On the Great Plains: Agriculture and Environment

摘要: Depending on who is telling it, the history of Euro-American farmers Great Plains has been a story either agricultural triumph or ecological failure - an optimistic tale taming nature for human purposes dire account disrupting and suffering environmental consequences. In On Plains, author Geoff Cunfer poses alternative scenario: that people were not masters Plains. Land use in America's vast interior prairies stayed remarkably stable throughout twentieth century, changing little as droughts came went, shifted from horses to tractors, federal subsidies fluctuating crop prices transformed economics farming. An equilibrium between natural forces emerged plowed planted same amount cropland during most this period, maintaining two-thirds unplowed, native vegetation. To support his theory, looks at entire (450 counties ten states), tapping historical census data paired with GIS mapping illuminate land over 130 years. Coupled several community family case studies, database allows reassess interaction landscape.