Land use/land cover: inventory and change

Abstract

Land use information is an important input to a host of planning decisions and for this reason has been gathered by various levels of government for many years. Existing land uses, because of their strong influence on how land will be used in the future, are a crucial element in the development of a land use or land development plan. They are also useful for purposes of tax assessment, for the development and implementation of zoning ordinances, and for various conservation activities. Perhaps most importantly land use data represent a base against which to measure change. Land use change data are necessary both for developing land use policies and for monitoring their effectiveness.