Land Use / Land Cover Change
Near-Term (Fiscal Year 2008) Plans

Land Use / Land Cover Change

Overview

Recent Accomplishments

Near-Term Plans

Archived News Postings [November 2002 - July 2005]

Related Sites

Calls for Proposals

CCSP / USGCRP Land Use & Land Cover Change Working Group Members

For long term plans, see chapter on Land Use / Land Cover Change of the Strategic Plan posted on web site of US Climate Change Science Program

Past Accomplishments:

Recent

Fiscal Year 2006

Fiscal Years 2004-2005

Fiscal Year 2003

Fiscal Year 2002

Climate Change Science Program.  FY 2008 Scientific Research Budget by USGCRP Research Element

Urgent land-use and land-cover change priority research questions include understanding historic, current, and potential future land-use and land-cover change patterns, dynamics, and drivers; understanding the mutual effects and feedbacks between climate variability and land use/land cover; and forecasting environmental, social, economic, and human health consequences. All of these land-use and land-cover change priority issues directly influence climate by affecting atmospheric trace gas composition and surface reflectance, and are thus critical to other CCSP research elements. While both in situ and satellite observations are essential, two satellite sensors are especially critical: MODIS (including its next generation moderate-resolution successor the Visible/ Infrared Imager/Radiometer Suite) and Landsat. Without these satellite observations, the current pace of discovery and innovation in global land-use and land-cover change climate research would not be possible. Thus, an overall priority for this research element is to ensure continuity and improvements in land-use and land-cover observations, to compare and validate the different types of observations, and to coordinate activities for analysis and synthesis of their implications and projections, as follows:

• Improve quantification of the forces bringing about changes in the Earth’s climate and related systems.
• Explore the uses and identify the limits of evolving knowledge to manage risks and opportunities related to climate variability and change.
• Improve knowledge of the Earth’s past and present climate and environment, including its natural variability, and improve understanding of the causes of observed variability and change.

Development of Land-Use Change Models.

Developing future land-use and land-cover change scenarios and understanding drivers and feedbacks are necessary to assess impacts on the environment. A tool to generate future LULCC scenarios consistent with IPCC emissions scenarios is being developed, and will be used to assess the
environmental impacts of climate and land-use change regionally and nationally. This will improve projections of climate and global change and contribute to understanding of possible management risks and opportunities related to climate change. It also contributes directly to understanding the feedbacks between climate change, conservation policies, and land-use and land-cover decisions.

This activity will address CCSP Goals 3, 4, and 5 and Questions 6.1, 6.3, and 6.4 of the CCSP Strategic Plan.

Invasive Species Impacts on Land-Use and Land-Cover Change.

Land use and climate change interact to influence the spread of alien or invasive species that in turn have ecological impacts that may result in climate forcings. The EPA, NASA, and USDA are coordinating solicitations to quantitatively investigate these interactions. In addition, a workshop is planned to study and determine future directions for research on interactions between land-use and land-cover change and the carbon cycle relating to climate change. These efforts help quantify climate change drivers and feedbacks, reduce uncertainties in projections of change, and improve understanding of sensitivities of natural and managed ecosystems.

This activity will address CCSP Goals 2, 3, and 4 and Questions 6.2, 6.4, and 6.5 of the CCSP Strategic Plan.

Prototype Land-Cover Mapping Activities.

The National Land Cover Database effort in Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico will be finished by December 2007, marking completion of the first compilation of nationwide land cover ever produced at 30-m resolution. This will improve knowledge of Earth’s present environment and itsvariability and form the baseline for quantifying change at high spatial resolution.

This activity address CCSP Goal 1 and Question 6.1 of the CCSP Strategic Plan.

Landsat Data Continuity Mission.

The importance of Landsat data continuity was a priority for FY 2007 and was emphasized in the FY 2007 edition of Our Changing Planet. Landsat Data Continuity Mission planning continues toward a proposed 2010 launch. In October 2006, NASA and USGS announced the selection and research objectives for the Landsat Science Team. The Science Team will recommend strategies for the effective use of archived data from Landsat sensors and investigate the requirements for future sensors to meet the needs of Landsat users, including the needs of policymakers at all levels of government. The team will cooperate with other Earth-observing missions, both nationally and internationally. This will improve quantification of drivers and atmospheric forcings of climate change, contribute to improved projections of this change, and provide improved understanding of the present environment, its variability, and how it is changing.

This activity will address CCSP Goals 1, 2, and 3 and Question 6.1 of the CCSP Strategic Plan.