Land use change modelling, especially if done in a spatially-explicit, integrated and multi-scale manner, is an important technique for the projection of alternative pathways into the future, for conducting experiments that test our understanding of key processes in land use changes. Land-use change models should represent part of the complexity of land use systems. They offer the possibility to test the sensitivity of land use patterns to changes in selected variables. They also allow testing of the stability of linked social and ecological systems, through scenario building.
Journal
A. Veldkamp, E.F. Lambin
Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment
2001