A global land-use data cube 1992-2020 based on the Human Appropriation of Net Primary Production

Area of Science:

• Earth System Science
• Environmental Science
• Geospatial Analysis

Background:

• Land use significantly impacts Earth's climate, biodiversity, and biogeochemical cycles.
• Detailed spatiotemporal data on land-use dynamics and intensity are currently insufficient for comprehensive analysis.
• Understanding land-use change is vital for assessing ecological impacts and developing sustainability strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a comprehensive global land-use data cube (LUIcube) detailing land-use area and intensity from 1992 to 2020.
• To provide high-resolution (30 arcsecond) annual data for analyzing land-use dynamics.
• To enable the assessment of ecological impacts and inform sustainable land management.

Main Methods:

• Development of the LUIcube, a global dataset covering land-use area and intensity (1992-2020) at 30 arcsecond resolution.
• Classification of 32 distinct land-use classes, aggregable into broader categories (cropland, grazing, forestry, built-up, wilderness).
• Quantification of land-use intensity using the Human Appropriation of Net Primary Production (HANPP) framework.

Main Results:

• The LUIcube offers annual, high-resolution global data on land-use changes and intensity over 28 years.
• It distinguishes between various land-use types and quantifies human impacts on Net Primary Production (NPP).
• The dataset facilitates analysis of drivers behind land-use change and their ecological consequences.

Conclusions:

• The LUIcube is a valuable resource for analyzing land-use change drivers and ecological impacts.
• It supports the development of informed strategies for sustainable land management.
• This data cube enhances our capacity to understand and address global environmental challenges related to land use.