The good, the bad and the ugly: 30 years of land use changes in the Wasatch Range Metropolitan Area,

This presentation is prepared for AAG2016. Abstract In the past several decades, Utah has experienced significant population growth and landscape transformation. Large amounts of land (especially agricultural land) have been developed for various urban uses, raising concerns over a wide range of issues, such as degradation of agricultural landscapes, disturbance of ecological functions, and water resources management. Utah’s projected growth of 2.5 million people by 2050 added to the current 2.7 million population creates urgency and necessities to discuss how to plan for Utah’s land use to ensure Utah’s future sustainability and prosperity. A foundation of successful future land use planning and policy entails a more detailed and comprehensive understanding of historical land use change trends and patterns. We examine 30 years of land use changes in the Wasatch Range Metropolitan Area (WRMA), where 80% of Utah’s population resides and where Utah’s future growth will most likely to occur. Using GIS, spatial statistics and landscape metrics, we: 1) characterize the urban land use transformation; and 2) analyze relationships between urbanization processes and agricultural land transformation. By disclosing the good, the bad, and the ugly of last 30 years of land use change in northern Utah, this study intends to provide a frame of reference for land use planning and management in the region. Recommended Citation:Li, E., S. Li, and J. Endter-Wada. The good, the bad and the ugly: 30 years of land use changes in the Wasatch Range Metropolitan Area, Utah. Presentation at the 2016 Association of American Geographers Annual Conference, San Francisco, California, USA, March 2016.本报告为2016年美国地理学家协会（Association of American Geographers, AAG）年会准备。 摘要：近数十年来，犹他州（Utah）经历了显著的人口增长与景观转型。大量土地（尤以农用地为主）被开发为各类城市用地，由此引发了一系列广受关注的议题，包括农业景观退化、生态功能扰动以及水资源管理困境。当前犹他州常住人口已达270万，而据预测到2050年该州人口将再增250万，这一趋势凸显了开展土地利用规划研讨的紧迫性与必要性，以保障犹他州未来的可持续发展与繁荣。 成功的未来土地利用规划与政策制定，有赖于对历史土地利用变化趋势与格局的细致且全面的认知。本研究聚焦沃萨奇岭都会区（Wasatch Range Metropolitan Area, WRMA）——该区域聚居了犹他州80%的人口，同时也是未来人口增长的核心承载区域——并对其近30年的土地利用变化展开分析。借助地理信息系统（Geographic Information System, GIS）、空间统计方法与景观格局指数，本研究完成两项核心任务：其一，刻画城市土地利用转型特征；其二，解析城市化进程与农用地转型之间的关联机制。 通过揭示犹他州北部地区近30年土地利用变化的利弊与百态，本研究旨在为该区域的土地利用规划与管理提供参考框架。 推荐引用格式：Li, E.、S. Li 与 J. Endter-Wada. 《优劣与百态：犹他州沃萨奇岭都会区三十年土地利用变迁》，发表于2016年美国地理学家协会年会，美国加利福尼亚州旧金山，2016年3月。