Everett Black 

eblack@gsd.harvard.edu

Classifying Cropland
As part of GOV 1009: Advanced Spatial Analysis taught by Connie Chen, I developed the "Classify Cropland" tool to analyze cropland diversity in the Driftless Area, a unique geographic region in the Midwest characterized by its rocky cliffs and varied terrain. This project aimed to explore the interaction between farming practices and human geography, particularly focusing on how different jurisdictions within a shared geographic area influence agricultural diversity.

The "Classify Cropland" tool utilizes the USDA NASS Cropland Data Layers (CDL), a detailed categorical raster dataset that differentiates between approximately 200 land use types, specific to crop categories. The tool calculates two key biodiversity metrics: VARIETY, which measures the number of different crop types, and EVENNESS, which assesses the distribution of these crop types within a region.

To achieve this, the tool reclassifies the raster data to focus on agricultural land, performs zonal statistics, and calculates the Shannon diversity index to provide insights into crop diversity and distribution. The analysis reveals the impact of political and cultural differences on farming practices across 54 counties and 4 states within the Driftless Area.

This tool was written in python, you can see the script on my github. 04/2024

The driftless region is a geographic region in the American Midwest that extends between Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, and Minnesota. The region is defined by its rocky and hilly topography, which contrasts with the rest of the regions flat and fertile soils.
The USDA releases an annual categorical raster of crop types known as the Cropland Data Layer (CDL). Created by the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), it uses satellite imagery and agricultural ground truth to map crop-specific land cover for the continental United States.

The outline of the Driftless Area, shown in black, spans 54 counties across 4 states, each with unique legislative and cultural attitudes toward farming. The Classify Cropland tool was created to analyze diversity metrics within this region, which shares similar geographic characteristics but falls under different jurisdictions, to study the impact of political realities on farming practices.

The map displays crop evenness across counties, with more saturated colors indicating a more balanced distribution of different crop types.
The map displays crop variety across counties, with more saturated colors indicating a higher number of crop varieties.


 
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