Landcover

Feature : Landcover

Description

Is used to describe the physical material at the surface of the earth. Land covers include grass, asphalt, trees, bare ground, water, etc.

Tags

landuse=* natural=* surface=* landcover=*

Landcover is used to describe the physical material at the surface of the earth. Land covers include grass, asphalt, trees, bare ground, water, etc. Also see Landuse which describes the human use of land including tags such as landuse=farmland, leisure=park or amenity=school.

Tagging of landcover is often only implied by other tags at present, for example a park may be assumed to be covered in grass, but in some places this may in fact be trees or sand or some other cover. The following keys imply or specifically indicate landcover properties:

• landuse=* - many types of Landuse imply a certain type of landcover (like landuse=meadow) but some do not (like landuse=military) and others can be ambiguous in this regard, like in case of landuse=greenfield, which can imply any type of vegetation or bare ground. Same applies for other keys indicating Landuse like amenity=*, leisure=* and tourism=*.
• surface=* - specifies the surface material of a feature such as a highway, parking lot, sporting pitch, or beach. It is used as a secondary tag for a main feature.
• natural=* - many tags in this key are used to tag Natural or semi-natural area features with a clearly implied landcover. Some tags do not specify a particular surface or landcover, for example: natural=beach uses surface=* for the specific surface material, and natural=desert, which requires mapping more specific area features such as natural=sand and natural=scrub to define the landcover.
• landcover=* - this key was proposed in Proposed features/landcover to directly tag landcover types, but is much less commonly used.

One of the most controversial cases for landcover mapping is woodland/forests. Some mappers use landuse=forest or natural=wood for any area covered by trees, while other mappers prefer to use these tags in particular ways. See Forest for more details.

The key used does not always specify a difference between landuse or landcover. For example landuse=grass usually describes an area covered by grass, rather than a specific landuse. Similarly, landuse=reservoir and landuse=basin are used for the area covered by water in artificial lakes and basins, rather than for the entire land area associated with the reservoir or basin.

Example of current landcover tagging

The following list is incomplete. Please add to it. The table is sortable by clicking on the relevant column heading.

The column NLCD refers to the classification according to the National Land Cover Database, see more below.

Natural and semi-natural areas

Landcover	NLCD	Category	Comment
Bog	95 Emergent Herbaceous Wetlands	Natural	natural=wetland and wetland=bog. Also see wetland=fen.
Bare earth	31 Barren Land (Rock/Sand/Clay)	Natural or developed	See mud below for usually-wet areas of bare loam, silt or clay soil. No well-document tag for bare, dry soil in cold or hot deserts, except natural=sand. May be included in natural=tundra and natural=desert currently, but these tags are not specific.
Bracken (ferns)	71 Grassland/Herbaceous	Natural or agriculture	Areas covered by ferns are usually tagged with natural=grassland or landuse=meadow. There is no documented, more specific tag yet.
Forest, Deciduous	41 Deciduous Forest	Natural or agriculture	landuse=forest or natural=wood with leaf_cycle=deciduous. Also see swamp wetland. See leaf_type=* as well.
Forest, Evergreen	42 Evergreen Forest	Natural or agriculture	landuse=forest or natural=wood with leaf_cycle=evergreen. Also see swamp and mangrove wetlands. See leaf_type=* as well.
Forest, Mixed	43 Mixed Forest	Natural or agriculture	landuse=forest or natural=wood with leaf_cycle=mixed. Also see swamp wetland. See leaf_type=* as well.
Grass	71 Grassland/Herbaceous	Natural or agriculture	landuse=grass, landuse=meadow, natural=grassland, or surface=grass + another feature are used for areas covered by grasses, pulses and sedges. Sometimes includes other non-woody plants.
Gravel	31 Barren Land (Rock/Sand/Clay)	Natural or developed	natural=scree or natural=shingle, or surface=gravel + another features. There are a few uses of natural=gravel but this tag is undocumented. Also see landuse=quarry for gravel extraction sites and surface=gravel for gravel-surfaced man-made features such as roads, parking lots.
Heath	52 Shrub/Scrub	Natural	natural=heath is used for heath and other areas of dwarf shrubs.
Herbs	71 Grassland/Herbaceous	Natural	landuse=meadow or natural=grassland are sometimes used for areas covered by non-woody plants in addition to the usual grasses, pulses and sedges.
Ice	12 Perennial Ice/Snow	Natural	natural=glacier is used for glaciers and ice caps. Note that in Antartica south of 60 degrees, all land is assumed to be ice-covered and is not specifically mapped. Sea ice is not mapped.
Lichen	73 Lichens (Alaska only)	Natural	No documented specific tag. Usually tagged as unvegetated with natural=bare_rock or included in a larger area of natural=tundra or natural=fell.
Marsh	95 Emergent Herbaceous Wetlands	Natural	natural=wetland and wetland=marsh. Also see wetland=saltmarsh
Mangrove	90 Woody Wetlands	Natural	natural=wetland and wetland=mangrove
Mosses	74 Moss (Alaska only)	Natural	wetland=bog or wetland=fen + natural=wetland for bogs and fens. No documented specific tag for other moss areas. Sometimes included in a larger area of natural=tundra or natural=fell.
Mud	31 Bare Rock/Sand/Clay	Natural	natural=mud or natural=wetland with a supplemental tag wetland=mud or wetland=tidalflat.
Pebbles	31 Bare Rock/Sand/Clay	Natural	natural=shingle or natural=beach + surface=pebbles.
Reedbed	95 Emergent Herbaceous Wetlands	Natural	natural=wetland and wetland=reedbed
Reef	31 Barren Land (Rock/Sand/Clay)	Natural	natural=reef + reef=* to specify rock/coral/etc. for reefs that are permanently submerged.
Rock	31 Barren Land (Rock/Sand/Clay)	Natural	natural=bare_rock for bedrock Also see natural=scree and natural=shingle for loose stones.
Saltmarsh	95 Emergent Herbaceous Wetlands	Natural	natural=wetland and wetland=saltmarsh
Sand	31 Barren Land (Rock/Sand/Clay)	Natural	natural=sand. Also see natural=beach + surface=sand
Scrub	52 Shrub/Scrub	Natural	natural=scrub is used for areas of shrubs and bushes
Stones	31 Barren Land (Rock/Sand/Clay)	Natural	natural=scree, natural=shingle, or natural=beach + surface=stones. Also see natural=bare_rock for bedrock and large stones.
Sea	11 Open Water	Natural	The natural=coastline tag is used to define the boundary between land and the sea (at the high water mark). The boundary between the land and the sea is rich in different landcovers, see 'gravel', 'mangrove', 'saltmarsh', 'sand', 'swamp' and 'tidal flat'.
Shoal	31 Barren Land (Rock/Sand/Clay)	Natural	natural=shoal + surface=* to specify a shallow area in the sea, exposed at low tide, covered by sand/gravel/etc.
Swamp	90 Woody Wetlands	Natural	natural=wetland and wetland=swamp
Snow	12 Perennial Ice/Snow	Natural	Snowfields are not currently mapped in Openstreetmap, because of the belief that they are not permanent features. Instead map the summer vegetation or exposed minerals. However, permanent ice caps and glaciers are mapped with natural=glacier, see ice above.
Tidal flat	31 Barren Land (Rock/Sand/Clay)	Natural	natural=wetland and wetland=tidalflat
Trees	41 Deciduous Forest / 42 Evergreen Forest / 43 Mixed Forest	Natural or agriculture	Currently natural=wood and landuse=forest are both commonly used for any tree-covered area, although some mappers use these tags in more specific ways. Also see swamp and mangrove wetlands. See leaf_cycle=* for evergreen vs deciduous and leaf_type=* for needleleaved vs broadleaved vs leafless.
Water	11 Open Water	Natural or developed	waterway=riverbank, natural=water, landuse=reservoir. See also: 'sea' and landuse=basin. For areas intermittently covered by water add intermittent=yes. The dry landcover may also be mapped separately.

Agriculture, developed, and built environments

Many tags for landuse, leisure and developed areas also imply a particular landcover. See Landuse for more examples.

Landcover	NLCD	Category	Comment
Allotments	82 Cultivated Crops	Agriculture	landuse=allotments - allotment gardens, usually herbaceous crops and ornamentals
Basin	11 Open Water	Water	landuse=basin - a man made water control or storage device. Used only for the (intermittently) water-covered area
Brownfield	31 Barren Land (Rock/Sand/Clay)	Developed	landuse=brownfield - land scheduled for new development which was previously used for industrial purposes, generally industrial landcover.
Commercial	24 Developed, High Intensity	Developed	landuse=commercial - office and non-retail service buildings.
Construction	22 Developed, Low Intensity / 23 Developed, Medium Intensity / 24 Developed, High Intensity	Developed	landuse=construction - area currently under construction
Fallow	82 Cultivated Crops	Agriculture	No specific tag has been documented. landuse=farmland is often used for fallow land. landuse=meadow may be used when the area is covered in grasses.
Farmland	82 Cultivated Crops	Agriculture	landuse=farmland is most commonly used for row crops and grains
Garden	82 Cultivated Crops	Leisure	leisure=garden - gardens with grasses, flowers, herbs and ornamental shrubs.
Garages	24 Developed, High Intensity	Transportation	landuse=garages - covered motor vehicle parking garages
Greenhouses	22 Developed, Low Intensity / 23 Developed, Medium Intensity	Agriculture	landuse=greenhouse_horticulture - agricultural area covered in greenhouses
Industrial	24 Developed, High Intensity	Developed	landuse=industrial - Industrial buildings, works, warehouses and associated infrastructure.
Landfill	31 Barren Land (Rock/Sand/Clay)	Developed	landuse=landfill - waste / rubbish / trash and debris.
Meadow	81 Pasture/Hay	Agriculture	landuse=meadow - also used for pastures, both covered with grasses and herbs.
Mine (open pit)	31 Barren Land (Rock/Sand/Clay)	Developed	landuse=quarry - used for quarries and open pit mines with exposed minerals.
Orchard	82 Cultivated Crops	Agriculture	landuse=orchard - also used for coffee, tea and palm oil plantations
Parking	24 Developed, High Intensity	Transportation	amenity=parking, amenity=motorcycle_parking or amenity=bicycle_parking. Specific parking lot surface is tagged with surface=*.
Pasture	81 Pasture/Hay	Agriculture	landuse=meadow - used for meadow or pasture covered with grasses and herbs.
Plant nursery	82 Cultivated Crops	Agriculture	landuse=plant_nursery - growing plants, shrubs and trees
Plantation	82 Cultivated Crops	Agriculture	landuse=orchard - for coffee, tea, banana and oil palm plantations
Quarry	31 Barren Land (Rock/Sand/Clay)	Developed	landuse=quarry - rock, gravel or sand.
Railway	24 Developed, High Intensity	Transportation	landuse=railway - railway tracks, embankments, yards, etc.
Recreation ground	21 Developed, Open Space	Developed	landuse=recreation_ground - usually grass. Also see park
Reservoir	11 Open Water	Water	landuse=reservoir or man_made=reservoir_covered or newer tagging natural=water + water=reservoir - water areas.
Residential	22 Developed, Low Intensity / 23 Developed, Medium Intensity	Developed	landuse=residential - houses or other residential buildings and associated yards, lawns, gardens, garages and parking.
Retail	24 Developed, High Intensity	Developed	landuse=retail - retail buildings and related features.
Salt pond	11 Open Water	Water	landuse=salt_pond - salt or (intermittent) water surface.
Village green	21 Developed, Open Space	Leisure	landuse=village_green - grassy area
Vineyard	82 Cultivated Crops	Agriculture	landuse=vineyard - grape vines

Proposals

• Proposed features/landcover (2010)
• Landcover proposal update 2014
• Proposed features/landcover proposal V2 (2023)
• Land use and areas of natural land

Systems of landcover classification

The landcover classification systems mentioned in the following are all based on the notion that all land surface can be classified into a limited set of landcover classes, either a fixed a priori classification or a dynamic set of a certain number of classes. Since OpenStreetMap uses a globally uniform but open tagging system - see Any tags you like - neither of these can be directly translated into OSM tag combinations.

A priori and a posteriori systems

In an a priori classification system the classes are abstractions of the types actually occurring. The approach is based upon definition of classes before any data collection actually takes place. This means that all possible combinations of diagnostic criteria must be dealt with beforehand in the classification. The main advantage is that classes are standardized independent of the area and the means used. The disadvantage, however, is that this method is rigid, as some of the field samples may not be easily assignable to one of the pre-defined classes.

A posteriori classification differs fundamentally by its direct approach and its freedom from preconceived notions. The approach is based upon definition of classes after clustering similarity or dissimilarity of the field samples collected. The advantage of this type of classification is its flexibility and adaptability compared to the implicit rigidity of the a priori classification. The a posteriori approach implies a minimum of generalization. This type of classification better fits the collected field observations in a specific area. At the same time, however, because an a posteriori classification depends on the specific area described and is adapted to local conditions, it is unable to define standardized classes. Clustering of samples to define the classes can only be done after data collection, and the relevance of certain criteria in a certain area may be limited when used elsewhere or in ecologically quite different regions.

National Land Cover Database (NLCD)

National Land Cover Database (NLCD) is a land cover classification scheme that has been applied consistently across North America, including all 50 United States and Puerto Rico, Canada, and Mexico. NLCD is based primarily on Landsat satellite data.

National Land Cover Database Classification Legend

NLCD land cover class definitions

Main class	Sub-classes	Picture
Water	11 Open Water 12 Perennial Ice/Snow
Developed	21 Developed, Open Space 22 Developed, Low Intensity 23 Developed, Medium Intensity 24 Developed, High Intensity
Barren Land	31 Barren Land (Rock/Sand/Clay)
Forest	41 Deciduous Forest 42 Evergreen Forest 43 Mixed Forest
Shrubland	51 Dwarf Scrub (Alaska only) 52 Shrub/Scrub
Herbaceous	71 Grassland/Herbaceous 72 Sedge/Herbaceous (Alaska only) 73 Lichens (Alaska only) 74 Moss (Alaska only)
Planted/Cultivated	81 Pasture/Hay 82 Cultivated Crops
Wetlands	90 Woody Wetlands 95 Emergent Herbaceous Wetlands-
See NLCD classification system defined by the Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics (MRLC) Consortium, a partnership of Federal agencies led by the U.S. Geological Survey.

Land Cover Classification System (LCCS)

The Land Cover Classification System (LCCS) is the result of an initiative to take a first step towards an internationally agreed reference base for land cover. The objectives of the Africover Programme of the Environment and Natural Resources Service (SDRN), FAO, are to develop an approach for conceptualizing, defining and classifying land cover.

Definition: Land cover is the observed (bio)physical cover on the earth's surface.

One of the basic principles adopted in the new approach is that a given land cover class is defined by the combination of a set of independent diagnostic attributes, the so-called classifiers. There are 83 main classifiers (Type A), 13 Type B, 19 Type C, 3 Type D, 7 Type E, 10 Type F, 2 Type G (numbers are not approved).

The creation of the land cover class is given by the combination of a set of pre-defined pure land cover classifiers. This set of classifiers is different for each of the eight main land cover types. E.g. trees can have classifier A1 or A3; shrubs can have A2 or A4; B1 stands for large to medium sized fields or height 7-2m or Dunes.

The main criteria is the uppermost canopy layer. This means that the dominant layer goes from Tree canopy to Shrub to Herbaceous/Forbs/Graminoids.

The user can describe up to three layers of stratification (including the main layer) for Terrestrial Vegetation (A12) and up to two layers in Aquatic or Regularly Flooded Vegetation (A24). "Tree Savannah" is clearly defined by two main elements: a Herbaceous vegetation layer and a Sparse Trees layer. Thus, the Stratification of the two elements Herbaceous and Tree layer is crucial for the definition of this class. "Closed Forest" is clearly defined by the element of a Closed Trees layer. Limitations have been introduced for this class in the use of Stratification. All limitations in use of Stratification are built into the software application.

It is crucial where the classifier (e.g. trees) appears, in the main layer or second or third layer.

Examples for results of LCCS-Code in main type A12. Natural and Semi-Natural Vegetation:

• A3.A10 - Closed forest
• A3.A10.B2.C1.D1.E2 - Broadleaved dedicious forest
• A3.A10.B2.C1.D1.E2.F2.F5.F7.G2 - Multi-layered broadleaved dedicious forest
• this combinations have a completely different meaning in other main types

LCCS landcover classification

Main types	Classifier	Classifier	Classifier	Picture	Some possible results after classification
A11. Cultivated and Managed Terrestrial Areas	A1. Trees	A7. Broadleaved	Leaf Phenology		Tree Crops Shrub Crops Herbaceous Crops Graminoid Crops Non-Graminoid Crops Managed Lands
		A8. Needleleaved	Leaf Phenology
	A2. Shrubs	A7. Broadleaved	Leaf Phenology
		A8. Needleleaved	Leaf Phenology
	A3. Herbaceous	A4. Graminoids
		A5. Non Graminoids
	A6. Urban vegetated areas	A11. Parks
		A12. Parklands
		A13. Lawns
A12. Natural and Semi-Natural Vegetation	A1. Woody	A3. Trees	Cover Height Leaf type Leaf Phenology		Forest Woodland Thicket Shrubland Grasslands Sparse Vegetation Lichens/Mosses
		A4. Shrubs	Cover Height Leaf type Leaf Phenology
	A2. Herbaceous	A5. Forbs
		A6. Graminoid
	A7. Lichens/Mosses	A8. Lichens
		A9. Mosses
A23. Cultivated aquatic or regulary flooded areas	A1. Graminoids				Aquatic Or Regularly Flooded Graminoid Crops Aquatic Or Regularly Flooded Non-Graminoid Crops
	A2. Non graminoids
	A3. Woody
A24. Natural and Semi-Natural Aquatic or Regularly Flooded Vegetation	A1. Woody	A3. Trees			Forest Woodland Closed Shrubs Open Shrubs Grasslands Sparse Vegetation Lichens/Mosses
		A4. Shrubs
	A2. Herbaceous	A5. Forbs
		A6. Graminoid
	A7. Lichens/Mosses	A10. Lichens
		A11. Mosses
B15. Artificial Surfaces and Associated Areas:	A1. Built-up	A3. Linear	A7. Roads		Built-Up Areas Non Built-Up Areas
			A10. Railroads
			A11. Pipelines
		A4. Non Linear	A12. Industrial Areas
			A11. Urban Areas
	A2. Non built-up	A5. Waste dump deposits
		A6. Extraction sites
B16. Bare Areas	A1. Consolidated	A3. Bare Rock a/o Coarse Fragments	A7. Bare Rock		Consolidated Areas Unconsolidated Areas
			A8. Gravel
		A4. Hardpans	A9 Ironpan A10 Petrocalcic A11 Petrogypsic
	A2. Unconsolidated	A5. Bare Soil	Not stony
			A12. Stony
			A13. Very stony
		A6. Loose and shifting sand	Not stony
			A12. Stony
			A13. Very stony
B27. Artificial Waterbodies, Snow and Ice:	A1. Artificial Waterbodies	A4. Flowing			Artificial Waterbodies Artificial Snow Artificial Ice
		A5. Standing
	A2. Artificial Snow
	A3. Artificial Ice
B28. Natural Waterbodies, Snow and Ice:	A1. Natural Waterbodies	A4. Flowing			Natural Waterbodies Natural Snow Natural Ice
		A5. Standing
	A2. Natural Snow
	A3. Natural Ice
See Land Cover Classification System (LCCS).