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CHANGES IN NJ LAND USE

CHANGES IN THE LAND USE OF NEW JERSEY COUNTIES.

Helena Vieira
ENVL 4300 Environmental Issues

February 16th, 2016

CHANGES IN NJ LAND USE

TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT....3
INTRODUCTION: IMPORTANCE OF MONITORING LAND USE CHANGE .3
OBJECTIVES 3
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ..4
CONCLUSION ..........................................................11
REFERENCES ..12

CHANGES IN NJ LAND USE

Abstract
This report summarizes changes in land use across New Jersey, including conversion and loss
of habitat. It focus on several land type categories, namely agriculture, barren land, urban, water,
wetlands, and forest. The analysis takes place in the counties of Camden, Bergen, Monmouth, and
Atlantic, using data from 1986 to 2012. The loss of forest and wetland habitats to urban development
is particularly emphasized in these four counties. Patterns of development range from county to
county, with much less change in some. Overall, it is clear that ecosystems have been altered and
development has increased overtime.

Introduction
Land use inventories may be complied using data collected from state GIS services. This data is of
extreme importance to tell what types of land is contained in a state, and what this indicates about
legislation, protection plans, inhabitants, and possible studies of physical change over time. Using data
from 1986 to 2012, a period of high developed and alteration, this report shows changes in land and
the consequences of these changes. Many changes indicate population growth, including movement
and immigration into the state. Though development patterns vary throughout the state, there is an
overall trend present. New Jersey is clearly urbanizing rapidly and continues to shift in habitat.

Objectives
The main goal of this report is to analyze and understand land use over time. Land use types include
agriculture, barren land, urban, water, wetlands, and forest. It is hoped that this report will allow for an

CHANGES IN NJ LAND USE

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analysis of land use forms in several counties for a better understanding of land conversion, its effects,

and ways in which to properly manage land.

Results and Discussion

When examining the GIS data for Monmouth County, it is clear that urban areas show up
along the highly developed coastline and are mixed sporadically throughout the state in patches.
Agriculture is fairly popular within the county, as are wetlands. For this county, because forested areas
are less prolific, more of an emphasis is put on the loss of wetlands to urbanization. Forested areas did
lose several thousand acres, and agricultural land dropped from roughly 54,000 acres to 35,500 acres
from 1986 to 2007. A loss of wetlands in the southern part of the county is evident. Wetlands went
from 73,000 acres to 65,000 from 1986 to 2007. Water increased by a small margin, indicating the
change of some wetlands to water. Most areas that were previously wetlands and agriculture became
urban.

CHANGES IN NJ LAND USE

Here is the data in an ArcMap of Monmouth County. Teal colored areas indicate wetlands, with the
darker blue patches being those that have been lost since 1986. Green is forested areas in 2012, while
black is those than existed in 1986 but are no longer forest today. Urban areas are in yellow.

CHANGES IN NJ LAND USE

Monmouth County Land Use 1986

Retrieved from New Jersey DEP Bureau of GIS
http://www.nj.gov/dep/gis/lulcshp.html

Joe Barris, GIS

supporter Ann-Marie
Falkowski. (2015).
Monmouth County
Draft Master Plan
2015.
http://co.monmouth.nj
.us/Documents/24/2.0
%20Land%20Use%2
0Element%20FD%20
Online%2012_02_15.
pdf

Bergen County, the most populated and urbanized county located outside of New York City, was
also analyzed. Here, there was less of an impact on forest from 1986 to 2012, with about 4,000 acres
lost. Roughly the same amount was gained in urban land. Wetlands did not decrease very drastically,
with a couple thousand acres lost. The image below shows the 2012 forest in light green, with earlier,
lost forest in darker green. Yellow urban areas dominate, with a small patch of wetlands in the
southern tip of the county. Closer inspection of the region shows that this is where much of the loss of
wetlands took place, as well as some forest loss.

CHANGES IN NJ LAND USE

Atlantic County Land Use 1986

Retrieved from New Jersey DEP Bureau of GIS
http://www.nj.gov/dep/gis/lulcshp.html

Atlantic county is dominated by wetland ecosystems, and as a result, has strong

legislation against the conversion or development of wetlands. This is clear when examining GIS data
which indicates a less than 2,000 acre loss (Atlantic county contains over 120,000 acres of wetlands).
The greatest land use change came from an increase in urban land. This rose by about 20,000 acres
over the studied time period. Forests also decreased over 15,000 acres.

CHANGES IN NJ LAND USE

The above maps show the loss of wetlands in dark teal, the urbanized coast and coastal inland in
cream, and the forested lands in green, with the darker green being those areas lost.

CHANGES IN NJ LAND USE

Camden County displayed little loss of wetlands, a few thousand acres of agricultural land lost, over
5,000 acres of forest lost and an increase in urban land of over 10,000 acres. Camden County
is a heavily populated and urbanized county outside of Philadelphia. It is primarily urban, with some
forests, wetlands and agriculture.

Camden County Land Use 1986

Retrieved from New Jersey DEP Bureau
of GIS
http://www.nj.gov/dep/gis/lulcshp.html

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CHANGES IN NJ LAND USE

Orthographic Map of Collingswood,

Camden County, New Jersey.
Retrieved from New Jersey
Geographic Information Network.

Camden County, New Jersey

(Board of Chosen Freeholders,
Camden County Planning
Board).
(2014). 2010 Land Use Context
[land use map]. Retrieved
from:
http://www.camdencounty.com
/sites/default/files/files/Land%2
0Use%20Element%20Final%2
0-%20July%202014.pdf

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CHANGES IN NJ LAND USE

Conclusion
The data and maps of this report are reflective of New Jerseys density, population, and
shift in land use. There is an obvious trend of a loss of natural habitat, such as forest and wetlands, and
an increase in urbanized and residential areas. Forested areas suffer a much more heavy loss, which
can be dangerous due to their interdependence with wetlands. Both play fundamental roles which are
enhanced by each other (Hasse & Lanthrop, 2010). New Jersey, especially the Southern part of the
state, was once primarily used for agriculture. This is seen in the maps, as is a conversion from
agricultural land to more developed areas. By analyzing data such as these, proper land management
can be attempted and areas can be monitored for protection, insuring the health of biodiversity and the
state of New Jersey itself.

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CHANGES IN NJ LAND USE

References

Hasse, J., & Lathrop, R. (2010). Changing landscapes in the Garden State: Urban growth and
open space loss in NJ, 1986 thru 2007. Glassboro: Geospatial Research Laboratory, Rowan
University.
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, GIS Bureau