Cropland Analysis Maps and Tables from 1997 NRI

1997 data and earlier provides maps and tables analyzing U.S. croplands, including cultivated areas, erosion, conservation, irrigation, and crop-specific trends. The dataset was created by the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) and other agencies, with products published online around 1998. It includes downloadable Postscript map files and pipe-delimited ASCII data files for use with GIS coverages.

Use Cases

• Analyze historical trends in cropland use by mapping changes over time from 1992 to 1997.
• Assess erosion on cropland and the impact of conservation practices using specific map layers.
• Study irrigation patterns and water use by examining maps and data on irrigated cropland.
• Model crop-specific land cover and productivity by integrating data from maps on specific crops and the Census of Agriculture.

Strengths

• Includes data from 1997 and earlier years, enabling temporal analysis.
• Provides multiple thematic map layers (erosion, irrigation, specific crops) for cross-analysis.
• Data files are available in pipe-delimited ASCII format for integration with GIS systems.

Limitations

• Data is over 25 years old (last updated 1998), limiting relevance for current analysis.
• Summary tables and data files are noted as not available for all maps, indicating incomplete coverage.
• The dataset's origin from a 'preliminary' 1997 NRI suggests it may not be the final, authoritative version.

Provenance

Source

USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) and related agencies, via NASA Earthdata.

Collection Method

Derived from the National Resources Inventory (NRI), a statistical survey of land use and natural resource conditions.

Time Range

Primary data from 1997, with some data from 1992 and earlier.

Freshness

Static historical snapshot; last updated 1998-10-31.

Geography

United States croplands.