Vegetasjonsbruk

Vegetasjonsbruk is a term used in land-use planning and environmental reporting to describe how land is used with regard to its vegetation. It concerns both the vegetation cover and how the land is managed, including production, conservation, and protection of ecosystems.

The concept encompasses categories such as forests, grasslands and pastures, agricultural cropland with crops, wetlands with vegetation, and urban or rural green spaces. It also covers practices that modify vegetation cover, such as afforestation, reforestation, grazing management, or restoration projects. The classification can distinguish between actual vegetation cover and the intended or permitted use of the land.

Vegetasjonsbruk data are commonly derived from satellite imagery, aerial surveys, and field observations, and are organized into land-use or land-cover classes in GIS databases. Classification schemes may be nationally defined or based on international frameworks such as CORINE Land Cover or the FAO Land Cover Classification System.

Why it matters: Vegetasjonsbruk is used in planning for agriculture, forestry, and urban development; in biodiversity and habitat assessments; in hydrological and climate studies; and in monitoring land-use change over time. Because classifications vary by country and over time, comparisons require attention to the specific scheme used.