On Friday, July 13, 2001, Geoff Cunfer, assistant professor of environmental history and studies at the Center for Rural and Regional Studies, presented a talk at the Earth Resources Observation System (EROS) Data Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Cunfer's presentation was entitled "Population, Land Use, and Environment in the Great Plains, 1870-1997." The EROS Data Center is the central collection point in the U.S. for all federal satellite images, including Landsat images, and aerial photographs. It is run by the U.S. Geological Survey, but also houses 500 Raytheon scientists who analyze land use and land cover change plus a facility of the United Nations Environment Programme. Cunfer spoke to a lunchtime audience of 40 people, then met with several researchers who are conducting related studies on land use history and on the influence of agricultural nitrogen and carbon use on global climate change.

View Cunfer's PowerPoint presentation for EROS