The major landuse/landcover categories in these catchments are described hereunder:

1. Waterbodies Lakes/ Ponds Perennial (WLPP)

These are standing bodies of water found inland surrounded by land. Ponds tend to be

shallower and smaller while lakes generally vary greatly in size and are much deeper. Both

lakes and ponds usually form when precipitated water, a river, a stream, a spring, or a melting

glacier collects in undrained depressions, or basins, in the ground and any outlet, such as a

stream, does not drain them completely (Encyclopedia.com).

2. Waterbodies River/Stream Perennial (WRSP)

They are moving water bodies such as a natural stream of water of fairly large size

flowing in a definite course. Rain water and the melting snow fall down the mountains in the

form of multiple streams that meet at a confluence where the water body becomes large and

gets transformed into a river. This water forces down because of gravity and finally becomes

slow on reaching the ground. Rivers are deeper than streams. River carries the sediments

brought into it by streams into larger water bodies such as ocean or a lake.

“Rivers/streams are natural course of water flowing on the land surface along a definite

channel/slope regularly or intermittently towards a sea in most cases or in to a lake or an inland

basin in desert areas or a marsh or another river. Canals are artificial water course constructed

for irrigation, navigation or to drain out excess water from agricultural lands” (NRSC/ISRO,

2006).

3. Wasteland Scrubland [Open Scrub (WSOS)/Dense Scrub (WSDS)]

According to National Wasteland Development Board wasteland is defined as

“degraded land which can be brought under vegetative cover, with reasonable effort, and which
is currently under-utilized and land which is deteriorating for lack of appropriate water and soil

management or on account of natural causes”.

Open scrub is a class of wasteland which is generally prone to deterioration, at times

chemically degraded, high topographic locations and lands subjected to excessive aridity with

sparse vegetation, devoid of scrub and have a thin soil cover (V. S. Arya et al. 2014). As per

the Technical Report on Wasteland Atlas of India, they appear in light yellow to brown to

greenish blue depending on the surface moisture cover and vary in size from small to large

having either contiguous or dispersed pattern. Contrary to this, the dense scrubs look denser

with presence of scrub and are less prone to deterioration.

4. Forest Evergreen Semi Evergreen [Dense Closed (FESEDC)/Open (FESEO)]

“This term as such describes the phenology of perennial plants that are never entirely

without green foliage (Ford-Robertson, 1971). This category comprises of tall trees, which are

predominantly remain green throughout the year. It includes both coniferous and tropical

broadleaved evergreen species. Semi- evergreen is a forest type that includes a combination of

evergreen and deciduous species with the former dominating the canopy cover” (NRSC/ISRO,

2006). The distribution of the trees is closer, thicker and denser in case of FESEDC as

compared to FESEO.

5. Forest Scrub Forest (FSF)

These are the forest areas which are generally seen at the fringes of dense forest cover

and settlements, where there is biotic and abiotic interference. Most times they are located

closer to habitations.

6. Forest Forest Blank (FFB)

 A break in continuous forest canopy is known as a forest blank. It could be caused by

denudation, fire or natural calamities, presence of rocks and other surfaces on which vegetation

will not establish, etc. Usually forest blanks are sources or symptoms of failure of a prior eco-

system.

It can also be said that forest blanks are the openings amidst forest areas, devoid of tree

cover, observed as openings of assorted size and shapes as manifested on the imagery.

7. Tree Clad Area [Open (TCAO)/Closed (TCAC)]

“This applies to the phenology of perennial plants that are leafless for a certain period

of the year (Ford-Robertson, 1971). The leaf shedding usually takes place simultaneously in

connection with the unfavourable season (UNESCO, 1973). These are the forest types that are

predominantly composed of species, which shed their leaves once a year, especially during

summer. It also includes tree clad area with tree cover lying outside the notified forest boundary

areas that are herbaceous with a woody appearance (e.g. bamboos, palms, tree ferns etc.)”

(NRSC/ISRO, 2006).

8. Built Up Area [(Built Up-Rural (BUR)/Built Up-Urban (BUU)]

“Built Up-Urban (BUU) areas are non-linear built up areas covered by impervious

structures adjacent to or connected by streets. This cover is related to centres of population.

This class usually occurs in combination with, vegetated areas that are connected to buildings

that show a regular pattern, such as vegetated areas, gardens etc. and industrial and/or other

areas (FAO, 2005). It includes residential areas, mixed built-up, recreational places,

public/semi-public utilities, communications, public utilizes/facility, commercial areas,

reclaimed areas, vegetated areas, transportation, industrial areas and their dumps, and

ash/cooling ponds” (NRSC/ISRO, 2006).

Built Up-Rural is a geographical area outside a town or a city with low population

density. Generally these areas are predominantly comprises of large landholdings with huge

agricultural lands and small settlements.

According to NRSC/ISRO, 2006 “These are the lands used for human settlement of

size comparatively less than the urban settlements of which the majority of population is

involved in the primary activity of agriculture. These are the built-up areas, smaller in size,

mainly associated with agriculture and allied sectors and non-commercial activities. They can

be seen in clusters non- contiguous or scattered”.

9. Agricultural Land

These are the lands primarily used for farming and for production of food, fibre, and

other commercial and horticultural crops. It consists of:

a) Cropland (AGCLKC)

These are the areas with standing crop as on the date of Satellite overpass. Cropped

areas appear in bright red to red in colour with varying shape and size in a contiguous to non-

contiguous pattern. They are widely distributed indifferent terrains; prominently appear in the

irrigated are as irrespective of the source of irrigation. It includes kharif, rabi and zaid croplands

along with areas under double or triple crops.

b) Plantations (ALPA)

These are the areas under agricultural tree crops planted adopting agricultural management

techniques. Depending on the location, they are exhibit a dispersed or contiguous pattern. Use
of multi-season data will enable their separation in a better way. It includes agricultural

plantation (like tea, coffee, rubber etc.) horticultural plantation (like coconut, arecanut, citrus

fruits, orchards, fruits, ornamental shrubs and trees, vegetable gardens etc.) and agro

horticultural plantation.

c) Fallow Land

It is an agricultural system with an alternation between a cropping period of several

years and a fallow period. (Ruthenberg, 1980). In another terms these are the lands, which are

taken up for cultivation but are temporarily allowed to rest, un-cropped for one or more season,

but not less than one year

d) Current Shifting Cultivation (SC)

This describes the growing of crops for a few years on selected and clear plots,

alternating with a lengthy period of vegetative fallow when the soil is rested. The land is

cultivated for less than 33 percent of the time (Ruthenberg, 1980). This cover is followed by

the vegetative and / or bare cover of the fallow period that can last for several years (Shaneret

et al., 1982). These are the areas which are clearly perceptible on the satellite image that are in

pre-burnt /post-burnt condition as bright white or with bluish small irregular patches amidst

forest patches that are red in colour.

e) Forest Plantation (FFP)

These are the areas of tree species of forestry importance, raised and managed especially

in notified forest areas. The species mainly constitute teak, Sal, eucalyptus, casuarinas, bamboo

etc.

All these classifications made above are sub-divisions derived from parent/main land use/

land cover categories due to which a brief account to illustrate in this regard is deem to be
necessary. Consequently Forests, Built Up, Wasteland, Water bodies/ wetlands, Agricultural

Lands, Grass/ grazing lands are principal divisions upon which various other sub divisions have

been categorised. The FESEDC, FESEO, FSF, FFP and FFB are typed as forest while WR/SP

and WL/PP are classified under Water bodies/Wetlands. Likewise, Agricultural Land includes

ALCKC, Plantation Agriculture, Shifting Cultivation and Fallow Land. Subsequently under

the category of wasteland include the sub-categories of WSOS and WSDS and Abandon

shifting Cultivation (ASC).