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Change in Prime Farmland Acreage by State, 1982-1997

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Description

This bar map shows the change (typically a loss) in Prime Farmland acreage by state. The bars represent successive 5-year time periods, with the final red bar showing the total Prime Farmland that changed over all 15 years from 1982 to 1997. The length of each bar is proportional to the number of acres it represents. All data values are in hundreds of acres. There was a net decrease of 9,993,200 acres of prime farmland between 1982 and 1997.

Cautions for this Product:
The National Total bars are not the same scale as the state bars. Data are not collected on Federal land.


Sources

Source: National Resources Inventory, 1997
Distributor: USDA-NRCS-RIAD
Reliability:
NRI sample data are generally reliable at the 95% confidence interval for state and certain broad substate area analyses. Generally, analyses that aggregate data points by smaller geographic areas and/or more specific criteria result in fewer data points for each aggregation and therefore less reliable estimates. NRI maps reflect national patterns rather than site- specific information.

Layers

Aggregate Layer: State Other Layers Displayed:  

Definitions

Prime farmland:
Land that has the best combination of physical and chemical characteristics for producing food, feed, forage, fiber, and oilseed crops and is also available for these uses. It has the soil quality, growing season, and moisture supply needed to produce economically sustained high yields of crops when treated and managed according to acceptable farming methods, including water management. In general, prime farmlands have an adequate and dependable water supply from precipitation or irrigation, a favorable temperature and growing season, acceptable acidity or alkalinity, acceptable salt and sodium content, and few or no rocks. They are permeable to water and air. Prime farmlands are not excessively erodible or saturated with water for a long period of time, and they either do not flood frequently or are protected from flooding.[SSM, USDA Handbook No. 18, October 1993]

Product Information

Product ID: 5273
Production Date: 12/13/00
Product Type: Map

For additional information contact the Resources Inventory and Assessment Division. Please include the Product ID you are inquiring about. nri@wdc.usda.gov or 1400 Independence Avenue SW - P.O. Box 2890 - Washington D.C. 20013. If you use our analysis products, please be aware of our disclaimer.