30 Years of Land Cover Change in Connecticut, USA: A Case Study of Long-Term Research, Dissemination of Results, and Their Use in Land Use Planning and Natural Resource Conservation

Chester Arnold, Emily Wilson, James Hurd and Daniel Civco
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Chester Arnold: Department of Extension, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
Emily Wilson: Department of Extension, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
James Hurd: Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
Daniel Civco: Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA

Land, 2020, vol. 9, issue 8, 1-26

Abstract: Remotely sensed land cover data can be a tremendous resource to land use decision makers, yet there is often a disconnect between the worlds of remote sensing and local government. The Connecticut’s Changing Landscape project is focused on bridging this gap. The project analyzes changes to the state’s landscape using Landsat-derived 30-m land cover and cross-correlation analysis. It includes seven dates spanning 30 years, from 1985 to 2015. During this period an additional 4.7 percent of the state was converted to development-related land covers, with corresponding losses to forest and agricultural land. New development was for the most part in attenuated patterns rather than concentrated near existing developed areas. Additional land cover analyses were conducted of agricultural areas, riparian corridors, core forest, and watershed imperviousness, to more closely examine issues of sustainability. Particular care is taken to make research findings accessible, understandable, and usable for the public through traditional outreach methods, and increasingly through internet mapping technology. As a result, the project has become a widely used resource informing the work of state, regional and local governments, nonprofit organizations, and researchers. A more concerted effort to integrate research and outreach is needed to ensure that land cover research has an impact on issues of land use and sustainability.

Keywords: landscape change; remote sensing; land use decision making; urbanization; education; online mapping (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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