Characterizing patterns of global land use: An analysis of global croplands data

Abstract

Human activities have shaped significantly the state of terrestrial ecosystems throughout the world. One of the most direct manifestations of human activity within the biosphere has been the conversion of natural ecosystems to croplands. In this study, we present an analysis of the geographic distribution and spatial extent of permanent croplands. This analysis represents the area in permanent croplands during the early 1990s for each grid cell on a global 5 min (∼10 km) resolution latitude‐longitude grid. To create this data set, we have combined a satellite‐derived land cover data set with a variety of national and subnational agricultural inventory data. A simple calibration algorithm was used so that the spatial land cover data were generally consistent with nonspatial agricultural inventory data. The spatial distribution of croplands represented in this analysis presents a quantitative depiction of global agricultural geography. The regions of the world known to have intense cultivation (e.g., the North American corn belt, the European wheat‐corn belt, the Ganges floodplain, and eastern China) are clearly portrayed in this analysis. It also captures the less intensely cultivated regions of the world, usually surrounding the regions mentioned above, and regions characterized by subsistence agriculture (e.g., Sahelian Africa). Data generated from this kind of analysis can be used within global climate models and global ecosystem models to assess the importance of permanent croplands on environmental processes. In particular, these data, combined with models, could help evaluate the role of changing land cover on regional climate and carbon cycling. Future efforts will need to concentrate on other land use systems, including pastures and regions of shifting cultivation. Furthermore, land use and land cover data must be extended to include an historical dimension so as to evaluate the changing state of the biosphere over time. This article contains supplementary material.