PRELIMINARY STUDIES USING GIS AND FIELD SURVEY TO DETERMINE LAND COVER IN EGYPT

In the present study a suitable methodology is developed for estimating crop area by integrating remote sensing and GIS based on land survey approach. Area frame surveys are common approaches to gather land cover data. In contrast to mapping approaches, area frame sampling is a statistical method. Based on the visual observation of sample geo-referenced points, area estimates are computed and used as a valid generalization without studying the entire area under investigation. The approach has also the important advantage of not involving/disturbing the land owners and the farmers. The survey concerning the estimation of yield for the major crop will be carried out by cutting small samples in the field. The sample covers the whole Nile valley and the delta, the observed area is about 35000 km² and the distance from South to North is about 1000 km. Digital topographic maps 1:5000 and SPOT5 satellite Images was used, 2,5m resolution, Ortho-rectified (DTM). The survey used the WGS84, Universal Transverse Mercator 36 N, which parameter are given hereafter. Three thousands sites were visited during the winter crop survey, the sample could be constituted of a sub-set of these sites and one point will be designed in each of the selected sites. If this point is wheat, it will be included in the yield sample and visited at harvest time. The sub sample is defined as points of observation, 250m x 250m apart; there are 10 points of observation, which are called points. They are located in two lines East-West of 5 points. There suits of winter survey of Nile Delta and Nile valley is about 12591563 Feddan. The main results of the field survey were that the total cultivation area is almost 76609500 Feddan. The cultivation area is covered about 61% of the total Nile Delta and Nile valley. Field crop is the major area in the Nile valley and Nile Delta, its cover about 48% of the total area of the NileValley and Nile Delta. Furthermore, the field crops cover about 79% of the total cultivation area.