Land Cover Classification in Suriname TRAINING ON NATIONAL LAND COVER AND CLASSIFICATION SYSTEMS

PARAMARIBO, MARCH 09 2015

Structure of the presentation

1. Physiographic regions

2. National classifications for land cover

3. Vegetation type classes

4. National land cover classification maps

5. International reporting

6. Vision for developing LCCS for Suriname

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1. Physiographic regions

Legend

1. Precambrian Guiana Shield area, popularly

also known as the Interior, the Interior

Uplands, or the Hill and Mountain Land

2. Cover landscape; also known as Zanderij or

Savanna Belt (Late Tertiary)

3. The Old Coastal Plain:

a. Old ridges and sea clay flats (Pleistocene)

b. Swamps (Early Holocene)

4. Young Coastal Plain (Late Holocene)

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2. National Classifications for Land Cover

Forest vs Non-forest

Definition according to the Forest Management Act (1992):

“All land covered with trees, shrubs and other vegetation including beaches, herbaceaous wetland and savannas which is

suitable for harvesting wood and/ or for collection of non forest timber products, including wildlife and /or used for soil

protection, sustenance of the stability of the environment of for purposes of recreation including all land which has been

reforested or which in the opinion of the Minister of Natural Resources may in future be utilize for such purposes, this

excluding:

a. open field within an area of woodland which open field is larger than a surface as to be determined by state decree

b. land which is actually used for agriculture, mining, construction, permanent settlements or other purposes not provided for

by law, provided that such is not contrary to any locally applicable national or regional development programme as referred

to in the Planning Act

c. The regions designated by virtue of the 1954 Nature Protection Act “

⇒ Administrative definition, difficult to use for monitoring

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2. National Classifications for Land Cover

Forest vs Non-forest

Developing a new definition, in line with international forest definitions of FAO and UNFCCC

Criteria currently used:

- minimal land area: 1ha

- minimal tree height: 5 m

- minimal crown cover: 30%

Still in discussion:

- abandoned plantations (currently included as forest when they comply to the above-mentioned

criteria)

- shifting cultivation (currently merged with forest)

- ...

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2. National Classifications for Land Cover

FOREST

● FRA- classes:

○ Primary forest

○ Other naturally generated forest

○ Planted forest

○ Mangrove forest

● Further subdivision of primary forest into forest types

NON-FOREST

● IPCC-classes:

○ crop land

○ wetland

○ settlements

○ grassland

○ other land

● to be validated with national stakeholders

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Classification of vegetation types based on: structure, physiognomy and floristic

composition

Overview of existing classification of vegetation types for Suriname:

3. Vegetation type classes

Structure Physiognomy Floristic composition

Lindeman and Molenaar (1955) 1 2

Dillewijn (1957) 2 1

Cox F. (1998) 1 2

Teunissen (1978) 2 1

SarVision (2010) 1 2

Narena (1998) 2 1

NFI pilot project (2013) 2 1 7

3. Vegetation type classes - Challenges

Example of one forest type with different names:

1) High Dryland forest (SarVision, 2010)

2) High mesophytic rain forest (Ter Steege, 2005)

3) High dryland forest (Lindeman and Molenaar, 1955)

4) High dryland forest/ High dryland forest with small crowns/ High dryland

forest with medium crowns (1998)

5) High dryland forest (pilot NFI-manual, 2014)

6) Lowland high forest (used in CBD, based on LBB 1990)

OR Marsh forest vs. periodically flooded swamp forest

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4. National Land Cover Classification Maps

Ecosystems map Teunissen/Stinasu 1978

Vegetation map National Planning Atlas 1988

Vegetation map CELOS/NARENA 1998

Forest Cover map SarVision map 2010

Forest Cover maps 2000, 2009, 2013 made by SBB

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4. Ecosystems Map Teunissen 1978

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Produced by Teunissen/Stinasu

For coastal part of Suriname

Aerial photographs and field

visits

4. National Planning Atlas 1988

Produced by National Planning

Office with technical assistance

of Organization of American

States

Based on map of Teunissen,

CBL for hilly/mountain area

To provide spatial review of

geographic, demographic and

socioeconomic information

Classes

Mangrove Forest; Saltwater and brackish march

Lagoon

Freshwater marsh and swamp scrub

Low swamp forest

High swamp forest

High seasonal swamp forest

High dryland forest

Mountain forest (>500m)

High and low xerophytic forest

Savanna

Vegetation on granite outcrops

Vegetation on cultivated and abandoned land

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4. Vegetation map 1998

Classes

Mangrove forest

Beach and littoral woodland

Grass-, fern- and peat swamp

Low swamp forest

High swamp forest

Open to closed palm marsh forest

Marsh forest

Creek forest

Mixed marsh forest and mesophytic high dryland forest

Predominate

Shifting cultivation

Tree plantation

(Sub-) urban area, cultivated land and abandoned

plantations

Produced by NARENA

Landsat visual interpretation

with existing ancillary data

(CBL-maps, Ecosystem map

etc.) and field verification data

As indicative map to stimulate

national discussions

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4. SarVision 2010

Classes

Level I Level II

Wet soil vegetation types Creek forest Marsh forest Close palm marsh forest Open palm marsh forest Semi-open palm marsh forest Marsh forest 2/creek 2 (interior) Swamp forest Mangrove Herbaceous 1 Herbaceous 2

Dry Vegetation Types High dryland forest Mountain forest Savanna Forest Herbaceous dry Scrub and low savanna shrubs Scrub 2 / Woodland savanna Secondary Forest

Bare Cultivated areas (6 different) Roads Open water Urban (Paramaribo)

Produced by SarVision

ALOS PALSAR radar satellite

images at 50m resolution used.

With existing ancillary data

(CBL-maps, Ecosystem map

etc.) and aerial photographs

Framework of the KfW REDD+

project of CI Suriname

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Existing classifications are used to translate as best as possible to specific

international criteria

Some broad (CBD), others have existing classifications (UNFCCC with IPCC

classes)

5. International Reporting

Estimated land

cover classes

(UNFCCC)

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6. Vision for developing LCCS for Suriname

In accordance with international definitions

Close linkage with the reality in Suriname

Enough classes to be meaningful, but not too many to still be

distinguishable

More detail can be produced of specific areas

Clear definitions and link with RS but also field characteristic

Capitalize on all carried out activities and propose a compilation

with clear identification of discussion points

Stakeholders review to clear out discussion points

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