Land Use Lesson 6 : Analyzing Agricultural Land Use Changes : Country
Just as with the state level (Lesson 5), land use is an issue at the county level. Local governments and agencies must use reliable data and information to make decisions about the land use policies that are best for the county.
The County Land Use Data Bank presents data that are the same as those used by county officials to make local land use decisions. These data are taken from the U.S. Census of Agriculture. In that regard, the students are making land use observations using the same information and tools as are used by land use specialists.
The scientific analysis of trends in agricultural land use reflects how land uses in a county are changing. For example, in some counties there were major changes in land use from agricultural to residential and commercial during the period shown by the data bank. When those changes occur, it has an impact on roadway congestion, enrollment in schools, the development of services in the local area, water supply, and sewage disposal. The appearance of the land may change greatly from rolling fields to suburban development, shopping malls, golf courses, and fast food restaurants near busy intersections and along major roads. County land use may undergo major changes in a relatively short time.
The graphs the students construct from these data will show how agricultural land use has been changing. In some counties it may increase, in others it will be nearly the same, and in others there will be a decrease. These data do not explain the land use that is replacing agriculture. However, conventional wisdom leads people to conclude that some of the land is being used for commercial development, residences, parks, and streets and roads. While the specific amount of land used for other purposes is not known, the general nature of the change may become apparent after observations in their own and other counties.
Similar to the graphing in Lesson 5, the trend line will show changes in land use for three comparison counties since 1987. The trend line will enable students to describe the changes in the past and to project what the land use changes in agriculture may be in the future. The identification of trends is possible from the graphs.
Using the graphs of three counties—their own county and the others from rural, suburban, or urban classifications—the changes in land use may be compared. Graphing and comparing is a powerful means to develop concepts of land use and land use change.
The y-axis on the county graphs is in thousands of acres. Lines are on the graph for students to label. Note that the axis may not start at zero. This is important to note if students are accustomed to working from zero at the base of the graph. As with Lesson 5, the students are working with big numbers.