LUCAS:

current product and its evolutions

Workshop “Land Use and Land Cover products:

challenges and opportunities”
Brussels 15 Nov 2017

Eurostat E4: estat-dl-lucas@ec.europa.eu

 Contents
1) The context

2) Methodological overview

3) Products
What is available / Where to find / How to use

4) Use Cases

5) Conclusions
a)a) What
What is LUCAS
is LUCAS
LUCAS Field survey characteristics
• LUCAS stands for Land Use and Cover Area-frame
Survey
• Organised by Eurostat every 3 years since 2001
• Harmonized in-situ European data collection
• Georeferenced point
• Detailed classification; separate LC LU
• Multiple parameters
• Ad hoc modules
• Precision indicators
• Reduced % of missing data
• No burden on respondents
 a) Historical background -

LUCAS is a User oriented product

• From crops early estimates to more

environmental oriented (2001-2006)

• To Solid multipurpose platform including ad

hoc modules [soil / transect / grassland] and
other adaptations [FAO / INSPIRE /
Copernicus] – (from 2009 onward)

• Regular User needs consultations

 LUCAS User Needs - Survey 2018

Main DGs: AGRI, ENV, CLIMA, GROW

Started in 2014

Questionnaire, bilateral meetings, workshops

 Grassland, Soil, Copernicus

Eurostat
LUCAS User Needs - Grassland
• 7 EAP (Action 5: Env. Knowledge Base), Biodiversity
Biodiversity Strategy 2020, NATURA 2000
•Ecosystems & Ecosystem Services

Greening the CAP • Quality of the grassland

Climate Change • Carbon sequestration

COPERNICUS –
Environmental • High Resolution Layers
Information
Statistical • EUNIS classification
•Environmental value, abandonment/intensification processes
assessment: (time series) …

Eurostat
 New soil properties
New soil Sample
Why is important?
parameters required
Bulk density Movement and storage of water and solutes Soil rings
Soil aeration
Calculation of stock of organic carbon
Soil biodiversity Nutrient cycling and fertility Frozen soil
Regulation of carbon flux and climate control samples
Regulation of the water cycle
Decontamination and bioremediation
Pest control
Source of pharmaceutical resources
Thickness of organic Carbon sequestration and climate control Field
horizon in peats measurement
Soil erosion Loss of fertile soil Field
Reduction of soil productivity observation
Water pollution
Eurostat
Eurostat
b) methodology

Eurostat
 How is LUCAS conducted
LUCAS sampling design

BASE 11 (1 km European INSPIRE Grid):

10.180.000 points

4.434.475 EU28

BASE 22 (2 km Grid):

MASTER 2018: 1.090.863 points

First phase photointerpretation
Stratification into 10 strata
http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/lucas/data/lucas-
grid


Field SAMPLE 2018 (EU 28): 240.175
points
+
Office PI Sample : 97.680 points
10
= 337.855 total sample
 Stratification update
• On 714 474 points of 1 097 964 of LUCAS Grid (2 by 2)
• 10 strata (arable land, permanent crops, grass, wooded areas, shrubs, bare
surface, artificial constructions and sealed areas, transitional and coastal water and
"impossible to photo-interpret")
•  impact on Sample design
•  impact on Estimates [calibration]

Eurostat
Sample design 2018
• It covers all territory of EU including both field part and
photo interpreted sample.
• It takes into account accessibility of the single points,
possibly revising the accessibility criteria used so-far.
• It takes into account the propensity to change of land
cover.
• It fulfils the requirements and instructions for the new
elements of the LUCAS 2018 survey (soil package,
grassland module and Copernicus adaptation).
• It ensures as much as possible comparability with the
previous LUCAS surveys.
• It allows solid estimation of main variables at the
lowest regional level possible
Revised sample structure
 Longitudinal structure of
2018 sample
Total number of points : 337855

of which 23% surveyed already in 2009/2012/2015

25% visited once or twice
52% new entries
 New Elements in the estimation
(2015)
• Estimation process involves:
• Alignment of classification 2009/2012 to 2015
• Mapping of LUCAS classification/parameters to
FAO classification [fine-tuned algorithm]
• Taking into account LC1/LC2 (Weight split
LC1_percent LC2_percent) LU1/LU2 (50 / 50%)

• Inclusion of field and PI points to last 3 surveys

• Treatment of transitional water as separate strata
• NUTS 2013
• Two set of aggregated tables for Land Cover
• According to LUCAS classification
• According to FAO forest classes
Eurostat
 Constraint to the Master Totals -
IPF

• Elevation in 6 classes
• NUTS2 by STRATA
• NUTS1 by elevation (4 classes)
• NUTS0 by strata by elevation (6 classes)
• Country

Eurostat
Assessment of 2015 results
• Total Coverage of LUCAS Area [Field combined
with PI]

• Better use of LUCAS parameters (LC1/2 & FAO)

• Improved coherence w/ other statistics [MS (eg.

Secondary sector NL) and CLC]

• Overall coherence with FAOSTAT

 LUCAS data collection process

Photointerpretation
:
Classification in
10 strata

1 100 000 points

Parameters
•Land cover
•Land use
•Transect,
•etc.
Dissemination
FOREST AREA

GRASSLAND

CEREALS

SHRUBLAND,

ARTIFICIAL NON BUILT-UP AREAS

BARE LAND

Total Sample of 370,000

OTHER PERMANENT CROPS

NON PERMANENT INDUSTRIAL

CROPS
OTHER WOODED AREA

BUILT-UP AREAS

WATER

PERMANENT CROPS

ROOT CROPS

FODDER CROPS

DRY PULSES, VEGETABLES AND

FLOWERS
pts
Ground survey
Data collection process: Ground survey

Land Cover "sun-flower”

Land Use “agriculture”

North

West
East

South

19
LUCAS production process –
Use of auxiliary information and aerial images

Eurostat
 How are RS and auxiliary
information integrated in LUCAS

Role of PI Role of auxiliary info

• 1) PI of master grid • 1) Preparation of master
• 2) PI in field [wall fence, (elevation, road..)
military area] • 2) Eligibility criteria [ CLC]
• 3) PI of excluded areas • 3) Ground Document
preparation
• 4) Visual Quality Control
Example of
Ground
Document
Informative content
• Classification
• Alignments with INSPIRE PLLC for vegetation

• Core LUCAS
• Current land cover and land use +
• Environmental information (e.g. irrigation, grazing, burned areas)
• Add on
• Current products [transect/ soil]
• LUCAS 2018
– Soil "extended"
– Grassland
– Copernicus [specific instructions / degree of urbanization
(parameter)/ % of imperviousness
INFORMATIVE CONTENT
 Environmental parameters - % of
LC

<10 % 10 - 25 % >75 %
• For coverages with trees: assess the crown coverage

Land cover refers

LC1: B71; LC1% <10% LC 1: C10; LC1%: >75%

LC2: E20; LC2% >75%

When summed up, % can be below or above 100 %

25
ad hoc modules – 1) Transect 2015
Land cover transect classification

List of transect linear elements

2) Top-Soil parameters
•soil types;
•soil textures (sand, silt, clay);
•pH levels;
•organic carbon;
•phosphorous, nitrogen and potassium;
•soil erosion;
•susceptibility to compaction 26
 Adaptations to Copernicus (test
module 2018)
a) Sampling:
50 points per class per validation area
b) In-situ information:
Extent of land cover in the 4 cardinal directions
Record first new land cover
Up to 50 m
c) - Classification fine tuning: e.g.
• Exclude combination G12/U111
• Info on airport/port for U317 Logistics and storage
• Separate U361: Amenities, leisure/museum, culture
 Output

• What do we publish

• Where to find the information

Eurostat
 LUCAS products

• http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/lucas/overview
 LUCAS surveys' output
3 types of harmonised land cover/use information for EU:

• Micro data (primary data): land cover, land use and

environmental parameters associated to the single
surveyed points,

• Point and landscape photos in the four cardinal

directions,

• Statistical tables with aggregated results by land

cover, land use at geographical level (estimates
based on point data conveniently weighted).

31
 POINT INFORMATION

• GRID [2 x 2 Km]
• http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/lucas/data/luca
s-grid
• 1090863 points

• Primary data: by year

• Country file
• Survey Documentation (field form, Instruction,
classification, nuts_area, quality check..)
LUCAS Primary data: 2006-2015

Country-specific files available at

http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/lucas/data/primary-data/YYYY

33
 LUCAS 2015 – LC - unweighted
results

Field points PI points

Indicators

http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/lucas/data/primary-data/2012
35
Examples of photographs

Central photograph: the

surveyed LUCAS point;
remaining images taken from
the surveyed point to the
north, south, east and west.
 LUCAS Viewer

Interactive photo viewer within Eurostat’s statistical atlas

http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/lucas/lucas-photo-viewer

37
LUCAS Photo archive:
2006,2009,2012,2015
How to access

• Photo archive from LUCAS.

Photographs can be
requested by using the
online form
http://ec.europa.eu/eurost
at/web/lucas/data/primary-
data/order-form
Database

Data base / LC / LU /
FAO:
KM2
% of total area
Cv
M2 per capita / for
artificial areas

http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/lucas/statistics-illustrated
 How to use the data
• NUTS classification
• Estimates on line currently at 2013 Nuts

• POINT coordinates
• LUCAS point is a theoretical point located on the
grid.
• Coordinates of the theoretical point are available in
the LUCAS Grid both non projected (WGS84 latitude
and longitude) and projected Lambert Albers Equal
Area (ETRS89 + LAEA).
• On the survey microdata you can find the
coordinates from where the point was observed by
the surveyor (also in WGS84 latitude and longitude).
 What is LUCAS used for?
• Policy areas:
• Data from LUCAS can be used to help analyse and contribute to the development of various EU
policy areas:
• Common Agricultural Policy
• Integrating environmental concerns in the Common Agricultural Policy;
• Soil thematic strategy
• Protecting the soil, as detailed in the soil thematic strategy;
• EU biodiversity strategy
• Promoting biodiversity and conservation, through the EU’s biodiversity strategy;
• Europe 2020
• Encouraging the efficient use of resources for sustainable growth, as in the resource-efficient
Europe initiative;
• Copernicus
• Land monitoring, spatial planning and resource management, as carried out by the Copernicus
earth observation programme;
• Climate change
• Tackling climate change, through monitoring conducted by the European Environment Agency, as
well as actions under the European climate change programme.
 USE CASES
LUCAS Survey 2015 — NUTS 3 average Soil erodibility in Europe
number of linear elements per transect (K factor)
with agriculture as main land cover
 CONCLUSION

• User oriented product

• Interrelation with national/ pan-european

products

• Towards which convergence LUCAS /

Copernicus?
• Thank you for your attention!
The new LUCAS compact guide is coming soon:

• http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/lucas/overview