This volume is a synthesis of the NASA funded work under the Land-Cover
and Land-Use Change Program. Hundreds of scientists have worked for the
past eight years to understand one of the most important forces that is
changing our planet-human impacts on land cover, that is land use. Its
contributions span the natural and the social sciences, and apply
state-of-the-art techniques for understanding the earth: satellite
remote sensing, geographic information systems, modeling, and advanced
computing. It brings together detailed case studies, regional analyses,
and globally scaled mapping efforts.
This is the most organized effort made to understand the dominant force
that has been responsible for changing the Earth's biosphere.
Audience: This publication will be of interest to students, scientists,
and policy makers.