Land-use change
Land-use change is a shift in how land is used or managed, including conversion between categories such as forest, cropland, grassland, wetlands, settlements, and other land. The change can alter carbon stocks, greenhouse gas flows, habitats, water processes, livelihoods, and other ecosystem functions over time.
In simple terms
The term covers more than clearing forests. Deforestation is one specific conversion, while restoring cropland to forest may involve afforestation. Converting grassland to cropland, draining a wetland, or expanding a settlement are also land-use changes. Greenhouse gas inventories classify land by defined categories and track land remaining in a category separately from land converted to another category. Analysts should state the geographic boundary, previous and new use, observation period, and accounting method. They should also separate directly observed change from indirect land-use change inferred through market responses elsewhere.
Why it matters
Changing land use can release or remove greenhouse gases and transform biodiversity, soil, water, and community access. These effects may persist long after the initial conversion. Reliable classification and time-series data help governments and companies avoid double counting, identify conversion risks in supply chains, and distinguish genuine restoration from relabelling or temporary cover changes.
Example
A regional inventory maps an area that changed from forest land to cropland during the reporting period. It records the conversion year, estimates changes in biomass, soil carbon, and carbon dioxide emissions using the relevant IPCC method, and reports the area as land converted to cropland rather than combining it with long-established cropland.
How it differs
Deforestation
Deforestation is a particular conversion away from forest; land-use change is broader and includes conversions among all land categories as well as changes that can increase forest cover.