Land Use Lesson 5 - Analyzing Land Use Changes : State

1. Introduction to the U.S. Census of Agriculture.

Explain to students that they will be looking at changes in land use, focusing on farmland.

In order to scientifically examine the changes in land use for a region, students need good, reliable information. The U.S. Agricultural Census is the most reliable source of information for agricultural land use in the country and the state.

Data in the U.S. Census of Agriculture are available for everyone to use. The census asks people living on farms about the amount of land they farm, the crops they grow, and the amount of products they sell. The census tells a great deal about how the land in agriculture in each state is used, including Michigan.

2. Vocabulary development.

Census and trend are two key terms in this lesson. A census is an official count. The census that occurs in the United States in years ending with 0 is a count of population, but counts of other things are also taken. Information from the census is used to determine trends—a general direction or pattern. Let students experience a census by having them gather data on the floor size of each classroom in your school, as well as the number of students per classroom; then have them analyze the data to see if they can identify any trends. For example: Does the number of students per classroom increase, decrease, or stay the same with grade level? Does the amount of classroom space per student increase, decrease, or stay the same with grade level? How might students explain any trends they detect?

3. Graph the U.S. Census of Agriculture data from Table 1.

How can we tell if land use has changed over time? [One way is to graph census data from different years. Line graphs are good graphs for showing change over time.]

Distribute copies of the student resource Table 1: State of Michigan Agricultural Lands and the blank Line Graph of Changes in Michigan’s Agricultural Lands. You may want to project a copy of the table as an overhead. Guide students through the process of graphing the data, making sure they label each axis appropriately. An answer key showing the completed graph is provided; you may want to project the answer key as an overhead to help students self-correct their work.

Use the following questions to help students analyze the graphs:

How has Michigan farmland use changed? [Regardless of the two slight increases and the leveling off in recent years, the overall trend continues as a decrease in farmland.]

Why is land use changing? What is the trend since 1950? [Land has been taken out of farmland and has been used for housing, malls, transportation, industrial facilities, parking lots, baseball fields, recreational facilities, etc.] 

What does the graph indicate has been happening recently? [It appears that the loss of farmland may be leveling off.]

What are some of the reasons that farmland loss might be slowing down? [Efforts to preserve farmland may be successful. The economic environment for farm products may have improved. Perhaps the remaining farmland is the better farmland.]

What is the most likely land use to take over agricultural land use? [Urban or residential.]

4. Evaluate change.

Project and read Government’s Role in Land Stewardship. Discuss the following questions:

What was the purpose of the Farmland and Open Space Preservation Program? [The program intends to provide alternatives to people and organizations that own land. They may enter into agreements with the State of Michigan to preserve and steward their land in the future.]

Why might the state of Michigan want to preserve farmland? [Farmland represents a land use where land, water, and air interact and is quite different from urban areas where there may be little opportunity for water to infiltrate the soil. Therefore, farmlands serve in part as large areas where there is a more equal environmental balance between land, water, and air. Agriculture provides jobs and produces products for the local as well as the export market. Many of the red beans in Michigan’s thumb area are exported to other countries as are west Michigan’s blueberries, cherries, apples, and grape juice from Michigan’s orchards and vineyards.]

Will the changes in land use continue in the future? [Yes, they will very likely continue. While we will have to wait for the next agriculture census to be certain, observations of land use change in many communities suggest that the overall trend of a loss in farmland is going to continue because there is economic competition for land.]

Is the loss of farmland positive or negative? [Land that is used for housing meets an important need; land that is used for shopping malls provides places to shop. On the other side of the argument, once land is taken out of agriculture, it is nearly always lost forever. This has an impact on the land resources available for future generations. Many people do not agree about that important consideration.]

If students ask, “What will happen to the Braun Family Farm?,” respond. [The Farmland and Open Space Preservation Program promises that the farm will be used as farmland for at least seven years, and then may be extended for a longer period. If the land use as farmland is no longer practical, then it may be used as open space. Open space may be nature trails, wildlife habitat, or a natural ecosystem.]

5. Review.

What is happening to farmland in Michigan? [It is being converted to other uses, but at a slower rate than previously.]

Does this mean that we will run out of food? [No, because we do live in an interconnected and global society.]