ABSTRACT
The importance of characterizing, quantifying, and monitoring land cover and land use and their changes has been widely recognized by global and environmental change studies (Matthews et al. 2004; Foley et al. 2005; Turner et al. 2007). Remote sensing is an attractive source of thematic maps that are available at a range of spatial and temporal scales (Foody 2002). Assessing the quality of thematic maps derived from remotely sensed data provides information about the quality of a map and its fitness for a particular purpose (Janssen and van der Wel 1994; Foody 2002; Congalton and Green 2009). Quality assessment also provides a better understanding of map error and its likely implications, which helps guide effective decisions. Researchers and users of remotely sensed data must have a strong knowledge of the factors that need to be considered and the techniques used in performing any accuracy assessment. Failure to know these techniques and considerations can severely limit one’s ability to effectively use remotely sensed data (Congalton 1991).
