Dynamics of Land-Use Change and Conservation in the Prairie Pothole Region of the United States--Environmental and Economic Implications with Linkages to Rural Community Well-Being

摘要

There were a number of goals guiding this research effort. They include (1) providing a comprehensive review (chap. 1) of land use (past and present) in the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR), (2) identifying and articulating linkages (chaps. 2 and 3) between landscape conditions and economic variables, (3) estimating the economic contribution (chap. 2) of perennial habitat lands in the region, and (4) synthesizing the quantitative and qualitative research findings regarding aspects of rural-community well-being as influenced by land-use decisions (chap. 3). The goal was not to promote one land use over another. Rather, the goal was to provide insight into the economic implications and community well-being aspects pertaining to land-use decisions. The study does focus on the economic effects of restoring perennial habitat, as these relationships are often indirect and not easily ascertained. The evolution of farm structure, farm dependency of rural communities, and economic influence of farming form another focus of the study, as farmland is the dominant land use in the region and a major component of the regions economic output.