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Residential expansion as a continental threat to U.S. coastal ecosystems

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Abstract

Spatially extensive analysis of satellite, climate, and census data reveals human-environment interactions of regional or continental concern in the United States. A grid-based principal components analysis of Bureau of Census variables revealed two independent demographic phenomena, α-settlement reflecting traditional human settlement patterns and β-settlement describing relative population growth correlated with recent construction in non-agricultural areas, notably in coastal, desert, and “recreational” counties and around expanding metropolitan areas. Regression tree analysis showed that β-settlement was differentially associated with five distinct combinations of seasonality, summer heat or cool, intensity of agriculture, and extent of “barren” land. Beta-settlement was greatest in coastal and desert areas, and coincided with national concentrations of threatened and endangered species.

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    J. G. Bartlett, D. M. Mageean & R. J. O'Connor

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Bartlett, J.G., Mageean, D.M. & O'Connor, R.J. Residential expansion as a continental threat to U.S. coastal ecosystems. Popul Environ 21, 429–468 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02436749

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