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Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) satellite data were used to produce maps depicting ranges of major vegetation types at the Jornada Experimental Range, New Mexico, U.S.A. Single date and multitemporal classification accuracies were compared using vegetation ground data as references. Single date image classifications were more accurate than multitemporal images for mapping land cover types in this region, Use of single date imagery generally involves less expenditure of time and costs related to data acquisition and processing. Multitemporal images have improved classification accuracies in some landscapes, however, single date images may provide a reliable method for mapping vegetation cover in semi-arid environments. (C) 2001 Academic Press.