Vegetation Recovery Classification for Alberta Pilot Area from 2011-2012 Landsat

Vegetation recovery data classifies land into six recovery types for an Alberta energy regulation pilot area. The Alberta Energy Regulator produced this dataset using Landsat imagery from 2011 and 2012. It assesses surface change related to energy exploration activities.

Use Cases

• Classify vegetation recovery into six LULC classes (shrub land, grassland, agricultural areas, coniferous forest, broadleaf forest, mixed forest) using spectral data from Landsat imagery.
• Analyze spatial patterns of vegetation recovery following anthropogenic disturbances like oil and gas infrastructure within the defined pilot area.
• Establish a 2011-2012 baseline for change detection studies to monitor long-term vegetation trends in the Alberta pilot region.
• Validate or supplement field surveys of land cover by using the classified raster data for the towns of Edson, Fox Creek, Mayerthorpe, Whitecourt, Swan Hills, and Valleyview.

Strengths

• Derived from Landsat multispectral imagery, providing standardized, wall-to-wall coverage.
• Classification includes six distinct vegetation recovery classes for detailed analysis.
• Covers a specific regulatory pilot area spanning multiple townships and towns in Alberta.

Limitations

• Temporal coverage is limited to a two-year baseline (2011-2012), lacking more recent years for trend analysis.
• Classification accuracy is dependent on the source 2012 Land Use and Land Cover data and Landsat resolution.
• Spatial scope is restricted to the Play-Based Regulation pilot area, limiting broader provincial analysis.

Provenance

Source

Alberta Energy Regulator (AER), Government of Alberta.

Collection Method

Derived from Landsat multispectral imagery for 2011 and 2012 and Land Use and Land Cover classification data from 2012.

Time Range

2011-2012

Freshness

Dataset metadata was updated in March 2026, but the underlying image data is from 2011-2012.

Geography

Alberta, Canada. Specifically, the Play-Based Regulation pilot area from Twp. 52, Rge. 7, W 5th Mer. to Twp. 70, Rge. 5, W 6th Mer., covering towns including Edson, Fox Creek, Mayerthorpe, Whitecourt, Swan Hills, and Valleyview.