Land use data for study areas with a relatively small spatial extent is often based on land
use maps or remote sensing images that denote land use types respectively by
homogeneous polygons or classified pixels. This results in only one dominant land use
type occupying one unit of analysis. Because of the differences in data representation
and other features that are typical for regional applications, the CLUE model cannot
directly be applied at the regional scale. Therefore the modelling approach has been
modified and is now called CLUE-S (the Conversion of Land Use and its Effects at Small
regional extent). CLUE-S is specifically developed for the spatially explicit simulation of
land use change based on an empirical analysis of location suitability combined with the
dynamic simulation of competition and interactions between the spatial and temporal
dynamics of land use systems. More information on the development of the CLUE-S
model can be found in Verburg et al. (2002) and Verburg and Veldkamp (2003).
The more recent versions of the CLUE model: Dyna-CLUE (Verburg and Overmars,
2009) and CLUE-Scanner include new methodological advances.
land use type to the pixels.