Land Cover in Ohio's Townships:

An Analysis of Township Land Cover and Population Change

Prepared by:

Jason Reece and Elena Irwin (2002)

SUMMARY: Although land in townships accounts for 91% of Ohio's total land area, little analysis has focused on describing Ohio's township land. The purpose of this report is to investigate the land cover characteristics of Ohio township land using the National Land Cover Dataset for Ohio from the early 1990's. The report describes the general land cover characteristics of Ohio's township land, analyzes spatial patterns of township land cover and population change across the state, and examines how patterns of land cover and population change are affected by proximity to major urban areas.  Selected conclusions based on these analyses are that agricultural land in Ohio is much more vulnerable to current and future population growth than forest lands and that, to effectively protect open space in Ohio, policies should focus on protecting farmland located within approximately 20-40 miles of major cities. 

The information contained in this report is intended for policymakers, planners, community development professionals, applied researchers, and citizens with an interest in land cover and population change in Ohio.  The data and analysis presented here are intended to inform community decision making regarding land use issues, including farmland preservation, growth management, and comprehensive planning.

NOTE: ALL FILES IN ADOBE ACROBAT (PDF) FORMAT

  FULL REPORT: Large File - longer download time

TEXT ONLY VERSION OF REPORT: Easier to download and view online

ACCOMPANYING GRAPHICS:

Section 1:

• Map 1: Ohio Land Cover (early 1990's)

• Figure 1: Land Cover Distribution for The State of Ohio, Ohio Cities and Villages and Ohio Townships (early 1990's)

Section 2:

• Map 2: Urban Land Cover by Township (early 1990's)

• Map 3: Forest Land Cover by Township (early 1990's)

• Map 4: Row Crop Land Cover by Township (early 1990's)

• Map 5: Pasture Land Cover by Township (early 1990's)

• Map 6: Total Agricultural Land Cover by Township (early 1990's)

Section 3: 

• Map 7: Township Population Change 1990-2000 (Percent Change)

Section 4: 

• Map 8: Ohio Metropolitan Area Reference Map

• Map 9: Buffers from Ohio's Major Urban Centers

• Figures 2 and 3: Township Land Cover and Township Population Change by Distance to Major Urban Centers