Note that the data published in the 2002 State of the Nation’s Ecosystems Report as well as the 2003 and 2005 Web-Only Updates have been superseded by the 2008 Report and thus should be used with caution. For the most recent data, purchase the 2008 Report from Island Press.

What Is This Indicator, and Why Is It Important? This indicator would report the degree to which suburban development and other built-up areas break up (fragment) the farmland landscape (croplands plus intermingled “natural” areas such as forests, wetlands, and grasslands and shrublands). Areas with a mosaic of cropland and intermingled natural areas—but little or no development—would be rated as “low” on the “fragmentation index” used for this indicator, while those in which small patches of cropland are mixed into a backdrop of suburban development would be rated as “high.” These data would be presented nationally, as above, and by region for the most current year.

Housing and other development in farmland areas may compromise the economic viability of farming. Low-density, scattered development requires a great deal of surface area for roads and infrastructure, spreading over a relatively large proportion of the farmland landscape. Commuter traffic on rural roads produces dangerous conflicts with slow-moving farm machinery, and new residents may object to long-standing farm practices such as manure spreading. Development also typically increases nearby land values and, in some states, the property taxes on farmland, thereby increasing incentives for farmers to sell their land for further development. Finally, some development can diminish the aesthetic quality and recreation potential of formerly pastoral landscapes.

This indicator was selected to address the ability of farmland landscapes to produce goods for human benefit. It does not address how such fragmentation affects wildlife or other environmental values; for this, see the shape of natural patches in the farmland landscape.

Why Can't This Entire Indicator Be Reported at This Time? The satellite land cover data necessary to report this index are available, but the data have not yet been analyzed.