Modelling land use dynamics by integrating biophysical and human dimensions (CLUE) Costa Rica 1973–1984.

Abstract

As a pilot study potential biophysical and human land use drivers in Costa Rica were evaluated using multi-variate statistical methods in a nested scale analysis. The reconstructed land use drivers and their quantified effects on land use were applied within a dynamic framework CLUE (Conversion of Land Use and its Effects) to model land use dynamics in Costa Rica from 1973 to 1984. Our pilot study demonstrates that a land use/cover system can be described as a scale-dependent hierarchical system and that its dynamics can be satisfactorily modelled as functions of biophysical and human drivers.