Foreword to the Issue on Remote Sensing of Regional Land Use and Land Cover

Remote sensing has been widely applied in land use and land cover mapping at the regional and local levels. Regional analysis and modeling are especially interested in applying remotely sensed data to derive quantitative measurements of land surface properties, to characterize and quantify land surface ecological and geographical patterns, and to analyze and model land surface processes. Recent advances in sensor technology and analytical techniques have improved our ability for better defining, characterizing, quantifying, and modeling land surface forms, patterns, and processes at the regional and local scales. This issue showcases some good work from Chinese authors who attended EORSA 2008 in Beijing.