CLUE-CR: An integrated multi-scale model to simulate land use change scenarios in Costa Rica

A dynamic gee-referenced land use/cover model (CLUE-CR) which simulates simultaneous local, regional and national land use/cover changes in Costa Rica is presented and discussed. CLUE-CR simulates the effects of changing demographical and biophysical driving forces on land use/cover change in Costa Rica, including feedbacks from land use/cover to those forces. The multi-scale aspect of the model allows the simulation of realistic system dynamics related to the interaction of top-down and bottom-up effects and constraints. As a model CLUE may be implemented for other countries and has the potential to be scaled down and/or up to link with regional land use models or integrated global change models.