New Jersey Land Cover Mapping: 1972, 1984, 1995, 2001


Rutgers CRSSA has developed temporal land cover data of the New Jersey landscape for the decades of the 1970's, 1980's and 1990's, and most recently, for 2001. The 1984 and 1995 land cover "raster" geographic information systems (GIS) maps were developed from Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper satellite imagery (30 x 30 meter ground spatial resolution), as well as aerial photography and other mapped environmental data sets. The 2001 land cover data were generated from Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper satellite imagery, and also utilized SPOT panchromatic composite satellite imagery (10-meter spatial resolution) and other ancillary data comparable with the '84 and '95 data. The 1972 land cover map was developed primarily from the earlier generation Landsat Multispectral Scanner imagery. As the 1984, 1995 and 2001 land cover sets were created from Landsat satellite imagery and comparable auxiliary data sets, they provide a good estimate of land cover change during this time period. Due to the cruder technology of the Landsat Multispectral Scanner, the 1972 land cover map provides a coarser view of land cover during this earlier time period (coarser spatial and spectral resolution).


October 2000: Completion of New Jersey Land Cover Change Analysis Project: 1972, 1984, 1995

June 2004: Completion of New Jersey Land Use / Land Cover Update 2000/2001


Table: Land cover estimates, in acres, for New Jersey for the years 1972, 1984, 1995, and 2001.

Land area: acres
1972
1984
1995
2001
DEVELOPED
888,520
1,204,920
1,427,315
1,483,158
CULTIVATED/GRASSLAND
999,340
1,006,980
883,590
849,999
UPLAND FOREST
1,673,110
1,465,680
1,421,060
1,388,941
BARE LAND
29,840
38,450
45,530
58,982
COASTAL WETLAND
220,720
208,280
201,570
200,166
INLAND WETLAND
925,300
788,870
737,010
734,028
UNCONSOLIDATED SHORE
12,310
47,160
45,880
46,809
WATER
517,700
516,570
514,960
514,843
Totals
5,266,840
5,276,910
5,276,915
5,276,926


Source: Classification and analysis of Landsat satellite image data performed at the Grant F.Walton Center for Remote Sensing & Spatial Analysis, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.


Comparison of the 1984, 1995 and 2001 land cover maps show the types of landscape change that occurred during the period of analysis. The changes occurring to New Jersey's landscape are largely the result of human activities, namely residential, commercial and industrial development. New Jersey increased its developed land by 23% from approximately 1.2 million acres (approx. 25% total land area developed) in 1984 to approximately 1.5 million acres (approx. 31% total land area developed) in 2001.

Agricultural, forested land and wetlands declined proportionately to the increase in development. Approximately 157,000 acres of non-forested open space, much of this farmland (loss of 15% of farmland existing in 1984) were developed during the 1984 to 2001 time period. Upland forested areas declined by approximately 76,000 acres (5% loss of forest area from 1984).  Estuarine emergent wetlands (e.g., coastal salt marshes) remained relatively stable in area, whereas palustrine wetlands (e.g., freshwater marshes, swamps and riparian forests) showed a more significant decline in area of approximately 57,900 acres.  A large majority of this wetlands decline was due to the loss of forested wetlands.

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