Land use and cover change as an overarching topic in the Dutch national research programme on global air pollution and climate change. Issues for implementation

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The integration study 'Land Use and Cover Change as an overarching topic in the Dutch National Research Programme on Global Air Pollution and Climate Change (NRP)' aims at identifying research fields in which the NRP can contribute most effectively to the international scientific know-how of the interactions between land use/cover and global change. Goals of the study were: the initiation of integration of NRP land use/cover projects; the formulation of Dutch views on national and international research on land use and cover change (LUCC); and the preparation of an NRP agenda for research on land use/cover in relation to climate change. Land use/cover change is a very broad field of research and it is impossible to cover the whole subject within the NRP. Important Dutch land use/cover research topics are at present: the influence of the land cover on biogeochemical cycles; land cover distribution; the influence of climate change on crop growth; the use of biomass for energy supply; and land use/cover modelling. Tropical areas as well as the Netherlands, Europe and the global perspective are studied. Within the NRP, the biophysical side of land use/cover change has received most attention. A concerted effort is required to focus Dutch Land Use/Cover research more effectively in order to: optimise the Dutch inputs into the international arena (IGBP, IHDP, etc.). Define areas of complementarity in which Dutch research and policy can best benefit directly or indirectly from international research efforts.