Land:

The geography of the Mid-Atlantic region has a strong effect on the climate of the region and the microclimates of localities within that region. A change in climate will have differing effects on a locality depending on the characteristics of the land and the human use of that land. In turn, a change in land use can affect local climate. In this section you can explore the geography and land uses of the region and different locations within the region.

The Land Use Primer provides base information on land use and land cover within the Mid- and Upper-Atlantic region, how changes in land use are projected into the future and what those changes will mean to the region and its climate.

The topics under Physical Geography show some of the basic physical features within the region such as watershed boundaries, ecological regions and topography.

The Land Use/Land Cover link allows the user to examine maps at a region and county level showing the overall distribution of land cover types including agricultural areas, human developed areas and areas that remain undeveloped.

Under Land Use Projections are maps illustrating the results of projections modeled by CARA researchers of changes in land use in the counties comprising the region.

Adaptation Tools and Strategies contain practical information and interactive tutorials that allow you to see possible effects that changing land uses may have on water resources and runoff, agriculture or the ecosystem. They will also provide best practices and strategies to inform decision making on land and agricultural development to adapt to projected changes in climate and populations.