Download shortened print version of ECV factsheet (pdf) here.
Data Sources |
ECV Products and Requirements |
Land-Cover
![]() |
Land cover is the observed (bio)-physical cover on the Earth’s surface. It influences climate by modifying water and energy exchanges with the atmosphere and by changing greenhouse gas and aerosol sources and sinks. Land-cover conditions are inherently dynamic (i.e. seasonality) and distributions are linked to regional climatic conditions, so changes in cover can be due to climate change on a regional scale as well as directly due to human activities. | |
Domain: | Terrestrial | |
Subdomain: | Biology | |
Scientific Area: | Biosphere | |
ECV Steward: | Sarah Carter, Martin Herold | |
Products: | Maps of Land Cover; Maps of High Resolution Land Cover; Maps of Key IPCC Land Use, Related Changes and Land Management Types |
Global Land Cover
Figure: Global land cover data for the year 2015 (http://www.esa-landcover-cci.org/) Legend and interactive map under: http://maps.elie.ucl.ac.be/CCI/viewer/index.php |