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The 2013 National Climate Assessment considers land use and land cover change as a cross-cutting topic relevant to all regions and sectors of the U.S. Land cover and land use are considered in each NCA region and for specific sectors such as agriculture and forestry; this chapter describes national trends and relationships. The assessment reviews recent trends in U.S. land use and land cover as well as scenarios for future change. The key messages of this report chapter focus on relationships between patterns of land use and land cover and the vulnerability of ecosystems and human activities to climate change as well as influences of land cover and land use on climate processes. Options for climate change mitigation and adaptation through land management are also considered. The National Climate Assessment is a sustained process that comprises both periodic synthesis and focused studies and special reports. Understanding the links between climate change and land use and land cover are foundational elements of this sustained process.