Modeled land cover change near Lakin, Kansas from 2014-2100

Graphic 1 - Modeled land cover change near Lakin, Kansas from 2014-2100. The Forecasting Scenarios of land use (FORE-SCE) model was used to project landscape change under multiple scenarios, using real land ownership and land management parcels to represent change processes. The scenario here represents a biofuel scenario from the Department of Energy.  Declining aquifer levels and a hotter and drier climate result in loss of irrigated cropland (corn, alfalfa) and conversion to dryland crops (wheat, sorghum) or rangeland.