The importance of Global Change research and Land-Use and Land-Cover Change (LUCC) studies reflects concerns about the need to understand the influence of human activities on the biogeochemical foundation of the biosphere as well as their impacts on climate change. Nowadays, since 1995, it is assumed the importance of LUCC as a substantial agent of change with great significance in climate change, loss of biodiversity, use of natural resources, human health and quality of life. Therefore we must perceive the influences of land-use and land-cover changes as a significant driving-force for Global Change.

The importance of Global Change research and Land-Use and Land-Cover Change (LUCC) studies reflects concerns about the need to understand the influence of human activities on the biogeochemical foundation of the biosphere as well as their impacts on climate change. Nowadays, since 1995, it is assumed the importance of LUCC as a substantial agent of change with great significance in climate change, loss of biodiversity, use of natural resources, human health and quality of life. Therefore we must perceive the influences of land-use and land-cover changes as a significant driving-force for Global Change.

The conversion of forestland to other land uses has resulted in substantial loss of biodiversity and other potential economic values to the community. However, the potential economic values of forest resources have been largely ignored by policy makers and land use planners. An economic valuation of forest resources of AyerHitam Forest (AHFR), Puchong, Selangor was carried out to determine its economic value and its impact on land use changes. The study focused on valuation of timber resources, recreation, community roles and wildlife conservation. The results show that the economic value of AHFR is substantial and ignoring this value in land use development would provide a wrong signal to policy makers. Future land use planning should consider not only market-based economic returns but also its non-market and other environmental benefits.

P Burgers, 'Indigenous fallow management and biodiversity: in line with nature', Proceedings of workshop the management of agrobiodiversity in Indonesia for sustainable land use and global environmental benefits. Workshop held on August 19-20, 1999, in Bogor, Indones, pp.103-110, ASB-Indonesia and International Centre for Research in Agroforestry, SEA Regional Research Programme, 1999

L Joshi, 'Knowledge-based systems (KBS) approach to access farmers' local knowledge about ecology and biodiversity', Proceedings of workshop the management of agrobiodiversity in Indonesia for sustainable land use and global environmental benefits. Workshop held on August 19-20, 1999, in Bogor, Indonesia, pp.111-126, ASB-Indonesia and International Centre for Research in Agroforestry, SEA Regional Research Programme, 1999

T.P Tomich, 'Biodiversity loss, agricultural development, and sustainability', Toward Sustainable Agriculture in Humid Tropics Facing 21st Century: Proceedings of international seminar, 27-28 September 1999, Lampung, Indonesia, pp.36-52, 1999 | Research by the Alternatives to Slash-and-Burn (ASB) Consortium in Sumatra provides little support for the original perception 'poverty causes people to migrate to the forests, but they don't know how to manage the soils, which forces them to move on and open new forest, leaving a trail of degraded lands behind'. However, ASB research also shows that the land use systems that follow forest conversion differ significantly in the profitability and impacts on biodiversity. For example, farmers have developed agroforests, based on rubber, damar and other local or introduced trees, as sustainable and profitable alternatives to shifting cultivation, but these opportunities have stimulated rather than slowed down forest conversion in the absence of active boundary enforcement mechanisms for natural areas. Although agroforests can maintain part of the biodiversity of the originsl forests, they are no substitute for full protection of biodiversity in dedicated natural areas and conservation reserves

Better data: currently, the quality of GIS analyses is constrained by poor data on the distribution of current tsetse populations, non-human and human trypanosomosis prevalence, livestock population densities, agricultural production, biodiversity, soil fertility, land-use, infrastructure, income, markets, etc. More and better analysis: most of the current focus is on the production of maps, with little use of powerful GIS analysis tools. Better use needs to be made of exploratory analysis techniques, statistical analyses, spatial data analysis. Integration with other modelling tools: To date, GIS software does not incorporate tools to model system dynamics. GIS tools need to be better linked with other analysis tools to improve our understanding of system change after tsetse control.