Progress of the research methodologies on the temporal and spatial process of LUCC

After one decade of development, the methods to explore the temporal and spatial process of LUCC (Land Use and Land Cover Change) have been vastly improved; and in some sense a methodology framework used to study the temporal and spatial process is being rapidly developed. The methodology framework is based on the integration of the classical theories of Geography and the recent developed technologies of remote sensing and GIS, which is a new research field to meet the need for scientific information to promote the studies on global change adaptation and sustainable development. It addressed the following: the detection and description of the temporal and spatial process of LUCC, analysis of driving mechanism of LUCC, simulation of LUCC process and evaluation of ecological effect due to LUCC. The formation of methodology framework to study the temporal and spatial process of LUCC, to some extent, has been promoted to tackle the hard-nut topics in science through interdisciplinary efforts among geography, GIS and macro-ecology. The domestic and overseas research trends indicate that the development of detection and analytical technologies of remote sensing information and the methodological innovation of simulating the temporal and spatial process of LUCC, play an important role in promoting the development of methodology framework of the temporal and spatial process of LUCC. The synthetic application of the detection and analytical technologies of LUCC remote sensing information, the construction of multi-source and temporal-spatial data platform and the realization of massive data availability and integration are all kernel components of the methodology framework of the temporal and spatial process of LUCC. We can expect that the research methods system of the temporal and spatial process of LUCC will play a more important role in guiding the research activities of LUCC processes at regional and global levels.National Basic Research Program of China [2009CB421105]; National Key Technology RD Program [2006BAC08B00]; National Natural Science Foundation of China [70873118