Annual Land Disturbance Classification for Alberta Energy Pilot

Nine distinct land disturbance classes, including exposed land and developed areas, were mapped across a 2007-2008 baseline. The Alberta Energy Regulator created this dataset using Landsat imagery to assess surface impacts from energy exploration. It covers a specific pilot area in Alberta extending from Township 52 to 70.

Use Cases

• Quantify vegetation loss from anthropogenic disturbances like cut blocks and infrastructure using the 9-class classification system.
• Monitor vegetation recovery over time by comparing the 2007 and 2008 baseline classifications of classes like shrub land and grassland.
• Assess spatial patterns of mixed developed areas and transitional bare surfaces for regional land-use planning.
• Establish a pre-development baseline for surface impacts in the Play-Based Regulation pilot area using the classified vegetation loss data.

Strengths

• Data derived from authoritative Landsat multispectral satellite imagery.
• Classification system includes 9 specific land cover and disturbance categories.
• Covers a defined geographic area spanning 18 townships in Alberta.

Limitations

• Temporal coverage is limited to a two-year baseline from 2007-2008.
• Specific row count, spatial resolution, and accuracy metrics for the classification are unknown.
• Data format is primarily geospatial raster (TIFF), which may require specialized GIS tools to use.

Provenance

Source

Alberta Energy Regulator (AER), Government of Alberta.

Collection Method

Produced from Landsat multispectral imagery and land use/land cover classification data.

Time Range

2007 to 2008.

Freshness

Dataset represents a historical baseline (2007-2008) with metadata last updated in 2026.

Geography

Play-Based Regulation pilot area in Alberta, Canada, from Township 52, Range 7, W 5th Meridian to Township 70, Range 5, W 6th Meridian.