Frontier Land Use Change: Synthesis, Challenges, and Next Steps

R R Rindfuss; B Entwisle; Stephen J Walsh; C F Mena; C M Erlien; C L Gray

doi:10.1111/j.1467-8306.2007.00580.x

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Frontier Land Use Change: Synthesis, Challenges, and Next Steps

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Frontier Land Use Change: Synthesis, Challenges, and Next Steps

R R Rindfuss, B Entwisle, Stephen J Walsh, C F Mena, C M Erlien and C L Gray

Annals of the Association of American Geographers, Vol.97(4), pp.739-754

2007

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8306.2007.00580.x

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Abstract

Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience

Human Geography

agent-based models

case comparisons

frontier

land use change

population dynamics

Profound social, economic, and environmental changes that include new land management practices are often associated with advancing agricultural frontiers. We argue that existing approaches to case studies do not allow for clear generalization or the systematic testing of hypotheses. As an alternative, our study uses Mill's method of agreement approach to synthesize results from seven long-term case studies of land cover change in frontier areas. We identify a number of generalizations that hold across the specific case studies. We also identify changes in the spatial organization of land use in agricultural frontier areas, which are typically characterized by agricultural expansion, growing population, and transportation improvements. We then evaluate the methodological strengths and weaknesses of Mill's method of agreement based on use in this study. Finally, we argue that agent-based models, using virtual landscapes and the logic of demographic standardization, are an important next step to facilitate methodologically defensible comparisons across case studies.

Details

Title: Frontier Land Use Change: Synthesis, Challenges, and Next Steps
Authors: R R Rindfuss (Author) - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States
B Entwisle (Author) - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States
Stephen J Walsh (Author) - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States
C F Mena (Author) - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States
C M Erlien (Author) - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States
C L Gray (Author) - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States
Publication details: Annals of the Association of American Geographers, Vol.97(4), pp.739-754
Publisher: Routledge
DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8306.2007.00580.x
ISSN: 0004-5608
Organisation Unit: University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99449817502621
Output Type: Journal article

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