Virginia.gov

Land Use/Land Cover Definitions

Want a few commonly used codes for beginning WildifeMappers?

  1. Developed
    • Significant human influence. Surface development includes buildings, pavement, mining operations, etc. Excludes agricultural land and clear cuts.
    • 0 All
    • 1 Heavy > 60%
    • 2 Moderate 30-60%
    • 3 Light < 30%
      • 1 Residential
      • 2 Industrial/business (includes airports, landfills)
      • 3 Mining Operations (i.e. gravel pits or quarries)
      • 4 Roads
      • 5 Grass/Shrub (i.e. cemeteries, golf courses, mowed parks, utility rights-of-way)
      • 6 Urban Forests (i.e. areas surrounded by development)
  2. Unvegetated
    • Less than 10% vegetation cover. Excludes agricultural and developed areas, and open water. Refers mostly to large areas of bare rock and saline flats.
    • 31 Rocks/Talus
    • 32 Cliffs
    • 33 Sand (beaches, dunes)
    • 34 Bare Soil
    • 35 Cave
    • 36 Mudflats
  3. Agricultural
    • 00 All crop species
    • 11 Developed/maintained pasture: seeded and regularly mown of grazed pasture
    • 12 Row crops
    • 13 Orchards/Vineyards/Pine Plantations or Nursery Stock
  4. Non-forested
    • 0 Successional and climax vegetation
    • 1 Recently disturbed/successional
    • 2 Undisturbed/climax
      • 0 All structure classes
      • 1 Sparsely vegetated
      • 2 Grass/forbs
      • 3 Shrub savannah
      • 4 Shrubland
      • 5 Tree savannah
      • 6 Clearcut
  5. Upland Forest: Deciduous
    • Use these codes only for planted trees and uniform stands.
    • 0 All structure classes
    • 1 Saplings
    • 2 Pole
    • 3 Small sawlogs
    • 4 Large sawlogs
    • 5 Old Growth
    • 6 Young Forest
    • 7 Intermediate Aged Forest
    • 8 Mature to Over-mature
      • 0 Open and closed canopy
      • 1 Open 20-60% canopy closure
      • 2 Closed > 60% canopy closure
  6. Upland Forest: Mixed Deciduous/Coniferous
    • Use these codes only for planted trees and uniform stands.
    • 0 All structure classes
    • 1 Saplings
    • 2 Pole
    • 3 Small sawlogs
    • 4 Large sawlogs
    • 5 Old Growth
    • 6 Young Forest
    • 7 Intermediate Aged Forest
    • 8 Mature to Over-mature
      • 0 Open and closed canopy
      • 1 Open 20-60% canopy closure
      • 2 Closed > 60% canopy closure
  7. Upland Forest: Coniferous
    • Use these codes only for planted trees and uniform stands.
    • 0 All structure classes
    • 1 Saplings
    • 2 Pole
    • 3 Small sawlogs
    • 4 Large sawlogs
    • 5 Old Growth
    • 6 Young Forest
    • 7 Intermediate Aged Forest
    • 8 Mature to Over-mature
      • 0 Open and closed canopy
      • 1 Open 20-60% canopy closure
      • 2 Closed > 60% canopy closure
  8. Open Water
    • 00 All Open Water
    • 10 Freshwater
    • 11 Lakes
    • 12 Reservoir
    • 14 Pond
    • 15 Fresh flowing water
    • 17 Canals
    • 20 Salt Water
    • 30 Brackish water (partially salty)
  9. Wetlands
    • 0 All Wetland Types
    • 1 Estuarine Marsh (saltwater)
    • 2 Freshwater Marsh
    • 3 Riparian (edges of rivers and streams)
    • 4 Vernal Pools (dry up part of the year)
    • 5 Ocean Beaches (vegetated)
    • 6 Intermittent Streams
      • 0 All Wetland Types
      • 1 Submerged/floating plants
      • 2 Emergent herbs/shrubs
      • 3 Trees-deciduous
      • 4 Trees-coniferous
      • 5 Trees-mixed deciduous/coniferous