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Output Overview

The Spatiotemporal LULC Analysis plugin generates three types of outputs: CSV tables, GeoTIFF rasters, and interactive HTML charts.

Output Summary

Type Format Purpose
Tabular CSV Quantitative metrics and statistics
Spatial GeoTIFF Mapped change patterns
Visual HTML Interactive charts and diagrams

Output Directory Structure

All outputs are saved to your specified output directory:

output_directory/
│
├── area_by_class.csv                    # Area per class per year
├── net_gross_change_2010_2015.csv       # Gain/loss per interval
├── net_gross_change_2015_2020.csv
├── transition_matrix_2010_2015.csv      # Full from-to matrix
├── transition_matrix_2015_2020.csv
├── transition_matrix_first_last_2010_2020.csv
├── top_transitions_2010_2015.csv        # Ranked transitions
├── top_transitions_2015_2020.csv
├── change_intensity.csv                 # Intensity metrics
│
├── change_frequency.tif                 # Change count raster
├── change_hotspot_2010_2015.tif         # Hotspot per interval
├── change_hotspot_2015_2020.tif
│
└── charts/                              # Interactive visualizations
    ├── area_by_class.html
    ├── net_gross_change.html
    ├── net_gross_combined.html
    ├── transition_matrix_2010_2015.html
    ├── transition_matrix_2015_2020.html
    ├── top_transitions_2010_2015.html
    ├── intensity.html
    └── sankey.html

Output Types at a Glance

CSV Outputs

Tabular data for quantitative analysis and reporting:

File Content Use Case
area_by_class.csv Area and percentage per class for each year Track class trends over time
net_gross_change_*.csv Gain, loss, net, and gross change per class Understand class dynamics
transition_matrix_*.csv Full from-to transition counts Detailed change accounting
top_transitions_*.csv Top 20 transitions ranked by area Identify dominant conversions
change_intensity.csv Interval and annualized change rates Compare change rates

Detailed CSV documentation →

Raster Outputs

Spatial data for mapping and further GIS analysis:

File Content Use Case
change_frequency.tif Count of changes per pixel (0 to n-1) Map persistent vs. dynamic areas
change_hotspot_*.tif Kernel density of change locations Identify change concentrations

Detailed raster documentation →

Chart Outputs

Interactive HTML visualizations powered by Plotly.js:

File Visualization Use Case
area_by_class.html Multi-line chart Visualize area trends
net_gross_change.html Bar charts Compare gain vs. loss
transition_matrix_*.html Heatmaps Visualize transition patterns
top_transitions_*.html Horizontal bars Show dominant transitions
intensity.html Line chart Plot change intensity
sankey.html Sankey diagram Show all flows across intervals

Detailed chart documentation →

Units and Formatting

Area Units

Depending on your configuration, area values appear as:

Setting Example Value Description
Pixels 125000 Raw pixel count
Square meters 112500000.000 Area in m²
Square kilometers 112.500 Area in km²

Number Formatting

  • Float values: 3 decimal places
  • Integer counts: No decimal places
  • Percentages: 3 decimal places

Missing Data

  • Empty cells in CSV indicate no data or not applicable
  • -1 in rasters indicates NoData
  • Charts omit NoData classes

Interpreting Outputs

For Land Cover Reporting

Use these outputs to document LULC changes:

  1. area_by_class.csv - Establish baseline and final class distributions
  2. net_gross_change_*.csv - Document net expansion or contraction per class
  3. transition_matrix_first_last_*.csv - Summarize total conversions

For Change Pattern Analysis

Use these outputs to understand spatial patterns:

  1. change_frequency.tif - Map areas of repeated change
  2. change_hotspot_*.tif - Identify change clusters
  3. top_transitions_*.csv - Understand dominant conversion types

For Presentation and Sharing

Use these outputs for reports and presentations:

  1. charts/*.html - Embed or screenshot for reports
  2. sankey.html - Show comprehensive flow diagram
  3. Styled rasters - Add symbology in QGIS and export maps

Next Steps