Clark Labs Clark University

Land Change Modeler is a software extension for ArcGIS offering a comprehensive set of integrated tools to analyze and model land-cover change and the impacts of change on habitat and biodiversity. Users can perform a variety of change analyses with two land-cover maps of different dates. Along with graphs of gains and losses and net changes and contributions experienced by any category, a user can immediately generate rapid maps of change, persistence, specific transitions, and exchanges. A change abstraction tool based on trend surface analysis is also provided, which allows the user to uncover the underlying trends of complex change. For change prediction, Land Change Modeler employs cutting-edge neural network procedures for empirical modeling and forecasting of land-cover change. Using the past land-cover change information along with environmental variable maps that the user believes drives or explains the change, it is possible to predict what the land cover will be in the future. Land Change Modeler also allows for the incorporation of planning interventions as well as the dates they become effective, important parameters that may alter the course of development in the change prediction process. To assess the effect of land-cover change on habitat and biodiversity, Land Change Modeler provides a wide range of analytical features and utilities. Tools are included for habitat assessment, habitat change analysis, gap analysis, landscape pattern analysis, and biodiversity assessment.