For example, hydrologists use land use/cover data to estimate the evaporation, transpiration, infiltration and surface water runoff.
Researchers use land use/cover data to model and assess
the influence of land cover changes by human activities,
and biophysical process, e.g., deforestation, land degradation, ecosystem vulnerability, watershed conditions, and
biodiversity [1-3]. Today, remotely sensed data in the form
of classified land cover are used to derive input variables
for a wide variety of environmental models, e.g., hydrologic-response and wild life habitat models [4,5]. Natural resources managers use land use/cover data to estimate forest, water and land resources. City and urban planners use land use/cover data to identify built-up areas
inside the city. In this article, we will discuss common geospatial data formats, their origins and proper use in
spatial modelling and decision making