Abstract

This technical report responds to the recognition by the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) and the National Climate Assessment (NCA) of the importance of understanding how land use and land cover (LULC) affects weather and climate variability and change and how that variability and change affects LULC. Current published, peer-reviewed, scientific literature and supporting data from both existing and original sources forms the basis for this report’s assessment of the current state of knowledge regarding land change and climate interactions. The synthesis presented herein documents how current and future land change may alter environment processes and in turn, how those conditions may affect both land cover and land use by specifically investigating,
• The primary contemporary trends in land use and land cover,
• The land-use and land-cover sectors and regions which are most affected by weather and climate variability,
• How land-use practices are adapting to climate change,
• How land-use and land-cover patterns and conditions are affecting weather and climate, and
• The key elements of an ongoing Land Resources assessment.
These findings present information that can be used to better assess land change and climate interactions in order to better assess land management and adaptation strategies for future environmental change and to assist in the development of a framework for an ongoing national assessment.

First posted July 30, 2012