Agriculture Photointerpretation Keys

Click on the child classes to view the keys. To find out more about the class hierarchy refer to the VCGI Land Use / Land Cover codes.

Anderson et al. (1976):
Agricultural Land may be defined broadly as land used primarily for production of food and fiber. On high-altitude imagery, the chief indications of agricultural activity will be distinctive geometric field and road patterns on the landscape and the traces produced by livestock or mechanized equipment. However, pasture and other lands where such equipment is used infrequently may not show as well defined shapes as other areas. These distinctive geometric patterns are also characteristic of Urban or Built-up Lands because of street layout and development by blocks. Distinguishing between Agricultural and Urban or Built-up Lands ordinarily should be possible on the basis of urban-activity indicators and the associated concentration of population. The number of building complexes is smaller and the density of the road and highway network is much lower in Agricultural Land than in Urban or Built-up Land. Some urban land uses, such as parks and large cemeteries, however, may be mistaken for Agricultural Land, especially when they occur on the periphery of the urban areas.