Advancements in the Paired Land Use Experiment Method for Land Management Research

Land management is a critical component of human activities; however, due to the lack of data and methodological limitations, its influence on vegetation change has been challenging to identify and quantify. Existing models are insufficient in effectively describing these processes, while observation-based comparative analyses often rely on grid-walking methods, which fail to provide a clear depiction of land management processes at the regional scale. The Paired Land Use Experiment (PLUE) theory draws inspiration from the paired watershed approach by selecting regions with significant differences in land management but consistent climate change to create a land management control experiment. This theory has undergone validation in multiple regions. This report introduces the application of the PLUE method in various case studies, highlighting the significant impact of land management on vegetation change. Moving forward, these land management processes are suggested to be integrated as submodules within models to enable broader and more systematic research.