Land Use Changes in the Southeastern United States: Quantitative Changes, Drivers, and Expected Environmental Impacts
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Study Area
2.2. Synthesis of LULCC, Drivers, and Environmental Impacts from Published Articles in the SEUS
2.3. The Steps Used According to the PSALSAR Framework for Collecting and Synthesizing Articles
3. Analysis of Major Land Types Using Observed Quantitative Data
Procedure
- Land-type data were collected from excel files from the Economic Research Service (ERS.) USDA website, retrieved from https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/major-land-uses/major-land-uses/ (accessed on 8 December 2022). The data showed acreage data in the form of “millions of acres”.
- The data was then prepared and categorized into an excel file with five major land types:
- Cropland total,
- Forest land total,
- Grassland total,
- Special-use area total,
- Urban land total.
- 3
- The land type categories comprised twelve states in the SEUS from 1945–2012: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
- 4
- The algebraic techniques of “Differencing” was applied to the data to get desired results for each time period (1949–2012). Data analysis by differencing involved subtracting acreage data of the former time period from the latter time period. This shows changes in acreage; the results were then plotted separately on graphs for each state [48,49].
- 5
- The algebraic differencing formula was used to calculate the changes between the acquisition dates of the two time periods, X1 and X2. Therefore, the formula used was [50]:
- 6.
- Line graphs were plotted for differencing results for each state for the analysis, these graphs include:
- Plots for the five land types showing the time period,
- Each time period is separated by five-year intervals (1949–2012),
- Comparative line graphs of all the states were carried out for the major land types, comparing the land types for differencing.
4. Results
4.1. Land-Type Data Analysis
- In general, some states had significant outliers for forest land and cropland, while the other land types were stable throughout the period.
- Urban land use total showed increased towards the end of the time period. The leading driver of this change has been attributed to rapid population growth in the SEUS [11].
- Grassland and special-use areas fluctuated based on how forest land and cropland acreage fluctuated.
- Special-use area total remained stable throughout the time period for most of the states and, in some cases, responded to urban land increases.
- Cropland acreage decreased after the year 2000 for most of the states.
- The population increased for most states; Florida and Georgia stand out with greater urban sprawls.
4.2. Statewide LULCC Analysis
4.3. Drivers Associated with Land Use Change in the SEUS
5. Discussion
5.1. Land Use Changes in Individual States
5.2. Quantitative Land Use Changes in the SEUS
5.3. Drivers Associated with Land Use Change in the SEUS
5.4. Assumptions, Limitations, Next Steps
6. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Land Type | Categories | Explanation |
---|---|---|
Forest land | Definition | The forest use excludes forest land in parks, wildlife areas, and similar special-purpose uses from the U.S. Forest Service’s inventory of total forestland. |
Forest land grazed | It mainly includes forest acres with grass or other forage growth. Forest forage growth consists of forest, brush-grown pasture, arid woodlands, etc. The total acreage of forested grazing land includes woodland pasture in farms plus estimates of forested grazing land not in farms. The data on active grazing is usually obtained from the Census of Agriculture, the NRI, and the U.S. Forest Service. | |
Forest land not grazed | Forest-use land which is not used for grazing. | |
Cropland | Definition | The combined data for cropland harvested, crop failure, and cultivated summer fallow is known as cropland used for crops, or the land used as an input to crop production. |
Cropland harvested | Row crops and closely sown crops like Wheat, Soybean, Potato, Sugar beets, Canola, Corn, Cotton, Soybeans, etc.; Hay and silage crops like Rye, Oats, Alfalfa, Clover, Sorghum, etc.; Tree fruits, small fruits, berries, and tree nuts like Apple, Oranges, Almonds, Grapes, Blue berries, etc.; Vegetables and melons, e.g., Lettuce, Tomatoes, Potatoes, Cucumbers, Cantaloupe, watermelon; Miscellaneous other minor crops. Annual estimates of cropland harvested are based on (a) census data and, (b) the series provided by National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) on principal crops harvested | |
Crop failure | As the name indicates, crop failure includes the acreage with failed crop. Extreme weather conditions, insect/diseases are the major reason for the crop failure but other reasons such as land not harvested due to lack of labor, low market prices, etc. Crop failure = cropland planted − Cropland harvested. Here, we do not include the crops which are not meant to be harvested (e.g., cover crops, green manure crops, other soil improvement crops, etc.). the acreage with such crop is included in crop idle. In recent years, crops have failed on 2–3% of the acreage planted for harvest. Annual estimates of crop failure have been calculated from the data provided by NASS. | |
Cultivated summer fallow | The acreage with crop which is cultivated and kept for one or more seasons is considered as cultivated summer fallow. It is usually grown in the sub-humid regions of the west to stock up the moisture and control the weeds before planting the small grains. This practice is mandatory for dry cropland usually found in the west. crop production in the drier cropland areas of the West. We do not include the crop which is a soil improvement crop but not harvested and left idle. Since the late 1970s, Census of Agriculture and unpublished NASS data are the sources for Cultivated summer fellow. Before that it used to be calculated from various separate sources. | |
Cropland pasture | Here, the cropland is used for pasture without any changes made or being harvested. If the acres are grazed before or after harvesting it is not considered as cropland pasture. Estimates were derived from the census of agriculture. | |
Idle cropland | It includes the acres without any kind of plantation without the aim to be harvested at some point like cover crops or soil improvement crops. Various physical and economic reasons also play a part to make a cropland considered as idle. Land which comes under Federal farm program and not being used as cropland also falls under this category. Additionally, land included in USDA’s Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) is considered as idle. | |
Urban land | Definition | Urban area includes residential areas and concentrations of nonresidential urban areas, such as commercial, industrial, and institutional land; office areas; urban streets and roads; major airports; urban parks and recreational areas, and other land within urban-defined areas. |
Census urban areas include densely populated areas with at least 50,000 people (“urbanized areas”) and densely populated areas with 2500 to 50,000 people (“urban clusters”) Densely populated areas-blocks with a population density of at least 1000 people per square mile, surrounding blocks with a density of at least 500 people per square mile, and “less densely settled blocks that form enclaves or indentations or are used to disconnect discontinuous areas with qualifying densities.” The Census Bureau collects and prepare the data for urban area every 10 years. Here, cities that are essentially rural in character are excluded. | ||
Grassland and Pasture | Definition | All open land, regardless of the ownership, used primarily for pasture and grazing falls under this category. |
It includes shrub and brush land types of pasture, grazing land with sagebrush and scattered mesquite, and all tame and native grasses, legumes, and other forage used for pasture or grazing. Usually, grassland pasture and range are not always clearly distinguish able from other types of pasture and range and they almost always overlap in transitional areas | ||
Special Use Area | Definition | Land which is mainly used for miscellaneous purpose which bears farmsteads, roads, lanes, etc. is considered as special use land. |
Rural transportation | It includes roads, railway lines in rural areas, highways, airports and all the various types of transportation methods outside of urban areas. | |
Rural parks and wildlife areas | As the name indicates, this type of land includes wilderness areas including Federal and State parks. | |
National defense and industrial areas | These are mainly used for military purpose which includes housing, airfields, R&D (Research and Development), etc. Such land is owned by Department of Defense and Department of Energy. |
Data Types | Land Type | Data Set, Descriptions, and Link | Assessed | Last Update |
---|---|---|---|---|
Acreage | Forest land | Total forest-use land, 1945–2012, by State: Forest-use land grazed and forest-use land not grazed. | 8 December 2022 | 28 August 2017 |
Cropland | Cropland, 1945–2012, by State: The sum of cropland used for crops, cropland idled, and cropland used for pasture. | |||
Grassland | Grassland pasture and range, 1945–2012, by State: Grassland and other nonforested pasture and range in farms plus estimates of open or nonforested grazing land not in farms. Does not include cropland used for pasture or forest land grazed. | |||
Special Use land | Total special uses, 1945–2012, by State: Rural transportation, rural parks and wildlife, defense and industrial, plus miscellaneous farm and other special uses. | |||
Urban land | Urban area, 1945–2012, by State: Densely-populated areas with at least 50,000 people (urbanized areas) and densely-populated areas with 2500 to 50,000 people (urban clusters) |
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Nedd, R.; Anandhi, A. Land Use Changes in the Southeastern United States: Quantitative Changes, Drivers, and Expected Environmental Impacts. Land 2022, 11, 2246. https://doi.org/10.3390/land11122246
Nedd R, Anandhi A. Land Use Changes in the Southeastern United States: Quantitative Changes, Drivers, and Expected Environmental Impacts. Land. 2022; 11(12):2246. https://doi.org/10.3390/land11122246
Chicago/Turabian StyleNedd, Ryan, and Aavudai Anandhi. 2022. "Land Use Changes in the Southeastern United States: Quantitative Changes, Drivers, and Expected Environmental Impacts" Land 11, no. 12: 2246. https://doi.org/10.3390/land11122246