Vanderpool, C.K., T. Yamaguchi, E. Wolff, C. Harris, L. Bohannan, L.A. Geason
Presented at the ASM at Snowbird (2000-08-02 to 2017-12-05 )
Ongoing demographic and land use transformations in Southwestern counties in Michigan are presented as part of an effort to develop an integrated model of the human, agricultural and natural resource ecosystem. Demographic data of ten counties in the Region surrounding the Kellogg Biological Station (KBS) are portrayed to examine the long-term changes in the social system, which will affect or be affected by soil, land and water conditions. Impacts on natural resources (forestry, fisheries and wildlife) are noted.The region in the 1950s had isolated urban cores (Battle Creek and Kalamazoo) surrounded by rural areas. Over the past 50 years, an urban corridor developed cutting across the Region. The growth of the urban corridor was facilitated primarily by the construction of major interstate highways in the Region. The urban corridor initially stimulated urban industrial growth in the counties, which in turned pushed up income. As a consequence, residential growth facilitated the spread of the corridor to outer areas, replacing agricultural land and areas used for forestry, fisheries and wildlife. Despite a relatively stable population, exurbanites continue to use agricultural land for their residences. Using data from the US Census of Population and the Census of Agriculture, the study examines: 1) how counties have been transformed during the past five decades, and 2) the spatial and temporal patterns of this transformation.
Back to meeting | Show |