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Using an ecoregion framework to analyze land-cover and land-use dynamics
Alisa L Gallant1, Thomas R Loveland, Terry L Sohl
1U.S. Geological Survey, EROS Data Center, Sioux Falls, South Dakota 57198, USA.
Environmental Management
|July 27, 2005
Summary
Ecoregions effectively organize land cover and land use dynamics across the United States. This framework reveals how human activities and natural factors influence landscape changes over time.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Geography
- Ecology
Background:
- The United States exhibits diverse landscapes shaped by climate, geology, soil, hydrology, vegetation, and human land use.
- Land use patterns are dynamic, influenced by accessibility, economics, and population changes.
- Ecoregions provide a valuable framework for understanding and reporting land-use dynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To implement an ecoregion framework for documenting land-cover and land-use dynamics.
- To analyze trends in land-cover and land-use changes in the conterminous United States from 1973 to 2000.
Main Methods:
- Utilized an ecoregion framework to organize and analyze land-cover and land-use data.
- Examined patterns of land cover, urban settlement, agricultural variables, and resource-based industries within ecoregions.
Main Results:
- Ecoregion boundaries align well with patterns of land cover, urban development, agriculture, and resource industries.
- Analysis of six eastern ecoregions demonstrated that land-cover types, their patterns, and human alteration are organized by ecoregion.
- The characteristics of land-cover change also evolve over time within these ecoregions.
Conclusions:
- Ecoregions are a robust tool for organizing and interpreting complex land-cover and land-use dynamics.
- The study highlights the spatial and temporal variability of land-use changes across different ecoregions.
- Understanding these ecoregion-specific dynamics is crucial for effective land management and conservation efforts.