Agricultural land fragmentation: the spatial effects of three land protection strategies in the eastern United States

Fragmentation of agricultural land by urban sprawl affects both the agricultural production capacity of the land and its rural scenic quality. In order to assess the resulting fragmentation of the three most common types of agricultural land conservation tools in the United States, this study analyzes the spatial form of three land protection strategies: a purchase of development rights (PDR) program, a clustering program and a transfer of development rights program. By assessing a series of measures of success such as total acreage protected, size of parcels, contiguity and farming status, the study compares the effectiveness of programs that have been in place for approximately 20 years, analyzing the extent to which each program prevents or enhances fragmentation. The analysis shows that although the number of acres protected is an important factor in program success, the amount of protected land remaining in active farming is additionally influenced by any development rights that may remain with the land, the use of a variety of tools to reduce the likelihood of parcel isolation, and the adjacency and contiguity of protected parcels.