We began this chapter with landcover as an unfamiliar word. Landcover is a convenient label for that part of the biosphere that is critical to the continued existence of all terrestrial life. That includes you and me. As well, landcover, the vegetation and soils, appears to play a catalytic role in shaping the flow of energy and mass that comprise the climate system and the biogeochemical cycles of planet Earth.
The human species has changed, and is changing, landcover on an extensive and accelerating rate, globally. Although we cannot predict the exact consequences of these changes, we can be quite sure they will be significant. This is a matter of concern for us all.
For the Australian continent, the lifeboat for you and me and all our
descendants, it is the landcover that is distinctive and unique. Even for
most urban dwellers, it is the everyday woodlands of eucalypts that characterise
our landscapes. It is this type of landcover that says you are home. But
how much have we changed it over the years; are these changes significant;
and are we still doing it? These questions will be explored as this book
unfolds.
