Land cover is the physical and biological material found on the land surface – which can be either vegetation or man-made structures. Land cover differs from land use, although the way land is used is often either a cause or an effect of its cover type. Land use describes the various ways in which human beings make use of and manage the land and its resources.
The way land is used and managed can alter land cover, and can also have an impact on surrounding habitats, the flow of surface waters, and on biogeochemical cycles. Land cover and land use issues, therefore, can play a significant role in environmental change, including climate change.
When land cover is altered, it can result in the destruction of natural carbon sinks that absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide, a heat-trapping gas that contributes to climate change. Deforestation, for example, is a major contributor to observed increases of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.