GEOG 3133, Principles of Economic Geography Fall
2004
Homework 2: Spatial Analysis of U. S. Agricultural
Distributions
The purpose of this homework exercise is to increase your capability
to acquire and analyze economic geography data. Specifically,
this exercises focuses on agriculture in the United States and employs
data from the 1992, 1997, and 2002 U. S. Census of Agriculture.
This assignment is worth 50 points. You must
write your answers using word processing software and printout your
answers. This
assignment
is due
by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, October 20, 2004 (please note that this is the
day before Fall Break)--this is an extension to the date originally
noted in the syllabus.
Problem 1: Developing a
spatial perspective of U. S. agriculture
Work through the online learning module entitled "Spatial Analysis of
U. S. Agricultural Distributions" in order to develop a spatial
perspective on U. S. agriculture. This module can be found at <http://arapaho.nsuok.edu/~ziehr/virtual/human_wg/agric/agmod_hp.html>.
No written answers are required for
this problem, but a thorough
understanding of its contents will be essential to the remainder of
this homework exercise.
Problem 2: Acquiring U. S. agricultural data
Every five years the federal government conducts a census of
agriculture in the United States (as well as a number of other economic
censuses). These economic censuses are conducted in years that
end in two and seven; so the last three have been in 2002, 1997, and
1992. In this problem you will acquire data for hog production in
the U. S. and for a particular crop (not another type of
livestock
production); the specific crop can be your choice.
Go to the Census of Agriculture website maintained by the National
Agricultural Statistics Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture which
can be accessed at <http://www.nass.usda.gov/census/>.
Data are available online for the 2002, 1997, and 1992 censuses of
agriculture. Explore the tabular data that are available in
Volume 1 in each census; in this exercise you will use "U. S. State
Level Data" which is found under the heading "U. S. Summary & State
Report." Notice that there is a host of data available in these
reports ranging from farm production expenses to specific types of
livestock production to crop production to women principal
operators. Then explore the agricultural atlas in Volume 2 which
provides maps that show show the spatial distribution of a large
variety of crops and animals in the United States.
Hogs
- Find the tabular data for the "Hogs and Pigs--Inventory and
Sales: 2002 and
1997" and "Hogs and Pigs-Inventories, Litters and Sales:
1992 and 1987." Print and turn in the first page of each of these
two tables.
- Find, print, and turn in maps of "Hogs and Pigs--Inventory" for
1992, 1997, and 2002.
Crop (your choice)
- Find the tabular data for the number of acres by state of a
specific crop (your choice) for 2002, 1997, 1992, and 1987.
Print and turn in the first page of each of these two tables.
- Find, print, and turn in maps of the number of acres of the
specific crop that you chose for 2002, 1997, 1992.
Problem 3: Spatial Analysis of Hogs and Your Choice of Crop
Write two spatial analyses; one of hogs and one of your choice of
crop. Refer to the maps and tabular data that you obtained for
Problem 2, the concepts in the module used for Problem 1, and
information from the textbook and lecture about agriculture. Each
analysis should include:
- a general description of the distribution of the agricultural
product in 1992, 1997, and 2002; give particular attention to
large concentrations and to areas that have absolutely none of the
product,
- a summary of the most significant changes that occurred over the
time period in the agricultural product,
- an analysis of which location factors (described in the online
module in Problem 1) seem to be most associated with the distribution
of the agricultural product, and
- provide a general hypothesis, based on agricultural concepts from
the textbook, lecture, module, and your general knowledge as to why the
agricultural product is distributed the way it is and as to why the
distribution has changed since 1992 (if it has); you do not need to do
additional research beyond our textbook and the information obtained in
Problems 1 and 2 to develop your hypotheses.
Last revised October 6, 2004.