Developing a science of land change: Challenges and methodological issues

R R Rindfuss; Stephen J Walsh; B L Turner II; J Fox; V Mishra

doi:10.1073/pnas.0401545101

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Developing a science of land change: Challenges and methodological issues

Journal article

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Developing a science of land change: Challenges and methodological issues

R R Rindfuss, Stephen J Walsh, B L Turner II, J Fox and V Mishra

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Vol.101(39), pp.13976-13981

2004

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0401545101

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Abstract

Land-change science has emerged as a foundational element of global environment change and sustainability science. It seeks to understand the human and environment dynamics that give rise to changed land uses and covers, not only in terms of their type and magnitude but their location as well. This focus requires the integration of social, natural, and geographical information sciences. Each of these broad research communities has developed different ways to enter the land-change problem, each with different means of treating the locational specificity of the critical variables, such as linking the land manager to the parcel being managed. The resulting integration encounters various data, methodological, and analytical problems, especially those concerning aggregation and inference, land-use pixel links, data and measurement, and remote sensing analysis. Here, these integration problems, which hinder comprehensive understanding and theory development, are addressed. Their recognition and resolution are required for the sustained development of land-change science.

Details

Title: Developing a science of land change: Challenges and methodological issues
Authors: R R Rindfuss (Author) - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States
Stephen J Walsh (Author) - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States
B L Turner II (Author) - Clark University, United States
J Fox (Author) - East-West Center, United States
V Mishra (Author) - Macro International, United States
Publication details: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Vol.101(39), pp.13976-13981
Publisher: National Academy of Sciences
Date published: 2004
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0401545101
ISSN: 0027-8424
Organisation Unit: University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99449281802621
Output Type: Journal article