SOCIOECONOMICS 



INTRODUCTION 



The socioeconomic elements mapped and discussed include man-made features 

 and natural areas having either ecological or economic significance, such as 

 wildlife refuges, State park recreational areas, barrier islands, and 

 historical or archaeological sites. Man-made features include solid waste 

 landfills, navigation channels, and dredge-spoil disposal areas. Many of 

 these areas are subject to Federal, state, or local regulations for land use 

 within their boundaries. 



LAND USE AND LAND COVER 



Four categories of land use are mapped on the atlas sheets: forested, 

 urban, agricultural, and uncategorized. Forested land was considered as any 

 area with greater than 30% canopy cover. Forest land may be used for timber 

 production, as a game refuge, or any other use which does not alter the wood- 

 land nature. Some mature old fields which have reverted to woodland are in- 

 cluded in the forested category. 



The urban category includes residential, commercial, and industrial land 

 uses and includes major transportation facilities such as large highway inter- 

 changes and airports. The agricultural category includes areas currently 

 under cultivation or prepared for cultivation, pasture, and associated 

 buildings. It does not include timber plantations. 



The uncategorized classification is essentially a residual category. A 

 cross check with the Biological Resources maps in this atlas will show, 

 however, that more than 90% of this category is wetland, as defined by the 

 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Cowardin et al . 1979). 



All categories mapped were derived by aerial photo interpretation. The 

 photos were taken by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) 

 and were color infrared at a scale of 1:62,500, dated 1979. The minimum 

 mapped unit is approximately 10 acres. Mobile and Baldwin counties were 

 mapped in 1972 by the U.S. Geological Survey using criteria developed by 

 Anderson et al . (1976). Very general land use maps have also been produced 

 by local or regional Alabama agencies. 



The following information on the two coastal counties is included to 

 convey a general understanding of land cover and use in the area. The data 

 are from a wide variety of sources as reported in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 



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