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Central California Valley Ecoregion: Chapter 17 in Status and trends of land change in the Western United States--1973 to 2000

Professional Paper 1794-A-17
This publication is Chapter 17 in Status and trends of land change in the Western United States--1973 to 2000, which is Volume A in Status and trends of land change in the United States--1973 to 2000, PP 1794. Volume A consists of 30 chapters. For access to other chapters, please visit PP 1794-A.
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https://doi.org/10.3133/pp1794A17

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Abstract

The Central California Valley Ecoregion, which covers approximately 45,983 km2 (17,754 mi2), is an elongated basin extending approximately 650 km north to south through central California (fig. 1) (Omernik, 1987; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1997). The ecoregion is surrounded entirely by the Southern and Central California Chaparral and Oak Woodlands Ecoregion, which includes parts of the Coast Ranges to the west and which is bounded by the Sierra Nevada to the east. The Central California Valley Ecoregion accounts for more than half of California’s agricultural production value and is one of the most important agricultural regions in the country, with flat terrain, fertile soils, a favorable climate, and nearly 70 percent of its land in cultivation (Kuminoff and others, 2000; Sumner and others, 2003). Commodities produced in the region include milk and dairy, cattle and calves, cotton, almonds, citrus, and grapes, among others (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2004; Johnston and McCalla, 2004; Kuminoff and others, 2000) (figs. 2A,B,C). Six of the top eight agricultural-producing counties in California are located at least partly within the Central California Valley Ecoregion (Kuminoff and others, 2000) (table 1). The Central California Valley Ecoregion is also home to nearly 5 million people spread throughout the region, including the major cities of Sacramento (state capital), Fresno, Bakersfield, and Stockton, California (U.S. Census Bureau, 2000) (fig. 1).

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Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title Central California Valley Ecoregion: Chapter 17 in Status and trends of land change in the Western United States--1973 to 2000
Series title Professional Paper
Series number 1794-A-17
DOI 10.3133/pp1794A17
Year Published 2012
Language English
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Publisher location Reston, VA
Contributing office(s) Western Geographic Science Center
Description Chapter 17: 9 p.
Larger Work Type Report
Larger Work Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Larger Work Title Status and trends of land change in the Western United States--1973 to 2000: Volume A in Status and trends of land change in the United States--1973 to 2000 (PP 1794-A)
First page 181
Last page 189
Country United States
State California
Google Analytic Metrics Metrics page
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