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Document Type
Dissertation - University Access Only
Award Date
2015
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department / School
Geospatial Science and Engineering
First Advisor
David Roy
Abstract
Conterminous United States (CONUS) field and farm sizes are thought to be increasing due to many factors. CONUS wide information on these changes could inform agricultural policy decisions that address socioeconomic and environmental concerns. CONUS farm size data are available from the United States Census of Agriculture and studies using these data have reported increases in national and state farm sizes in the last several decades. However, changes in CONUS county-level arable farm sizes have not been studied. Publically available spatially explicit CONUS field size information has only recently become available and has been generated by analysis of 30m Landsat satellite data. In this dissertation, hypotheses concerning changes in farm size; changes in field size; and field and farm size relationships are presented. First, CONUS decadal changes in county-level arable farm sizes, and their regional variations, are investigated. Second, the utility of 30m Landsat data in capturing field sizes, and their changes, within the CONUS and globally distributed agricultural regions typically associated with smaller field sizes, is analysed. Third, CONUS county arable field and farm size correlations are examined. This dissertation has resulted in one published and one submitted paper.
Library of Congress Subject Headings
Farms, Size of -- United States
Description
Includes bibliographical references
Format
application/pdf
Number of Pages
197
Publisher
South Dakota State University
Recommended Citation
White, Emma Victoria, "Changing Arable Field and Farm Sizes of the Conterminous United States, a Decennial Assessment" (2015). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 1873.
https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/etd/1873
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