Advances in GIS Applications for Land Change Analysis

With the rise of land change science (LCS), Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have become indispensable for observing, quantifying, and monitoring land use and land cover dynamics. The rapid development of geoinformation technologies has significantly transformed approaches to spatial planning, land management, and natural resource use. By integrating and analyzing spatial datasets, such as soil, climate, and vegetation information, GIS supports territorial planning and enables comprehensive assessments of existing conditions. This helps researchers and practitioners generate more precise and scientifically grounded decisions. Moreover, GIS contributes to understanding human-induced environmental impacts by assessing the scale and rate of ecosystem degradation, modeling potential future changes, and providing insights that align land use with sustainable development objectives.

The goal of this Research Topic is to highlight recent advances in GIS applications within the context of land change science. We aim to explore how GIS-based methods can effectively analyze, model, and interpret spatial data, offering valuable insights into the processes shaping land use and land cover. A key challenge addressed in this Research Topic is the need for robust methodologies to monitor ongoing transformations, evaluate their environmental consequences, and predict future patterns under different scenarios. By showcasing cutting-edge research, this collection seeks to advance our understanding of the spatial and temporal dimensions of land changes and support decision-making in environmental management and planning. Ultimately, the objective is to demonstrate the versatility of GIS as both a scientific and practical tool that facilitates sustainable land use strategies and enhances the resilience of socio-ecological systems.

This Research Topic welcomes Original Research articles, Case Studies, and Review papers that address GIS-based applications in land change science. Submissions may include, but are not limited to, the following themes:

• Land use and land cover change analysis;
• Spatial and temporal dynamics of land cover transformations;
• Land management strategies and sustainable natural resource use; Land degradation risk assessment;
• GIS applications in soil monitoring, digital soil mapping, and erosion studies;
• Geospatial analyses of landslides, slopes, and terrain features; Vegetation and biodiversity monitoring; and
• GIS approaches in urban and regional planning.

We encourage authors to present innovative methodologies, interdisciplinary approaches, and applied research that demonstrate the potential of GIS to support policy development, environmental monitoring, and long-term strategies for sustainable land management.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Land Use Change, Land Cover Dynamics, Land Change Science, Spatial Analysis, Geospatial Data, Environmental Monitoring, Remote Sensing, Landscape Transformation, Spatial Modelling, Sustainable Land Management

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.