Introducing the TEGON as the elementary physical land cover feature

Most land cover mapping initiatives have been biased towards cartographic quality and optimized data capture. Interoperability of the resulting data has proven difficult due to the semantic complexity embedded in the classification and methodology of each initiative. This paper introduces the tegon concept to model land cover as a real world phenomenon. A tegon is a horizontally homogeneous, physical spatial object with a spatial dimension and a specific life cycle, typically covering one to several square meters, characterized by the presence and structure of one or more vertical land cover strata. Tegons are in fact the elementary physical components behind any existing mapping unit or legend class. The concept is defined, modeled and illustrated through a series of large scale examples from an agricultural context. Analysis of the proposed model shows how the concept can be very useful for demarcating the land cover Universe of Discourse and for many ongoing harmonisation efforts in this domain.