?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rft.relation=https%3A%2F%2Fpure.iiasa.ac.at%2Fid%2Feprint%2F5000%2F&rft.title=A+Land-Cover+Classification+for+Modeling+Natural+Land+Cover+within+the+IIASA+LUC+Project&rft.creator=van+Minnen%2C+J.G.&rft.creator=Fischer%2C+G.&rft.creator=Stolbovoi%2C+V.&rft.description=Natural+forces+have+always+shaped+the+global+land+cover%2C+however+resulting+in+mainly+gradual+changes.+More+recently+anthropogenic+impacts+have+resulted+in+fast+changes+and+which+dominate+the+natural+impacts+in+many+areas.+Many+studies+to+understand+these+changes+and+their+consequences+have+been+started.+One+common+point+of+interest+is+the+behavior+and+classification+of+the+land+cover.+This+kind+of+information+is+for+example+required+within+modeling+activities%2C+that+intent+to+evaluate+(for+example+climate+change)+impacts+on+land+cover%2C+scale+independent.+As+result+of+the+studies+land+cover+information+exists+at+different+places+around+the+world.+However%2C+although+vegetation+and+land+cover+classifications+exist+already+some+time+large+differences+have+been+found+and+no+general+accepted+way+of+classification+exists%2C+e.g.+in+the+level+of+detail.+The+land-cover+datasets+and+the+large+number+of+classification+systems%2Fmap+legends+differ+in+spatial+resolution%2C+definition%2C+purposes%2C+and+outcome.+For+example+the+classifications+use+three+different+main+bases%3A+Eco-physiognomy+(%3Drelation+between+plant+structure+and+its+environment)%2C+environmental+conditions+(especially+climate)+and+floristics.+Coming+up+with+a+consistent+classification+is+a+common+wish+of+many+modelers.+Therefore+studies+to+harmonize+the+existing+classifications+have+just+recently+started.+Although+they+yet+didn't+have+come+up+with+the+ultimate+classification+they+recommended+to+start+with+coming+up+with+a+set+of+important+attributes%2C+and+define+these+for+the+different+classes.+This+is+in+agreement+with+other+studies%2C+which+for+example+want+to+derive+land+cover+from+satellite+data.+The+following+step+should+be+to+develop+a+methodology+through+which+the+different+classifications+could+be+linked%2C+by+using+these+attributes.+%0D%0A%0D%0AWe+are+involved+within+the+project+%22Modeling+land-use%2Fland-cover+changes+in+Europe+and+Northern-Asia%22.+Although+is+has+not+been+our+purpose+to+come+up+with+a+new+land-cover+classification%2C+we+developed+a+new+list+to+integrate+the+land-cover+diversity+within+the+large+region+with+small+scale+information+as+derived+from+e.g.+case+studies+activities.++%0D%0A%0D%0AIn+this+paper+we+want+describe+how+the+land-cover+classification+for+the+modeling+part+of+the+project+has+been+set+up.+First+we+give+a+short+description+of+the+project.+Secondly%2C+we+come+up+with+our+definition+of+land+cover%2C+we+indicate+the+requirements+of+a+good+classification+and+describe+the+attributes+which+are+important+within+the+classification.+These+attributes+can+be+classified+into+internal%2C+eco-physiognomic+attributes%2C+such+as+leaf+phenology%2C+and+into+environmental+attributes.+We+agree+with+the+UNEP+harmonization+project+that+such+physiognomic+attributes+should+be+used+for+the+basic+definition+of+the+classes%2C+but+it+is+our+believe+that+for+the+evaluation+of+environmental+impacts+and+for+mapping+purposes+environmental+attributes+are+also+required.&rft.publisher=WP-96-026&rft.date=1996-04&rft.type=Monograph&rft.type=NonPeerReviewed&rft.format=text&rft.language=en&rft.identifier=https%3A%2F%2Fpure.iiasa.ac.at%2Fid%2Feprint%2F5000%2F1%2FWP-96-026.pdf&rft.identifier=++van+Minnen%2C+J.G.%2C+Fischer%2C+G.+%3Chttps%3A%2F%2Fpure.iiasa.ac.at%2Fview%2Fiiasa%2F89.html%3E%2C+%26+Stolbovoi%2C+V.+%3Chttps%3A%2F%2Fpure.iiasa.ac.at%2Fview%2Fiiasa%2F2618.html%3E++(1996).++A+Land-Cover+Classification+for+Modeling+Natural+Land+Cover+within+the+IIASA+LUC+Project.+++IIASA+Working+Paper.+IIASA%2C+Laxenburg%2C+Austria%3A+WP-96-026+++++