Review of Land Cover Classification System under Global Environmental Change View

The global environmental change research community requires accurate and up-to-date land cover dataset to support ecosystem assessment,biodiversity conservation,climate change and environmental modeling.It is important to establish a scientific standard classification system when we develop land cover datasets,because it can influence the integration and share of data products,as well as the application areas of the products.This paper expounds the progress of land cover classification system made in regional and global scales,as well as FAO land cover classification system.It also pointed out:① There is no unified standard classification system so far,which effects the application of data products and the detection of land cover change;② Mosaic feature is the inherent characteristic of earth surface,we should make great effort to express effectively and quantify feature of mosaic types;③ It's urgent to develop a standard land cover classification system in China which can't only be consistent with global land cover products,but also reflect the natural environmental condition of China.