Errors in the land cover assessment

Last time, I mentioned I was going to compare the ground control points to the classification.
Before I do that, I thought I'd compare the extents of classified woodland and water to OS VectorMap data.

I show the "commission error" - where the classification indicated something where OS VectorMap didn't, and "omission error" where OS VectorMap indicated something but the classification didn't.
Not all of the difference may be error in the classification, there may have been real change on the ground between the epoch of the image and the OS VectorMap data, or what is marked out as a woodland areas on VectorMap may include clearings, felled areas, or partially forested areas that were often classified as "Mosaic".

June 2006

RGB (9th June 2006)

NIR:SWIR1:Red 9th June 2006

 

large version There are a few areas of cloud shadow and other areas falsely classified as water. In addition there are some areas of cloud which may not be real. The woodland is generally underpredicted relative to OS VectorMap, the "omission error" areas are often classified as "Mosaic".

March 2007

 

RGB 24th March 2007

NIR:SWIR1:Red 24th March 2007

large version This is perhaps the most accurate of the woodland classifications, though some of the woodland areas are missed particularly in the east of the image (where perhaps cloud is interfering to some extent) and is often classified as "mosaic". There are a few areas of bogusly classified water in topographic shadow areas

 

September 2013

RGB (24th September 2013)

NIR:SWIR1:Red

large version Extensive areas of thin cloud appear in this image, woodland is overpredicted relative to OSVectorMap. It is likely that, late in the growing season, other vegetation has increased in NDVI and is perhaps masquerading as forest, or the subtle shadows of thin cloud are affecting the classification. Again some topographic shadowed areas are erroneously classed as water.

It is evident that the kind of first-order adjustment for seasonal change in NDVI etc. is not really adequate to prevent large shifts between classes, instead it is likely to be necessary to examine each landcover class in detail to see how its spectral properties change across the growing season.