Background

The pace, magnitude and spatial reach of human alterations of the Earth's land surface are unprecedented. Land use and land cover change directly impacts biotic diversity worldwide, contributes to climate change, is the primary source of soil degradation, and, by altering ecosystem services, affects the ability of biological systems to support human needs. Such changes also determine, in part, the vulnerability of places and people to climatic, economic or socio-political perturbations. LUCC research addresses the problem of land use dynamics through comparative case study analysis, addresses land cover dynamics through empirical observations and diagnostic models, and extends the understanding of cause-use-cover dynamics through integrated regional and global modeling. LUCC was co-sponsored by IHDP

LUCC Objectives

To develop a fundamental understanding of the human and biophysical dynamics of land-use changes ad the impacts of these changes on land cover.
To develop robust and regionally sensitive global models of land-use/cover change with improved capacities to predict and project use/cover changes
To develop an understanding of land-use/cover dynamics through systematic and integrated case studies.
To assist in the development of a global land-use classification scheme LUCC was completed in 2005.