industrial sites, waste and extraction sites) |
| canopyco_veg_con | Canopy cover (%) |
| canopyht_veg_con | Canopy height (m) |
| cover2nd_veg_cat | cover of the 2nd layer |
| heigh2nd_veg_cat | height of the 2nd layer |
| waterper_wat_cin | Water persistence (hydroperiod) (days) |
| snowcper_wat_cin | Snow persistence (hydroperiod) (days) |
Environmental variables¶
In addition to the layers needed for the classification a number of environmental variables may be included for additional analysis and use in change detection.
Terrain¶
| Variable Name | Description |
|---|---|
| altitude_ter_env_con | Terrain altitude (m) |
| gradient_ter_env_con | Terrain gradient or slope (degrees) |
| lnaspect_ter_env_con | Terrain aspect (degrees) |
Agriculture¶
| Variable Name | Description |
|---|---|
| cropprod_agr_env_con | Herbaceous biomass (kg ha-1) |
| croptype_agr_env_cat | Crop species type |
Vegetation¶
| Variable Name | Description |
|---|---|
| plantspd_veg_env_cat | Plant species (dominant) |
| plantspc_veg_env_cat | Plant species (co-dominant) |
| plantsps_veg_env_cat | Plant species (sub-dominant) |
| agbiomas_veg_env_con | Above ground biomass (Mg ha-1) |
| bgbiomas_veg_env_con | Below ground biomass (Mg ha-1) |
| gsvolume_veg_env_con | Gross standing volume (m3 m-3) |
| wooddens_veg_env_con | Wood density (g cm-3) |
| fcchloro_veg_env_con | Foliar chemistry (chlorophyll; g cm-3) |
| fclignin_veg_env_con | Foliar chemistry (lignin; g cm-3) |
| fcnitrog_veg_env_con | Foliar chemistry (nitrogen; g cm-3) |
| vegmoist_veg_env_con | Vegetation moisture (%) |
| lfareain_veg_env_con | Leaf area index (LA) |
| annuanpp_veg_env_con | Annual Net Primary Productivity |
| annuagpp_veg_env_con | Annual Gross Primary Productivity |
| fractpar_veg_env_con | Fraction of Photosynthetically Active Radiation |
| burnsevr_veg_env_cat | Burn severity |
| leafflus_veg_env_cin | Vegetation green up (Day no since January 1st) |
| leaffall_veg_env_cin | Vegetation senescenece or leaf fall (Day no since January 1) |
| fractgvg_veg_env_con | Fraction of Photosynthetic Vegetation (%) |
| fractnpv_veg_env_con | Fraction of Non-Photosynthetic Vegetation (%) |
| seasonlg_veg_env_cin | Season length (days) |
| vegagedy_veg_env_cin | Vegetation age (days) |
| vegagedy_veg_env_cin | Vegetation age (years) |
Snow and ice¶
| Variable Name | Description |
|---|---|
| snowcofr_sni_env_con | Snow cover fraction (%) |
| snowgrsz_sni_env_con | Snow grain size (mm) |
| snowmois_sni_env_con | Soil moisture (%) |
| snowwteq_sni_env_con | Snow water equivalent |
| snowdept_sni_env_con | Snow depth (cm) |
Physical and bare¶
| Variable Name | Description |
|---|---|
| landtemp_phy_env_con | Land surface Temperature (degrees C) |
| terragsz_phy_env_con | Grain size (mm) |
| frostday_phy_env_cin | Frostdays (no) |
| soilmois_phy_env_con | Soil moisture |
| soilacid_phy_env_con | Soil acidity (pH) |
| lsalbedo_phy_env_con | Land albedo |
Marine¶
| Variable Name | Description |
|---|---|
| surftemp_mar_env_con | Sea surface temperature |
| mcchloro_mar_env_con | Marine chemicstry: chlorophyll |
| dissorgm_mar_env_con | Dissolved organic matter |
| totalsus_mar_env_con | Total suspended matter |
| slevelpr_mar_env_con | Sea level pressure |
| bathymtr_mar_env_con | Bathymetry (m) |
Atmosphere¶
| Variable Name | Description |
|---|---|
| cloudcov_atm_env_con | Cloud cover (%) |
| precipit_atm_env_con | Precipitation (mm) |
| humidity_atm_env_con | Air humidity |
| airtempr_atm_env_con | Air temperature (degree C) |
| windvely_atm_env_con | Wind velocity |
| winddirc_atm_env_con | Wind direction |
Outputs¶
Main¶
| Variable Name | Description |
|---|---|
| lifeform_veg_cat_l4a | woody (trees, shrubs), herbeceous (grasses, forbs) & cryptograms (lichens, mosses) |
| spatdist_veg_cat_l4a | spatial distribution (fragmented or continuous) |
| leaftype_veg_cat_l4a | broad-leaved, needle-leaved or aphyllous |
| phenolog_veg_cat_l4a | evergreen, deciduous, mixed, mixed (forbs, graminoids) |
| strat2nd_veg_cat_l4a | second layer present or absent |
| lifef2nd_veg_cat_l4a | lifeform of the second layer |
| spatsize_agr_cat_l4a | spatial size (ha) |
| cropcomb_agr_cat_l4a | crop combinations |
| croplfc2_agr_cat_l4a | crop lifeform for crop combinations C3 and C4 |
| croplfc3_agr_cat_l4a | crop lifeform for crop combination C4 |
| cropseqt_agr_cat_l4a | crop sequences for cultivated terrestrial vegetation |
| cropseqa_agr_cat_l4a | crop sequences for cultivated aquatic vegetation |
| watersup_agr_cat_l4a | crop water supply |
| timefact_agr_cat_l4a | crop time factor |
| waterday_agr_cat_l4a | crop daily water variations |
| watersea_veg_cat_l4a | water seasonality in (semi-)natural areas |
| waterstt_wat_cat_l4a | water state (water, ice or snow) |
| inttidal_wat_cat_l4a | Tidal areas |
| waterdtp_wat_cat_l4a | water depth (shallow (<= 2 m) or deep (> 2m) |
| wsedload_wat_cat_l4a | water sediment loads (clear or turbid) |
| baresurf_phy_cat_l4a | bare surface materials (consolidated or unconsolidated) |
| macropat_phy_cat_l4a | macropattern (e.g., dune types) |
| urbanveg_urb_cat_l4a | urban vegetation type (e.g., parks, lawns) |
| artisurf_urb_cat_l4a | artificial surface (urban built up or non-built up) |
Modifiers¶
| Variable Name | Description |
|---|---|
| mlifefrm_veg_cat_l4m | Lifeform (free floating or rooted forbs) |
| mphenlog_veg_cat_l4m | Detailed leaf phenology (semi-, annual, perennial) |
| mwatrmvt_wat_cat_l4m | Water movement (flowing or standing) |
| msubstrt_wat_cat_l4m | Substrate material (below water) (rock, soil, sand) |
| mbaremat_phy_cat_l4m | Bare materials (e.g., sands, muds, rock) |
| mustones_phy_cat_l4m | Unconsolidated materials (gravels, stones, boulders) |
| mhardpan_phy_cat_l4m | Physical descriptors |
| mtclinea_urb_cat_l4m | Linear structures (paved or unpaved roads) |
| mnolinea_urb_cat_l4m | non-linear surfaces (e.g., industrial) |
| murbdens_urb_cat_l4m | Urban density (e.g. high, medium, low, scattered) (%) |
| mnobuilt_urb_cat_l4m | Non-built up areas (e.g., industrial sites, waste and extraction sites) |
Derivatives (categorical from continuous)¶
| Variable Name | Description |
|---|---|
| canopyco_veg_cat_l4d | Canopy cover |
| canopyht_veg_cat_l4d | Canopy height |
| cover2nd_veg_cat_l4d | cover of the 2nd layer |
| heigh2nd_veg_cat_l4d | height of the 2nd layer |
| waterper_wat_cat_l4d | Water persistence (hydroperiod) |
| snowcper_wat_cat_l4d | Snow persistence (hydroperiod) |