A Definition of Visual Interpretation Criterias to Mapping Land-Use and Land-Cover in the Brazilian Biomes

The present work aims to establish of Visual Interpretation Criterias of the land-use and land-cover (LULC) classes of the Brazilian biomes. The process relies on the efforts of experts from each biome, Ph.D. and Master’s students, and undergraduate students in research. Due to the particularities, the criterias were elaborated individually for each biome. The classes correspond to MapBiomas collection 04 legend. In each LULC class, the user has the following information: class definition, patterns (e.g., color, texture, roughness), and historical Landsat images (RGB 564) from the dry and rainy periods, as well as high-resolution images and field photos of the class. These visual interpretation criterias was used to generate data of samples for MapBiomas mapping validation. With the help of Visual Interpretation Criterias, experienced and inexperienced interpreters were able to produce high-quality sample data without visual inspection. This initiative, a pioneer in Brazil, is a tool to support future interpretations of Brazilian biomes. The results can be found on Lapig website.