What kind of models do scientists use to project future Land Use and/or Land Cover?
Several different approaches are used to project future Land Use and/or Land Cover. These can be divided into two broad categories: a) models that predict total land use change for a region, and b) models that predict Land Use for specific parcels or grid cells. If the analyst wants to know the total amount of land use change that will occur in a large region like a state, then the first type of model is appropriate. On the other hand, if the analyst wants to know where in the region land use change will occur, or to project what will happen at a specific place, then the second type of model is appropriate. a.) Models to predict total Land Use These models predict the total amount of land use or land cover change that will occur for a region (county, state, etc.), but do not predict where in the region that change will occur. For example, these models use equations or formulas to predict how much new development will occur, based on projections of population. A simple model could assum
