Seasonal variation in land cover estimates reveals sensitivities and opportunities for environmental models

<p>Most readily available land use/land cover (LULC) data are developed using growing season remote sensing images often at annual time steps, but seasonal changes in remote sensing data can lead to inconsistencies in LULC classification, which could impact geospatial models based on LULC. We...

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Main Authors: D. T. Myers, D. Jones, D. Oviedo-Vargas, J. P. Schmit, D. L. Ficklin, X. Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Copernicus Publications 2024-12-01
Series:Hydrology and Earth System Sciences
Online Access:https://hess.copernicus.org/articles/28/5295/2024/hess-28-5295-2024.pdf
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author D. T. Myers
D. Jones
D. Oviedo-Vargas
J. P. Schmit
D. L. Ficklin
X. Zhang
author_facet D. T. Myers
D. Jones
D. Oviedo-Vargas
J. P. Schmit
D. L. Ficklin
X. Zhang
author_sort D. T. Myers
collection DOAJ
description <p>Most readily available land use/land cover (LULC) data are developed using growing season remote sensing images often at annual time steps, but seasonal changes in remote sensing data can lead to inconsistencies in LULC classification, which could impact geospatial models based on LULC. We used the Dynamic World near-real-time global LULC dataset to compare how geospatial environmental models of water quality and hydrology respond to LULC estimated from growing vs. non-growing season data for temperate watersheds of the eastern United States. Non-growing season data resulted in LULC classifications that had more built area and less tree cover than growing season data due to seasonal impacts on classifications rather than actual LULC changes (e.g., quick construction or succession). In mixed-LULC watersheds, seasonal LULC classification inconsistencies could lead to differences in model outputs depending on the LULC season used, such as differences in watershed nitrogen yields simulated by the Soil and Water Assessment Tool. Within reason, using separate calibration for each season may compensate for these inconsistencies but lead to different model parameter optimizations. Our findings provide guidelines on the use of near-real-time and high-temporal-resolution LULC in geospatial models.</p>
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institution Kabale University
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language English
publishDate 2024-12-01
publisher Copernicus Publications
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series Hydrology and Earth System Sciences
spelling doaj-art-2e1dc4df378940df8551532eaa4a8feb2024-12-06T12:57:19ZengCopernicus PublicationsHydrology and Earth System Sciences1027-56061607-79382024-12-01285295531010.5194/hess-28-5295-2024Seasonal variation in land cover estimates reveals sensitivities and opportunities for environmental modelsD. T. Myers0D. Jones1D. Oviedo-Vargas2J. P. Schmit3D. L. Ficklin4X. Zhang5Stroud Water Research Center, 970 Spencer Road, Avondale, PA 19311, USANational Park Service National Capital Region Network, 4598 MacArthur Blvd. NW, Washington, DC 20007, USAStroud Water Research Center, 970 Spencer Road, Avondale, PA 19311, USANational Park Service National Capital Region Network, 4598 MacArthur Blvd. NW, Washington, DC 20007, USADepartment of Geography, Indiana University Bloomington, 701 E. Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington, IN 47405, USAHydrology and Remote Sensing Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service, Bldg. 007, Rm. 104, BARC-West, Beltsville, MD 20705-2350, USA<p>Most readily available land use/land cover (LULC) data are developed using growing season remote sensing images often at annual time steps, but seasonal changes in remote sensing data can lead to inconsistencies in LULC classification, which could impact geospatial models based on LULC. We used the Dynamic World near-real-time global LULC dataset to compare how geospatial environmental models of water quality and hydrology respond to LULC estimated from growing vs. non-growing season data for temperate watersheds of the eastern United States. Non-growing season data resulted in LULC classifications that had more built area and less tree cover than growing season data due to seasonal impacts on classifications rather than actual LULC changes (e.g., quick construction or succession). In mixed-LULC watersheds, seasonal LULC classification inconsistencies could lead to differences in model outputs depending on the LULC season used, such as differences in watershed nitrogen yields simulated by the Soil and Water Assessment Tool. Within reason, using separate calibration for each season may compensate for these inconsistencies but lead to different model parameter optimizations. Our findings provide guidelines on the use of near-real-time and high-temporal-resolution LULC in geospatial models.</p>https://hess.copernicus.org/articles/28/5295/2024/hess-28-5295-2024.pdf
spellingShingle D. T. Myers
D. Jones
D. Oviedo-Vargas
J. P. Schmit
D. L. Ficklin
X. Zhang
Seasonal variation in land cover estimates reveals sensitivities and opportunities for environmental models
Hydrology and Earth System Sciences
title Seasonal variation in land cover estimates reveals sensitivities and opportunities for environmental models
title_full Seasonal variation in land cover estimates reveals sensitivities and opportunities for environmental models
title_fullStr Seasonal variation in land cover estimates reveals sensitivities and opportunities for environmental models
title_full_unstemmed Seasonal variation in land cover estimates reveals sensitivities and opportunities for environmental models
title_short Seasonal variation in land cover estimates reveals sensitivities and opportunities for environmental models
title_sort seasonal variation in land cover estimates reveals sensitivities and opportunities for environmental models
url https://hess.copernicus.org/articles/28/5295/2024/hess-28-5295-2024.pdf
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AT jpschmit seasonalvariationinlandcoverestimatesrevealssensitivitiesandopportunitiesforenvironmentalmodels
AT dlficklin seasonalvariationinlandcoverestimatesrevealssensitivitiesandopportunitiesforenvironmentalmodels
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