The LCLUC Program was designed to be a cross cutting theme within NASA’s Earth Science. Aspects of Land-Cover and Land-Use Change research can be found throughout the Earth Science Programs, with an emphasis reflecting the program element under which they are funded e.g. LCLUC research can also be found in the NASA Earth interdisciplinary science (IDS), and in various data initiatives. A number of
the NASA Graduate Fellowships and New Investigators are provided each year to support LCLUC and related research. A major challenge for the program management is to pull together the various LCLUC activities in a way that minimizes duplication, strengthens the science and exposes the science community to the research findings that are generated in different parts of the program. The LCLUC Program has a special place in NASA Earth Science in developing interdisciplinary approaches combining aspects of physical and social science, with a high level of societal relevance. The LCLUC Program has always had close program links to the NASA Satellite Instrument Teams pertinent to land-cover and land-use characterization and in particular with the Landsat Program, which is being jointly implemented with the USGS. At the interagency level and as part of USGCRP, LCLUC is its own program element with linkages to the US Carbon and Water initiatives. LCLUC is already addressing questions being raised by the new initiative on Climate Vulnerability, Impacts and Adaptation. Partnerships have been developed with other agencies, such as USAID and scientists from the USFS, NOAA and USGS are often funded by the LCLUC program. The program management is interested in strengthening interagency collaboration to further our understanding of land-cover and land-use change and its interaction with climate and environment. At the international level the LCLUC program is aligned with the goals of the IGBP/IHDP Global Land Project (GLP) and a number of participants in that programs are funded through LCLUC. The LCLUC program is a major supporter of the Global Observation of Forest Cover-Global Observation of Land Dynamics (GOFC- GOLD) program which is part of the Global Terrestrial Observing System (GTOS). LCLUC has been instrumental in the development of regional science network programs in the framework of GOFC-GOLD, NEESPI and MAIRS. The LCLUC program also has strong connections to CEOS through its Working Group on Calibration and Validation, specifically Land Product Validation subgroup, and to the Land Surface Imaging Constellation.
