In line with the commitment of the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service (CLMS) to provide users in the field of land applications with information based on spatial data sources, a new contract has been issued by the European Environment Agency (EEA) to a consortium led by GAF, partnered with Evenflow, aiming at implementing the novel High-Resolution Layer (HRL) Vegetated Land Cover Characteristics (VLCC).

Sentinel satellites from Copernicus present a growing source of remote sensing data at high spatial, temporal, and radiometric resolution, enabling more accurate monitoring of vegetation than was previously possible.

Utilising high-resolution EO data, HRL VLCC entails the mapping of vegetation land cover characteristics with the goal of bridging the informational gap now present in the agriculture industry. Further, identifying adequate growing or harvest timing are some of the project’s key elements for crop monitoring activities. Some of the community relevant HRLs being delivered are Imperviousness, Forest, Grassland, Water and Wetness, and Small Woody Features.

Although the farming practices tracking of terrestrial use intensity and changes is essential for sustainable land conservation, agricultural areas are still unmapped. However, the fact that crop types can be mapped on a continental level through the development of research modelling methods, will support downstream services related to predicting crop yield or crop growth.